West Indies fail to follow Bishop's lead

TONY COZIER

Having secured a definite advantage several times during the course of the day the West Indies let it slip with the loss of a crucial wicket at untimely intervals.

After the Ian Bishop inspired demolition of the England innings within an hour and a half, they had an immediate setback when Carl Hooper's first excursion as an opener in Tests ended with a first-ball dismissal.

Then followed Brian Lara's spectacular blitz, supported in full by Sherwin Campbell, that delivered a stiff counter-punch to rock England back on to the ropes. As so often, Lara batted as if he was toying with schoolboys. Had he managed to stay for only an additional hour heaven knows what the opposition's spirit would have been.

However, as has been too frequently the case since his mind-boggling records of a year ago, he surrendered his wicket through over-confidence when his team needed him to remain somewhat longer. He had been similarly beaten in the flight by Richard Illingworth in the opening first-class match of the tour at Worcester when he was stumped.

After he had gone, Campbell was settling into a productive partnership with the level-headed Jimmy Adams that was worth 46 when Campbell needlessly tested England's best fielder and paid the price with his wicket.

The little Barbadian right-hander has now had three half-centuries in his five Test innings and can only get tighter and better with experience. At least one half of the problem that has beset the West Indies on the dissolution of the Greenidge-Haynes partnership seems to have been solved.

With Campbell out of the way, Adams and Keith Arthurton further consolidated things by putting on 75. Adams was simply Adams, head well over the ball, attempting nothing flashy. Arthurton was Arthurton but only until a few narrow early escapes tempered his usual aggression and he played with rare and commendable confidence thereafter.

Going ahead with only three wickets down and in the final session, with England a bowler short, the West Indies would have anticipated a far stronger position than they eventually reached.

But the dismissals of Adams and the struggling captain, Richie Richardson, tilted the balance significantly on to a more even keel and it will require more resolution from Arthurton and assistance from the lower order for the lead to extend beyond 100 that would be a match-winning advantage.