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West Indies v England, 6th ODI, St Lucia

England 280-8 (50 overs)

***

END OF INNINGS: England set themselves up superbly but the departure of Flintoff precipitated a worrying procession back and forth from the middle.

I doubt it will be enough but early wickets will change this observer's opinion. Join us again in 40 minutes.

276-8: CLARKE AND BATTY GONE!!! Clarke is bowled by a perfect Dillon yorker - not much he could do there.

Batty is done in similar fashion by Gayle.

Once again, England have thrown away a perfect position and unless they bowl very well, they will lose this.

273-6: READ RUN OUT!!! All sorts of fun and games. Read inside-edges short of Jacobs but Clarke wants the single anyway.

Read is caught unawares and when Jacobs hurls the ball to bowler Dillon, he throws down the stumps with England man two yards short.

269-5: Not quite the acceleration needed really. England surely need 280 at least but even that might not be enough again.

258-5: COLLINGWOOD FOLLOWS!!! The Durham man made 38 off 34 balls before his swipe to deep mid-wicket off Powell perfectly picks out Sarwan on the ropes. England must not lose their way in these latter stages.

251-4: FLINTOFF OUT!!! One big shot too many for Fred. He tries a lofted cover drive but mis-times and Chanderpaul arcs back to take a nice catch a yard above his head.

Disappointing for England as these two looked to have timed the assault perfectly. Read is next.

251-3: Here's the acceleration big style. Collingwood continues his increase in tempt with a leg-side four before Flintoff heaves a good length Bradshaw delivery into the car park.

238-3: Maybe Blackwell put something in Collingwood's water. Ever since their chat, he's a changed man. Dillon comes on and Colly plasters him for a straight six and a flick off his legs for four. 14 off the over.

224-3: Collingwood is given a message by 12th man Ian Blackwell to get a move on. Nothing else can explain a lofted off drive and a slog-sweep to leg in the very next over, which yields 12 runs.

210-3: England have lost the plot slightly in the last six to eight overs. Collingwood can't find the gaps while Flintoff is yet to truly find his touch. 300 is looking a long way off now. With wickets in hand, the pace must be increased soon.

199-3: STRAUSS DECEIVED BY GAYLE!!! The Middlesex captain tries to sweep the spinner but Gayle has this knack of firing it in a touch faster and full when he sees the shot coming.

Strauss misses and is trapped leg before. His 67 came off 82 balls.

191-2: There's the fifty partnership which has come up off just 47 balls. These two have really upped the tempo and a score of 300+ is becoming a distinct possibility.

185-2: Flintoff tries a similar shot to the same bowler and only just avoids a diving Lara at mid-wicket but gets four.

Strauss plays a much more convincing shot, pulling Rampaul emphatically for four.

167-2: A good 10-run over for England and early signs that Flintoff fancies it. After getting his eye in with a few singles, he unleashes a huge swing of the willow to send a Rampaul delivery flying over 'cow corner' for four.

157-2: MAIDEN ODI FIFTY FOR STRAUSS!!! A decent knock by the left-hander. He brings up the milestone off 63 balls and has struck five fours. It's his job to go on and get the big score.

141-2: VAUGHAN RUN OUT!!! There's the kiss of death! He's had few problems coping with the Windies attack and it takes a direct hit from Powell to send him on his way by nothing more than an inch.

Vaughan had dabbed to backward point but Powell is too quick and accurate. A sad demise.

131-1: This is developing into an excellent partnership. Strauss has an ODI best while Vaughan is setting himself up for a big ton.

116-1: A further escape for Vaughan. Bravo gets one to straighten on the England captain who is trying to work it through leg. The ball catches the outside edge and flies through where first slip would have been for four.

105-1: FIFTY FOR VAUGHAN!!! A quick-fire 58 balls is all that's needed and he really should go on to a big score. Vaughan has struck six fours.

Earlier in the over, Strauss so nearly ran himself out. An inside edge goes just to Gayle's left at midwicket, Strauss stupidly sets off for a single, is sent back by Vaughan and is extremely fortunate the throw is off-target.

95-1: Finally Vaughan breaks the shackles. Bradshaw overpitches twice in succession and the England captain punishes him with a superb cover drive and then a straight drive.

83-1: England are not finding the boundary but still keeping the scoreboard ticking over with singles and twos.

74-1: The end of the fielding restrictions and England are going along at about five an over. Hardly fireworks but on this pitch and with wickets in hand all hell can let loose later on as Smith and Sarwan proved yesterday.

63-1: Strauss is away with a well-placed cut behind square for four off Bradshaw.

57-1: TRESCOTHICK DRAGS ON!!! That's the breakthrough for the Windies. Tresco tries to run Rampaul down to third man but gets a big under edge and the ball clatters into the stumps.

How many times has the opener been out like that on this tour?

55-0: The runs are beginning to flow now. Trescothick slices for four and Vaughan cuts for the same value. Dillon is disgusted.

46-0: A great over for England - 10 off it - but an escape for Vaughan. He pulls Rampaul but gets a top-edge which, thankfully for him, lands just wide of the long leg fielder and a few yards beyond the scampering square leg man.

36-0: Two cracking leg-side shots from Vaughan. The first is an immaculately timed Caribbean-style flick through square leg. The second, an exquisite straight drive.

25-0: A fairly sedate start by England but they're still going along at over four an over. Trescothick has thumped a couple of trademark cover drives - he looks in good touch again.

***

The West Indies have won the toss and decided to field.

England have recalled Gareth Batty for his first game in the seven-match series as a replacement for Ian Blackwell. As expected, the Windies are unchanged.

Today's teams:

West Indies: H Gayle, S Chanderpaul, R L Powell, R R Sarwan, B C Lara, (capt), D R Smith, R D Jacobs (wkt), D J J Bravo, I D R Bradshaw, M Dillon, R Rampaul,

England: M E Trescothick, M P Vaughan, (capt), A J Strauss, P D Collingwood, A Flintoff, R Clarke, C M W Read, (wkt), G J Batty, D Gough, S J Harmison, J M Anderson.

Umpires: Aleem Dar, E A Nicholls.

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