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West Indies v England, 6th ODI, St Lucia

WI 282-6 (47.1 overs) (Eng 280-8)

Bravo 33 Jacobs 19

WEST INDIES WIN BY FOUR WICKETS AND GO 2-1 UP IN THE SERIES

***

282-6: Bravo seals the victory with a leg glance for four. You always felt England needed at least 300, they should have got them, messed it up and are left to rue their mistakes.

The Windies did the job superbly thanks to a blistering start and then two or three intelligent partnerships.

So the hosts are now in front and England must win the final match in Barbados on Wednesday to level the series.

275-6: Gough's not had a good day. Eight come from that over to virtually seal victory. He's gone at just under eight an over today.

267-6: Bravo goes over the top again but doesn't catch it right and he is lucky to see it come down from orbit a couple of yards ahead of Gough.

264-6: Bravo launches Harmison over the top for four to bring the target below 20. England need an inspired spell from someone.

255-6: Two close shaves. Bravo was almost lbw to Flintoff but it was probably just outside the line.

However, Jacobs calls a single and somehow Collingwood misses with his under arm throw from five yards. Oh dear.

254-6: Harmison peppers Jacobs with short stuff as the England team hark back to the Test series where he had such trouble with anything around his ribs. After a couple of wafts he gets a glove to fine leg for four. That eases the tension.

244-6: HARMISON IS LARA'S NEMESIS AGAIN!!! Just a glimmer for the tourists. Lara top-edges a hook straight to Gough at long leg and he takes a simple catch.

240-5: FIFTY FOR LARA!!! Always in control and it looks like being a comfortably victory for the Windies. Only 62 balls but only in the last two shots - a brace of thumping straight drives - has he showed any real aggression.

A masterclass in working the ball into gaps. Take note England.

219-5: Vaughan mistakenly brings on Clarke and he is fortunate to only go for seven after bowling two rank full tosses. Gough's back now though in place of the Surrey man.

206-5: BATTY GETS SMITH!!! He looked unstoppable with his searing power and timing but - after three marvellous lofted fours - it's one big shot too many.

The ball flies high over midwicket but Strauss scampers round the boundary rope and takes a superb running catch. 18 off 10 for Smith and England have a sniff.

193-4: Harmison so nearly gets Smith first ball but although the fifth ODI hero gets an inside edge, it flies past the stumps for four.

185-4: FLINTOFF BREAKS THE PARTNERSHIP!!! The slower ball works a trick as Sarwan, who had driven the previous ball for four, tries to repeat the shot but gets an inside edge onto pad. The ball only just has enough pace to dislodge the bails.

Smith to come next. We all know what he can do!

176-3: Gough comes on for Clarke so Vaughan is attacking. The problem is both batsmen are well set and it's a belting wicket. You are effectively relying on batsman error.

161-3: Vaughan does bring back Harmison and he bowls significantly better than with during his opening spell. Just four off the over but still too haphazard.

151-3: It's drifting Vaughan!! Time for some action skip! Batty and Clarke are being milked for four and five an over which is enough to keep the Windies ahead of the game.

136-3: Vaughan cannot afford to let this drift now. He needs Lara and Sarwan out of the game asap.

Batty nearly does the job, trapping Lara in front but Eddie Nichols is unimpressed though replays suggest it would have hit.

113-3: CLARKE TAKES A WICKET WITH FIRST BALL!!! This is the softest dismissal in centuries. Clarke bangs his first ball half way down the wicket - the ultimate loosener - but Chanderpaul lobs an attempted hook straight to Batty at short mid-wicket.

Chanderpaul, who hit 63 off 55 balls, was probably done by the total lack of pace.

112-2: POWELL THROWS IT AWAY!!! Batty comes into the attack after the drinks break and Powell immediately charges him, tries an ugly swat and picks out sub fielder Anthony McGrath at long on.

Having scored 38 off 32 and with England totally on the rack, that was a poor shot.

110-1: This could be over in 30 overs at this rate. Powell creams Flintoff for an enormous maximum over extra cover. If ever a team needed a wicket...

92-1: England seem to have no ideas. Even Flintoff is getting a bit of tap - 10 off that last over. Maybe Batty needs to come on, just to take the pace off the ball.

77-1: FIFTY FOR CHANDERPAUL!!! Only 42 balls needed for that. An unrelenting barrage. England need a wicket and fast.

61-1: Flintoff comes on at the other end and concedes four singles. Better.

57-1: Anderson is introduced to the attack. No change, Chanderpaul helps a short ball on its way to the boundary.

51-1: Now Gough is disappearing everywhere. Chanderpaul guides to third man for four, brilliantly whips over mid-wicket for six and then glances for another boundary.

36-1: Harmison has a lot to earn in ODIs. He's simply too expensive. Chanderpaul pulls and then works him through leg for two boundaries. 11 off the over.

25-1: Powell is the next dangerman to be got rid of and he demonstrates his excellent timing with a well-struck four off Gough straight down the ground.

15-1: GOUGH SNARES GAYLE!!! The perfect in-swinger to a left-hander traps Gayle bang in front. Aleem Dar takes ages to think about it but it was hitting middle, half way up. Game on.

13-0: Harmison bowls an even worse one. It's only because he's so off target that there aren't more than six runs taken from it. Three wides and three others.

7-0: Gayle nonchalantly clips the first ball from Gough off his pads behind square for four. Effortless. Overall a poor opening six balls from Goughie.

***

Welcome to the West Indies' reply to England's 280 - one less than their score yesterday. It promises to be another thriller.

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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