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Exquisite Sarwan!
Right-hander's unbeaten 184 lifts Windies
By Garfield Myers Editor-at-large South-Central Bureau
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Bridgetown, Barbados - Ramnaresh Sarwan was a delight to the eye in his flawless, unbeaten 184 yesterday as West Indies, replying to England's 600-6 declared, reached 398-5.
Shamefully, his magnificent innings was overshadowed by horrendous officiating errors which threatened to undermine the West Indies' effort and made a mockery of the television referral system on which such high hopes have been pinned.
Bridgetown, Barbados - West Indies' middle-order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan executes a classic off-drive as England's wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose looks on during the third day of the fourth Test match at Kensington Oval yesterday. Sarwan was 184 not out. (Photo: AP)
On a day when, television umpire Daryl Harper was asked to consider player-instigated referrals on four occasions, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (70) and Brendan Nash (33) were given out lbw even though tv replay technology clearly suggested they were hit too high.
In the first instance, Hawkeye technology, which is not used under the current experimental referral system, later showed that the ball would have missed Chanderpaul's stumps by inches.
In the second, Hawkeye suggested the ball would also have cleared the bails. Amazingly, umpire Aleem Dar of Pakistan reversed himself to give Nash out, after consultation with Harper.
Inevitably, the situation caused boundless confusion. So much so, that the word at day's end was that coach John Dyson went to the match referee Alan Hurst to seek clarification on the use of the referral system.
From a West Indies' perspective, it didn't help that at their untimely end, both Chanderpaul and Nash
were batting well and building strong partnerships with Sarwan.
Looking on from the other end, Sarwan held his composure to continue his magnificent form of the previous Test matches.
The 28 year-old Guyanese rarely put a foot wrong as he continued from his overnight 40, to record his 14th Test century and his third in four innings this series. This gem in Bridgetown follows 107 in Kingston, and 94 and 106 in Antigua for an overall aggregate of 491.
Always a joy to watch, Sarwan was especially so yesterday on a pitch which facilitated strokeplay - with the ball coming nicely on to the bat at consistent bounce and pace. The right-hander's cover drives goose-pimpled the flesh but his cuts, on-drives and wristy flicks were also nothing short of exquisite.
At day's end, Sarwan who has so far batted in excess of six and a half hours had faced 280 balls and cracked 19 fours and two sixes.
He shared partnerships of 108 for the second wicket with Devon Smith (55), 122 for the fourth with Chanderpaul and 53 for the fifth with Nash. At the close another good stand so far worth 64 was building with Denesh Ramdin, not out 25.
At the close, Sarwan emphasised the value of "partnerships" if the West Indies are to complete the task of saving the Test match. "We have to continue (today) for as long as possible," he said.
From the overnight 85-1, the West Indies added another 78 in the pre-lunch session for the loss of Smith and Ryan Hinds (15).
The smooth, silky Sarwan and a less certain Smith had batted for an hour when the latter was adjudged lbw in the first over from the impressive offspinner Graeme Swann (3-92).
Smith's referral was to no avail, but Hawkeye would later suggest the ball would only have clipped the outside of offstump. The left-handed opener had faced 103 balls and hit five fours.
Ryan Hinds (15) never settled against Swann and it came as no surprise when he was trapped in front by Swann. It was the only lbw dismissal of the day that drew no complaints.
Chanderpaul's flowing cover-driven boundary to his first ball indicated form and confidence. And he would continue in similar style with the superb Sarwan until the sixth over after tea - the 85th of the innings and the fifth with the second new ball - when the officials intervened with deadly effect.
Hit high on the front pad by a delivery from Anderson that straightened off the pitch, Chanderpaul, who had played no shot, looked up to see umpire Russell Tiffin's finger in the air. After initially spreading his arms in surprise and consternation, Chanderpaul collected himself to request the referral.
TV replays appeared to confirm the initial impression from the boundary's edge that he had been hit too high. Not so, said the umpires and Tiffin's finger went up for a second time. Chanderpaul's delightful knock had lasted 134 balls,and contained 11 fours.
