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By Simon Cambers BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 1 - All rounder Andrew
Flintoff clinched his first test five-wicket haul as England
dismissed West Indies for 224 late on day one of the third test. Trailing 2-0 in the four-match series, West Indies recovered
from a poor start to reach 167 for three, only to self-destruct
again as their last seven wickets fell for 57. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit
half-centuries but Flintoff took five for 58, including two
wickets with the last two balls of the innings, to put England
on course for their first series win in the Caribbean since
1968. Strike bowler Steve Harmison, man of the match in the first
two tests, took three for 42 from 18 overs. England, in reply,
reached eight for one after the out-of-form Marcus Trescothick
fell cheaply. On a day of poor umpiring decisions and dropped catches,
West Indies squandered another good position. Put in by Michael Vaughan, openers Chris Gayle (6) and Daren
Ganga (11) fell as they slumped to 20 for two. Gayle, almost caught by Vaughan at midwicket for a duck from
his fourth ball, fell soon after, adjudged lbw by umpire Rudi
Koertzen. Television replays suggested the ball was high and
missing leg stump. Captain Brian Lara elevated himself to number three and got
off the mark first ball, flicking seamer Matthew Hoggard to fine
leg for two. Ganga, recalled in place of the injured Devon Smith,
survived a huge lbw shout from Harmison when on nought and was
then dropped by Graham Thorpe, diving to his left at second
slip. Luck turned England's way again shortly afterwards when
Darrell Hair gave Ganga out lbw to Harmison, precariously
playing no stroke. Replays again suggested the batsman was
unlucky with both bounce and direction. As the pitch lost some of its life Sarwan and Lara, who came
into the match with 31 runs to his name from four innings, began
to look more at ease and they edged the total to 71 for two at
lunch. Critical of his excess movement at the crease in the first
two tests, a more settled Lara hit six boundaries to reach 36
but, with the total on 88, he forgot to move his feet and edged
a simple catch to Mark Butcher in the gully. BUTCHER BLUNDER Butcher, though, dropped a simple catch in the slips off
Chanderpaul and the left-hander made him pay as, for the first
time in the series, West Indies dug in. Sarwan survived two shouts for a catch by Chris Read to
reach his 19th test 50, including six fours, and West Indies
reached tea well-placed on 155 for three. The final session, however, was all England. Sarwan was the first to go, caught for 63 by Flintoff at
second slip after pushing hard at Harmison. Ryan Hinds, back in the side after illness, fell for five
trying to hook Flintoff, caught by Simon Jones at deep fine leg. Jones then removed Ridley Jacobs for six, but while
Chanderpaul, who reached his 30th test half-century with a flick
through the leg side, was still there, West Indies still
harboured hopes of a decent total. After Butcher again dropped Tino Best second ball, Flintoff
struck next delivery, having Chanderpaul caught by Thorpe for
50. The Lancashire all rounder then removed Best for 17 and
Fidel Edwards first ball to complete the innings.
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