JIMMY’S ONE-MAN SHOW
Anderson restores hope of series win with three wickets, two catches and a run-out
JUST when it looked as though his mighty powers might, just might, be on the wane, Jimmy Anderson produced one of the great sessions here yesterday.
The sun was hot and the pitch was very flat as England began what looked like a futile attempt to force a crucial victory against West Indies.
This was the 10th day of very tough Test cricket in the past two weeks and at times Anderson has started to look like a 32-year-old with 12 years of international mileage in his legs.
Yet he provided a quite brilliant and unexpected late twist to this second Test by being involved in all six of the West Indies wickets that tumbled in a morning session of the last day that defied all expectations.
First Anderson, who broke Sir Ian Botham’s record in Antigua to become England’s leading Test wicket-taker, strained every sinew to provide one of the very best spells of his distinguished career.
Then, after taking three wickets in eight overs that swung the match and the series dramatically England’s way, Anderson then pulled off two catches and even an athletic direct hit to run out Jason Holder.
If it were not for the fact that Anderson had run himself out in the most dopey manner imaginable on the fourth day, there might even have been a case for sending him out to open the batting, too.
When he eventually calls it a day he will look back on this Grenada morning as one of his finest performances as he produced a spell reminiscent of that which won the first Test of the 2013 Ashes at Trent Bridge.
West Indies had resumed with Kraigg Brathwaite, who looked an immovable object on Friday, and Marlon Samuels again ready to wind up England with his combination of quality batting and eccentric behaviour.
England knew their only real chance of taking the eight wickets they needed to earn a result was with the new ball that Anderson and Stuart Broad had, effectively, wasted in the first innings.
This time, in far less conducive conditions than on the damp and humid first day, there was to be no suggestion that Anderson might in any way be becoming a lesser force.
First Anderson, who had struck early in West Indies’ innings with the dismissal of Devon Smith, produced a beauty that reared off the lifeless National Stadium pitch and could only be fended by Brathwaite to Joe Root in the slips.
Then Anderson was indebted to his captain as Alastair Cook reacted quickly to pull off a magnificent catch when Ian Bell alongside him in the slips had fumbled an edge from Shiv Chanderpaul.
The wicket England really wanted was the next to fall when Samuels, a thorn in England’s side throughout this Test, edged to Jos Buttler to cue ecstatic English celebrations on the outfield and in the stands.
There was to be no saluting of Samuels, just the sight of Ben Stokes, whom he had taunted after his rash shot in England’s first innings, standing smiling at the Jamaican and clapping his approval.
It was the 390th Test wicket of Anderson’s career, bringing him level with the next man above him on the world list in Makhaya Ntini, and one that gave him three wickets for one run in an eight-over spell that cost 16.
There was to be no keeping the leader of England’s attack out of the action. Anderson is arguably the best fielder of any opening bowler in England’s history and here he proved it.
First he leapt to catch Jermaine Blackwood, hardly the man for this particular crisis, above his head off Chris Jordan at mid-off. And Anderson was again the catcher when Kemar Roach slogged at Moeen Ali.
Sandwiched in between those catches was a brilliant direct-hit run-out from who else but Anderson to take advantage of a dozy piece of running from Holder, the man who capitalised on his run-out aberration on Friday. It meant that six wickets had gone down before lunch and West Indies had stretched their lead to just 121 with two wickets and two sessions left. Only a repeat of the lastwicket stand that saw Devendra Bishoo and Shannon Gabriel add 52 in the first innings, it seemed, could hold England up but just when they were getting slightly twitchy after lunch Moeen struck. He has looked rusty here after returning from injury but he did his job just as it looked like Cook would have to turn to Anderson again, taking the last two wickets in consecutive balls as West Indies were dismissed for 307.
That left England with 59 overs to score the 143 they needed for what, in the context of what is happening at home, would be a priceless win.
Colin Graves, who is just about to officially take over as ECB chairman, put England on notice here by saying there would be an inquiry if they did not win this series against a ‘mediocre’ West Indies side.
Well, West Indies may be ranked eighth in the world and are a shadow of their once-great side but they are difficult to beat at home, particularly on the lifeless surfaces that masquerade as Test pitches in this region these days.
There are also signs that new West Indies coach Phil Simmons is restoring some much-needed discipline to a side who have a decent attack and a couple of quality batsmen.
England could not win the last time they were here in 2009 after being bundled out for 51 in the first Test defeat in Jamaica and then not being able to force a series levelling victory.
Thanks to Anderson, they had a golden opportunity here to go 1-0 up with just next week’s Barbados Test to play, where a win would make England coach Peter Moores and captain Cook feel just that little bit more secure.