Cricket: Adams in doubt for remainder of tour
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Your support makes all the difference.West Indies 230 and 276-6 Somerset 374
Jimmy Adams is almost certainly out of the fifth Test and there were fears last night that his tour could be over, after he was struck a sickening blow under his right eye by a delivery from the Somerset fast bowler, Andre van Troost.
Adams suffered a cracked cheekbone, which a hospital spokesman said may need surgery when the swelling has gone down. Adams initially ducked to avoid a short delivery from the 6ft 8in Dutchman, before appearing to lose sight of the ball, and was struck in the face as he rose. Van Troost went to hospital to visit him later last night.
The 27-year-old left-hander was helped off with blood pouring from the wound and was taken by ambulance to nearby Musgrove Park Hospital. Adams, who does not have a protective grille on his helmet, is the second such casualty in five days, following Robin Smith's injury at the weekend in the fourth Test which has put him out of the rest of the series.
Adams had just arrived at the crease after the dismissal of his captain, Richie Richardson, who had been bowled after he too seemed to have difficulty in getting sight of the ball as Van Troost delivered it from the Old Pavilion End.
It was an incident-packed few minutes for Van Troost, who was then no- balled and warned after sending down a slower, high full toss to Courtney Browne. The wicketkeeper then became the third of four victims for the Dutchman in the space of 31 deliveries, which marked the end of a brilliant exhibition of batting led by Stuart Williams, who smashed a magnificent hundred, his third of the tour, and Richardson, who scored 88 in their partnership of 206 in a breathtaking 39 overs.
Jason Kerr, Jeremy Batty and Harvey Trump were clumped and thumped for a bewildering array of runs. Kerr, a hero in the first two acts, suffered the ignominy of being struck for five boundaries by Richardson in one over. But after Van Troost's burst, they went in a slender 132 runs ahead, with effectively three wickets in hand.
Somerset's overnight position had looked grim, but Robbie Turner and Kerr put bat to ball on the resumption. Turner added 72 to six catches in the West Indies' first innings, while Kerr hit 80 - his highest first- class score to go with his career best 5 for 82.
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