WEST INDIES 3/95 AFTER BIG SCORE

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31585, 24 January 1968, Page 15

WEST INDIES 3/95 AFTER BIG SCORE

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) PORT OF SPAIN (Trinidad). West Indies survived some hostile bowling, particularly from D. Brown, to reach 195 for three, in reply to England’s big first-innings total of 568, by stumps on the third day of their first cricket test of this tour.

England, all out for its highest score against the West Indies since 1957 after • losing its last three wickets for 22 runs yesterday morning, put everything into the task of trying to bowl out the West Indians in the 151 hours of play left in the match. Brown, who finished the day with two for 36, was particularly fiery, and the spinner, Titmus, who took the other wicket, always commanded respect, but R- Kanhai, though more subdued than usual, steered West Indies on a safe course with an undefeated innings of 66. England, resuming at Saturday’s close score of 546 for seven, succumbed to the pace -of C. Griffith, who captured the three remaining wickets for nine runs to finish with five for 69.

C. Cowdrey’s decision to continue the England innings was swayed by the fact that it gave him the chance to have a heavy roller used in an effort to crumble the pitch for the spinners, though this was not borne out later. Cautious Start With nearly IS hours left for play and needing 369 to save the follow-on. it was inevitable that the West Indies batsmen went cautiously. It was to the credit of both S. Nurse and R. Kanhai that they forsook their normal aggressive game. But C. Lloyd had no such inhibitions. Without taking risks, he quickly showed the bowlers he w r as not going to be dominated. and was 36 not out at the close. Cowdrey used his pace men in short bursts, but Brown was by far the most dangerous, and had better direction than J. Jones. B. D’Oliveira’s cutters were invaluable, but the spinners could not turn the ball enough to seriously inconvenience the batsmen. The first task of the West Indies openers, Nurse and S. Comacho, was to survive the first 75 minutes before lunch —and in this they succeeded. But the interval proved fatal for Comacho, whose only weakness was a tendency to overdo the hook. He mistimed against a flier from Brown, and presented a simple catch at forward shortleg. Comacho stayed 87 minutes for 22 runs. Scores: ENGLAND First Innings G. Boycott lbw b Holford .. 68 J. Edrich c Murray b Gibbs 25 M. C Cowdrey c Murray b Griffith 72 K. Barrington c Griffith b Gibbs 143 T. Graveney b Gibbs .. 118 J. Parks lbw b Sobers .. 42 B. D’Oliveira b Griffith .. 22

F. Titmus lbw b Griffith .. 15 D. Brown not out .. 22 I. J. Jones c Murray b Griffith 2 R. Hobbs c Butcher b Griffith 2 Extras 27 Total 568 Bowling: Hall, 28 overs, 5 maidens, 92 runs, 0 wickets; Griffith, 29.5, 13, 69, 5: Sobers, 26. 5, 83, 1; Gibbs, 63, 15, 147, 3: Holford, 43, 1, 121, 1: Comacho, 3,1, 12, 0; Lloyd, 8. 3, 17, 0. WEST INDIES First Innings S. Nurse c Graveney b Titmus 41 S. Comacho c Graveney b Brown 22 R. Kanhai not out .. 66 B. Butcher lbw b Brown .. 14 C. Lloyd not out .. 36 Extras 16 Total (for three wkts) 195 Bowling.—Brown, 14, 2, 36, 2; Jones, 11, 3, 33. 0: d’Oliveira, 18, 12, 19, 0; Titmus, 20, 6, 59, 1; Hobbs, 13. 1, 31, 0; Barrington, 2,1, 8, 0.