Right-hander's unbeaten 184 lifts Windies
By Garfield Myers Editor-at-large South-Central Bureau
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Bridgetown, Barbados - Ramnaresh Sarwan was a delight to the eye in his flawless, unbeaten 184 yesterday as West Indies, replying to England's 600-6 declared, reached 398-5.
Shamefully, his magnificent innings was overshadowed by horrendous officiating errors which threatened to undermine the West Indies' effort and made a mockery of the television referral system on which such high hopes have been pinned.
Bridgetown, Barbados - West Indies' middle-order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan executes a classic off-drive as England's wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose looks on during the third day of the fourth Test match at Kensington Oval yesterday. Sarwan was 184 not out. (Photo: AP) On a day when, television umpire Daryl Harper was asked to consider player-instigated referrals on four occasions, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (70) and Brendan Nash (33) were given out lbw even though tv replay technology clearly suggested they were hit too high.
In the first instance, Hawkeye technology, which is not used under the current experimental referral system, later showed that the ball would have missed Chanderpaul's stumps by inches.
In the second, Hawkeye suggested the ball would also have cleared the bails. Amazingly, umpire Aleem Dar of Pakistan reversed himself to give Nash out, after consultation with Harper.
Inevitably, the situation caused boundless confusion. So much so, that the word at day's end was that coach John Dyson went to the match referee Alan Hurst to seek clarification on the use of the referral system.
From a West Indies' perspective, it didn't help that at their untimely end, both Chanderpaul and Nash
were batting well and building strong partnerships with Sarwan.
Looking on from the other end, Sarwan held his composure to continue his magnificent form of the previous Test matches.
The 28 year-old Guyanese rarely put a foot wrong as he continued from his overnight 40, to record his 14th Test century and his third in four innings this series. This gem in Bridgetown follows 107 in Kingston, and 94 and 106 in Antigua for an overall aggregate of 491.
Always a joy to watch, Sarwan was especially so yesterday on a pitch which facilitated strokeplay - with the ball coming nicely on to the bat at consistent bounce and pace. The right-hander's cover drives goose-pimpled the flesh but his cuts, on-drives and wristy flicks were also nothing short of exquisite.
At day's end, Sarwan who has so far batted in excess of six and a half hours had faced 280 balls and cracked 19 fours and two sixes.
He shared partnerships of 108 for the second wicket with Devon Smith (55), 122 for the fourth with Chanderpaul and 53 for the fifth with Nash. At the close another good stand so far worth 64 was building with Denesh Ramdin, not out 25.
At the close, Sarwan emphasised the value of "partnerships" if the West Indies are to complete the task of saving the Test match. "We have to continue (today) for as long as possible," he said.
From the overnight 85-1, the West Indies added another 78 in the pre-lunch session for the loss of Smith and Ryan Hinds (15).
The smooth, silky Sarwan and a less certain Smith had batted for an hour when the latter was adjudged lbw in the first over from the impressive offspinner Graeme Swann (3-92).
Smith's referral was to no avail, but Hawkeye would later suggest the ball would only have clipped the outside of offstump. The left-handed opener had faced 103 balls and hit five fours.
Ryan Hinds (15) never settled against Swann and it came as no surprise when he was trapped in front by Swann. It was the only lbw dismissal of the day that drew no complaints.
Chanderpaul's flowing cover-driven boundary to his first ball indicated form and confidence. And he would continue in similar style with the superb Sarwan until the sixth over after tea - the 85th of the innings and the fifth with the second new ball - when the officials intervened with deadly effect.
Hit high on the front pad by a delivery from Anderson that straightened off the pitch, Chanderpaul, who had played no shot, looked up to see umpire Russell Tiffin's finger in the air. After initially spreading his arms in surprise and consternation, Chanderpaul collected himself to request the referral.
TV replays appeared to confirm the initial impression from the boundary's edge that he had been hit too high. Not so, said the umpires and Tiffin's finger went up for a second time. Chanderpaul's delightful knock had lasted 134 balls,and contained 11 fours.
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