ENGLAND KINGS Windies called the tune with
A GREG HOLMES try and a penalty try was was enough to see Exeter sneak victory over Bristol.
The Chiefs were made to fight all the way as they secured a narrow win. But if Newcastle earn a bonuspoint victory with a margin of nine points or more when they face Bath then they will leapfrog them to go top of Pool A.
The penalty try edged it after Ryan Edwards converted his own try and Ian Madigan added a penalty for the Bears.
ENGLAND were harried, humbled and embarrassed by a rampant West Indies team taken to victory by their part-time off-spinner Roston Chase. After the efforts of Shimron Hetmyer on day one, Kemar Roach on day two and Jason Holder on day three, Chase, the Bajan spinning allrounder claimed an incredible 8-60 to seize victory with a day to spare.
Securing victory by a whopping 381 runs, the Windies have been superb on home turf, dominating a game not many expected them to win.
By the same token, the tourists have been abject in their initial attempt to win a second series in the region in 51 years. As good as it felt to triumph 3-0 over a desperately poor Sri Lanka, now being routed in Australia, this was yet another wake up call for a group of Test cricketers who blow hot and cold.
Skipper Joe Root said: “We’ve been well below par this week. We’re a better side than that and we’ve not played to our potential. It was frustrating. There were some soft SARACENS climbed to the top of Pool B after after a comprehensive win at Harlequins but will need to wait until Worcester play next week to see if it will be enough to top Pool B.
Sione Vailanu, Joel Kpoku, Max Malins and Rotimi Segun crossed for tries with Alex Lozowski adding two conversions and a penalty and Malins a penalty.
Joshua Ibuanokpe and Elia Elia scored tries for Harlequins, who never let up in the match, with James Lang converting one. dismissals and I’m not going to hide behind anything.
“We’ve been outplayed and the West Indies deserve a lot of credit. We’re still a good side, though. Just because we’ve had three bad days and one very bad hour it doesn’t mean we’re not capable of winning out here.”
Root was left scratching his head after eight wins in nine matches to see his team so comprehensively dismantled. On a pitch where his own spinners were made to look clubstandard, along comes Chase to take the best-ever figures by a West Indies spinner against England and the fourth best against anyone.
And all this on a pitch where he hardly turned a ball off the straight, but found a good length and was gifted several wickets by some pathetic English strokeplay.
While opener Rory Burns can be largely blameless for his 84, he too was conned by looking for spin that simply wasn’t there as Chase slid one between his bat and pad onto JAMES GRAYSON scored a try and added six conversions for Northampton as they secured their place in the semi-finals.
Leicester were overpowered as James Fish, Dom Barrow, Heinrich Brussow, Jacobus Reinach (two) and Tom Collins also went over.
Joe Ford starred for the Tigers and scored a try, two conversions and two penalties, with Fred Tuilagi also going over the line.
The victory means the Saints will finish top of Pool C with 15 points.