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West Indies enter Headingley slaughterhouse

Tony Snow
Thursday 17 August 2000 00:00 BST
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A test series which has seen more twists than an Alfred Hitchcock plot, and more up and downs than a rollercoaster ride still found more room for surprise in the first session of the crucial fourth test.

A test series which has seen more twists than an Alfred Hitchcock plot, and more up and downs than a rollercoaster ride still found more room for surprise in the first session of the crucial fourth test.

England took telling early advantage as the West Indies crumbled to 77-5 at lunch.

Darren Gough clearly relishing the advantage of playing at his native Headingley made a vital 10th-ball breakthrough, claiming the wicket of Campbell after being hit for four from the previous ball. Yorkshire colleague Craig White added to the West Indies misery striking in his third over as West Indies appeared to have steadied the ship having raced to 50 in 15.1 overs.

Victim, Hinds was undone by a ball which seamed back from White and it was a meat-and-drink 150th Test catch off the inside edge for Stewart

With Brian Lara announcing himself with the first-ball four off White, England captain Nasser Hussain brought back Gough for a second spell at the Kirkstall Lane end and began with a rapid maiden to Griffith.

But that boundary was to be Lara's only scoring stroke. White moved a ball back into the left-hander who, playing no stroke to his seventh delivery, was hit on the knee and given lbw by umpire George Sharp.

West Indies were 54 for three with White having claimed two for four in eight balls.

It got even better for England when Hussain's move to bring back Gough paid dividends to leave West Indies 56 for four, losing three top batsmen for six runs.

Griffith (22 in 51 balls) played an out-of-character slash at a rising wide ball from Gough and Stewart made no mistake behind the wicket.

After all the frustrations of the first hour, with the left-handers playing and missing frequently, it was a sudden haul of riches for England.

And at 60, captain Jimmy Adams was sent on his way by White, dragging a ball from White into his stumps to improve his spell to three for six in 17 balls.

SCOREBOARD - lunch

West Indies First Innings S L Campbell c Trescothick b Gough 8 A F G Griffith c Stewart b Gough 22 W W Hinds c Stewart b White 16 B C Lara lbw b White 4 J C Adams b White 2 R R Sarwan not out 17 R D Jacobs not out 4 Extras nb4 4

Total 5 wkts (26 overs) 77

Fall: 1-11 2-50 3-54 4-56 5-60

To Bat: N A M McLean, C E L Ambrose, R D King, C A Walsh.

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