GEORGETOWN.
Guyana. Mar 2: Mark Rampraka-sh. who inspired England by fending off the follow-on with a stubborn unbeaten Innings of 64. also took a wicket as the West Indies dramatically collapsed to 127 for nine In their second innings by the close of the third days play in the fourth Test here on Sunday, reports AFP.
England, who finished the day trailing the home side by 309 runs, still have a mountain to climb if they are to take a 2-1 lead In the six-Test series, but the mood in the dressing room was upbeat.
Ramprakash made a timely breakthrough as a bowler — removing David Williams with a second-ball long-hop which the West Indian tried to pull only to be brilliantly caught by a sprawling Phil Tufnell at square-leg.
He struck after the West Indies had reached 123 for five and Robert Croft then snapped up three wickets for two runs in 13 balls just before the close.
The home side could have been in even worse trouble but England missed several chances.
Wicketkeeper Williams could have been run out first ball if Mark Butchter's throw had hit the stumps.
Jack Russell dropped Jimmy Adams off Croft on 13.
And Brian Lara survived a difficult chance to a diving Butcher at square-leg when he had scored Just five.
But despite the misses England could be well pleased with their performance.
Australian umpire Darrel Hair gave both Adams and Curtly Ambrose out for playing no stroke to harmless-looking Croft deliveries, and then Courtney Walsh inside-edged to Russell from what turned out to be the last ball of an incident-packed day.
Starting the day at 87 for six, England s main target was to avoid the follow-on and. thanks to a patient innings from the 28-year-old Ramprakash. they succeeded.
Ramprakash. recalled for his 21st Test did not give a chance in almost four hours at the crease and his 64 steered England to 170.
It also showed what could be achieved on the pock-marked Bourda pitch if batsmen put their minds to the Job in hand.
In all. the Middlesex player hit seven fours and none were better than his last scoring shot which was a classical, dismissive off-drive punched away off Walsh.
Croft also played spiritedly in a seventh-wicket stand worth 64 — the proud Welshman perhaps being inspired by St David's day as ne reached 26.
Dean Headley and Angus Fraser, however, departed for ducks, and at lunch England still required three runs to avoid being asked to bat again.
After the interval Ramprakash led England past the target — cleverly shielding Tufnell from the bowling, in a stand worth 30.
England's bowlers came out firing on all cylinders. Headley struck in his second over to have Stuart Williams well held at second slip, and Fraser, who was also making new-ball inroads. had Sherwin Campbell smartly caught off bat and pad at short-leg.
Nasser Hussain's ran out Shivnarine Chanderpaul was a magnificent exhibition of his speed over the ground and the accuracy of his throwing arm. First-innings century hero Chanderpaul attempted to get off the mark with a quick single first ball. But Hussain swooped from cover and third umpire Peter Montfort confirmed that the local favourite had to go.
Tufnell removed Lara, caught off bat and pad at silly point, and when Headley returned to win a dubious lbw decision against Hooper with his first ball, the West Indies' lead was 275 and their top five batsmen were gone.
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard on the third-day of the fourth Test between West Indies and England at Bourda on Sunday:
WEST INDIES: First Innings 352 (S Chanderpaul 118, B Lara 93)
ENGLAND: First innings (overnight 87-6) Atherton c Lara b Ambrose 0 Stewart c D Williams b Walsh 20 Butcher lbw b Bishop 11
Hussain lbw b Walsh 11
Thorpe c D Williams b Ramnarine 10 Ramprakash not out 64
Russell lbw b Ramnarine 0
Croft c Lara b Hooper 26
Headley c D Williams b Hooper 0
Fraser c Lara b Ramnarine 0
Tufnell c Bishop b Ambrose 2
Extras: (b-10. Ib-2. nb-14) 26
Total: 170
Fall of wickets: 1-1; 2-37; 3-41; 4-65; 5-73; 6-75; 7-139; 8-139:9-140.
Bowling O M R W
Walsh 27 7 47 2
Ambrose 12.1 5 21 2
Ramnarine 17 8 26 3
Bishop 13 4 34 1
Adams 3 2 1 0
Hooper 15 5 29 2
WEST INDIES: Second innings
Campbell c Ramprakash b Fraser 17 S Williams c Stewart b Headley 0 Lara c Butcher b Tufnell 30
Chanderpaul run out 0
Hooper lbw b Headley 34
Adams lbw b Croft 18
D Williams c Tufnell b Ramprakash 15
Bishop not out 2
Ambrose lbw b Croft 2
Walsh c Russell b Croft 0
Extras: fib-6. nb-3) 9
Total: (for 9 wkts) 127
Fall of wickets: 1-4; 2-32; 3-32; 4-75: 5-93; 6-123: 7-123; 8-127; 9-127.
Bowling O M R W
Fraser 8 1 19 1
Headley 9 3 26 2
Croft 11/2 2 30 3
Tufnell 16 3 44 1
Ramprakash 2 12 1