Strauss: We can still win series

Eurosport - Fri, 20 Feb 13:14:00 2009

England captain Andrew Strauss has urged his team to forget the disappointment of the foiled victory bid in Antigua - and channel their improved display into winning the series.

CRICKET 2009 - England captain Andrew Strauss reacts after playing a shot to reach a century during the first day of the third cricket Test match against West Indies at the Antigua Recreation Ground - 0

They will also hope for positive news on the state of Andrew Flintoff's injured hip when they re-group in Barbados later on Friday to review the draw at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Strauss's team failed to dislodge West Indies' final pair Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards, despite having 34 minutes to do so, and were forced to settle for a draw seconds after 6pm.

England began the final day requiring seven wickets but, held up by wet weather for 75 minutes, the portents for victory were not good.

Man-of-the-match Ramnaresh Sarwan, who hit 106, and fellow Guyanese batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul repelled the England threat until the 37th over of the day.

Despite Stuart Broad separating the fourth-wicket pair with the second new ball and a clatter of successes after tea, England were agonisingly short of levelling the series when, at 370 for nine, West Indies were offered the light.

"Obviously when you get so close to winning a Test match and don't make it over the final hurdle it's very difficult to take," said Strauss. "It almost feels like a defeat.

"But once the emotion subsides we can look back and see that we played some excellent cricket.

"We hope we have shifted the momentum away from West Indies in terms of the series - and if we keep getting better there is no reason why we can't go on and win the series."

Strauss refused to grumble about the umpires' intervention, after his side toiled for 10 overs without success at the 10th-wicket pair.

"Test-match wins do not come easily," said Strauss. "On a wicket like this, even against numbers 10 and 11 it is hard to force the issue.

"We were hoping the pitch would deteriorate on day five. It didn't - in fact if anything it got even flatter and died.

"We did pretty much everything we could do, and I cannot fault the bowlers. It was one of those days when things did not go to hand."

Even six balls from the talismanic Flintoff late in the piece, in his third spell of the day, failed to end in a fairytale.

Flintoff, 31, will have a scan on his right hip on Friday. Despite the discomfort, however, he still managed two bursts from the Factory Road end at the start of each of the final two sessions - the second at somewhere near his optimum speed.

"Clearly he is not at full fettle by any means," said Strauss. "But we have seen that so many times before with Fred.

"He throws himself into the match situation, and it was incredible to see him bowling that pace with that injury.

"In these situations you have to trust the player really, and he thought he could put a bit more into it.

"We hope this injury is not as serious as might be feared and he will be able to play in Barbados."

West Indies appeared disinterested for the opening couple of days of this Test, arranged at ultra-short notice after the fiasco of the abandoned match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium last Friday.

But they then showed backbone not associated with them over the past decade, to strengthen their position in the series.

"This game was a test of character," said Powell, who finished unbeaten on 22 after more than one hour at the crease.

"We came into this one in chaos - and we had to show after trailing on first innings, that if we can go out there and fight we can do a job.

"After the way Ramnaresh and Shiv batted it was up to everyone behind them not to let them down."

Sporting Life / Eurosport

Comment 2 - 21 of 21

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  1. England should have enforced the follow on, if they­ wanted to win. However as a West Indian supporte­ i'm glad they did not. Good luck to the West Indies­ in the rest of the series! From Karen L, Sat. 22 "­ 1.45pm

    From Karen, on Sat 21 Feb 6:43PM

  2. Yes, Andrew Strauss is right and England can win the­ series. Having got rid of Andrew Flintoff - And I must­ make it clear that I would not wish injury on anyone­ having been forced to give up playing any sport for­ that reason - but if you look at his recent form with­ bat & ball then the news that he is not playing­ must be a worry to the West Idies team.

    From Victor, on Sat 21 Feb 3:23PM

  3. Yes, Andrew Strauss is right and England can win the­ series. Having got rid of Andrew Flintoff - And I must­ make it clear that I would not wish injury on anyone­ having been forced to give up playing any sport for­ that reason - but if you look at his recent form with­ bat & ball then the news that he is not playing­ must be a worry to the West Idies team.

    From Victor, on Sat 21 Feb 3:22PM

  4. Yet again dithering and weak Decisions have bought­ about a disasterious result. The Enlish team have lost­ the will to win. They should still be led by Pietersen­ who shows a bit of fighting spirit. He had the­ misfortune to upset the old farts establishment of the­ ECB who seem to only worried about saving face instead­ of letting someone who knows about the MODERN GAME take­ the team forward.

    From k-singer, on Sat 21 Feb 3:50AM

  5. As a West Indian I was happy when England went back to­ bat,they lost it then and they also going to lost the­ series,you dont make 566 in a day and ah half and not­ enforce the follow on STRAUSS SHOULD RESIGN.

    From ellison5520022002, on Sat 21 Feb 3:06AM

  6. I am a south african and i aint an England supporter­ but i see all the posts here by englishmen critisizing­ and swearing the england team everytime something goes­ wrong. Yes they were playing some very bad cricket but­ they are trieng to work harder and to do better.­ instead of posting the same hatred comments of YOUR­ team, you should show some support. the situation of­ this test wasnt the best and a decision had to be made.­ they didnt win but they didnt crumble like the other­ times. take the high point of this test and look at the­ fact that they are plpaying better cricket than they­ did in recent times. so imstead of mocking youlls team­ support and motivate them.

    From daadz22, on Sat 21 Feb 12:45AM

  7. england cant take 20 wickets

    From RITISH, on Fri 20 Feb 11:43PM

  8. no fighting spirit

    From Augustine A, on Fri 20 Feb 3:51PM

  9. typical of english nerves. can't close up a match­ on their door step to grasp. If england was chasing­ such a high score they would have crumbled with a runs­ and and 2nd inning.

    From Augustine A, on Fri 20 Feb 3:51PM

  10. post 12 taff dont you like a nice cold beer you lemon

    From The Dobbo, on Fri 20 Feb 1:25PM

  11. have to stop being so damned cautious,it's always­ best to enforce the follow on,if you don't it gives­ your opponants time to straight bat a draw,poor­ decision making.

    From jack torrance, on Fri 20 Feb 1:23PM

  12. Flintoff and the Peter boy are well known drunks on­ tour anywhere. Even when home they go on tour to the­ local. In fact the whole team is drunk. Cricket is for­ drunks.

    From taff, on Fri 20 Feb 1:02PM

  13. unlucky england like this pitch england must play with­ two spinner because very hot weather in wi not easy for­ fast bowlers to keep going with same speed and fitnes­ please help to england captain because he can not win­ matches with out team support england done good in this­ match but english players mind in india they loking to­ play in india not for cricket only for money if england­ board want save england team to pay more money to­ england players and england players only play for­ country and win matches for england. england cricket­ board need a understand with england players india IPL­ cricket not good for county cricket as well in next 3­ years very important for england cricket team maybe­ next year more english players join IPL you can not win­ matches with out top players fareed butt from surrey­ with All the best for england cricket

    From Fareed B, on Fri 20 Feb 12:18PM

  14. robing you're missing the point. are you saying­ that both flintoff and harmison were incapable of­ bowling in the evening but were totally fine by 3pm the­ following day? also, we scored the runs at an­ unbelievably slow rate AND sent in a nightwatchman!­ thats' what lost us the test. Strauss is at fault­ 100%

    From lordofjapes, on Fri 20 Feb 12:13PM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I strongly suggest a H ot place
    _____ KIS S­ millionaires com_____ , Find ri ch true lo ve here.

    From hotssissy, on Fri 20 Feb 11:06AM

  16. Where were KPs runs when we needed them???
    Cyril Adams

    From Cyril A, on Fri 20 Feb 10:55AM

  17. It shows the folly of sacking Pietersen. Get rid of­ those who don't have the bottle or stomach for test­ cricket , Harmison, Bell, Anderson, stop bothering with­ overated show ponies, Flintoff (what other "world­ class" allrounder has a batting average lower than­ his bowling) and build a team of winners in­ Pietersen's image, who show pride in representing­ England. Also, end the obvious quota system of only one­ player or Asian descent in the team and get Bopara,­ Mahmood and Khan involved.

    From Ian H, on Fri 20 Feb 10:45AM

  18. How the hell can you enforce the follow on when your­ two strike bowlers (Flintoff and Harmison) were not­ fit?!!

    We'd have ended up bowling part time­ bowlers which would have given the WI such a strong­ position especially with the likes of Gayle and Sarwan!­ No, good decision under the circumstances.

    And i'm­ sorry but no one is to blame for this, it was a­ fantastic performance with a lot of positives... I­ think its typically english to try and find someone to­ blame... Strauss has managed to unite a team and this­ was probably best TEAM performance for a while rather­ than relying on one or two people like it was under KP.

    From robing1985, on Fri 20 Feb 10:13AM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Strauss it is your fault with your ridiculous­ declaration. we needed another 150 max - why not send­ in the big hitters and get the runs quickly? entirely­ strauss' fault.

    From lordofjapes, on Fri 20 Feb 9:43AM

  20. Third rate management and selectors pick a­ 'safe' captain who throws away our possible­ only chance of winning a test!!
    No follow on­ enforced.
    What if it had rained?
    No real run chase­ when we elected to bat again.
    A night watchman - WHAT­ ????????????
    When a team as poor as England are in­ such a strong position they should 'turn the­ knife' and not give their opponents any chance of­ saving it.
    I can think of several captains who would­ have won this test from such a position and Strauss is­ not one of them. Come to think we have just sacvked one­ who would have won it!!

    From peterhatt, on Fri 20 Feb 9:38AM
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