Date-stamped : 08 Aug95 - 10:27 Tour Match: Gloucestershire v West Indies Bristol, 5, 6, 7 August 1995 ====> Day 1, 05 Aug 95 West Indies give it away - Scyld Berry First day of three: Gloucs (137) trail W Indies (242) by 105 runs AS a UN resolution 42 is a famous number, but yesterday it did not suggest much WI resolution. There was plenty of slap, and even more dash, in the West Indians` batting against Gloucestershire, and not vastly more commitment when the tourists bowled. A couple of adjudications might have gone against them; a pitch relatively well-grassed for August did a bit, for Gloucestershire`s seamers and the tourists` own. Nevertheless, there was a lack of care such as cannot be readily halted when a Test match begins. After ten overs the West Indians, 73 without loss, were on course for the Australians` record of 721 in a day at Southend. Stuart Williams, provided the ball is not darting about, can do a fair impersonation of Everton Weekes: three consecutive fours off Mike Smith were followed by a back-foot drive off Kamran Sheeraz that would have continued down the hill to Temple Meads if the pavi- lion had not intervened. From their early pinnacle, however, and 176 for three in only the 33rd over, the tourists declined so lackadaisically that it would be mildly erroneous to say that Gloucestershire `took` ten wick- ets. Sheeraz, in setting a career-best, appeared to have what it takes to be a sturdy and persevering fast-medium, but not a few wickets were given away. Cricket knows J P Getty alone as a more generous donor than the touring batsmen in their county matches. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is not of course of this carefree number. He loves batting as Geoffrey Boycott did. When he was young, in his native village in Guyana, he could not find anyone to bowl to him; in this touring party he cannot find anyone to bat with him. Keith Arthurton has kept Chanderpaul out of the number six Test place because he made runs in the early county games; and so much time has been invested in Arthurton. But Chanderpaul is con- sidered certain of a Test place now, in place either of the older left-hander; or of Carl Hooper, who damaged his cracked right in- dex finger again while batting, and retired hurt when five, re- turning to be forlornly leg-before to Smith`s inswinger. He then hid very fine at first slip and did not bowl. Chanderpaul didn`t get far himself, before being out - like the despondent Williams - to one of the two perplexing decisions. He turned his first ball for two, and slashed at the wide second, as if he too has been infected by the casual air, but instantly took off his gloves and berated himself. It was his compactness, as well as his maturity, which surprised England last year. Whatever the final West Indian order at Trent Bridge, it will be thinner for the absence of Jimmy Adams, not to mention Desmond Haynes. Another expected change will be Courtney Browne as wick- etkeeper, one who stands perceptibly closer than Junior Murray and takes the ball on the rise. Scores between 20 and 50 are the classic sign of batsmen in form but without appetite for graft: Lara was another, hitting four consecutive fours before edging his offdrive. Sheeraz, however, and Smith had the vitality that cricket demands as nothing less than its due, and the home keeper, `Reggie` Williams, capped a fine display with his legside catch off Browne. When Gloucestershire had their turn at the crease, they enjoyed the brown outfield and mercifully blue - not white - sky at greater length. Unlike the West Indian openers, Tony Wright did not try to run before walking, but he pulled Rajindra Dhanraj for six and gave the unwontedly large Bristol crowd some late afternoon cheer. Dhanraj had Tim Hancock sweeping, and kept at the batsmen like the wasps, but he has little prospect of displacing Kenny Benja- min, who is the most proficient reverse-swinger in the West Indi- an side. If the English legspinner Ian Salisbury is to have a chance, not only the ends at Trent Bridge will have to be shaved but perhaps the pitch`s centre too. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 2, 06 Aug 95 Batting again proves tourists` undoing - David Green Second day of three: West Indians (242 & 186-9) lead Gloucs (239) by 189 runs THE West Indians had another day of mixed fortunes yesterday, their batting faltering a second time after their bowlers, in particular Kenny Benjamin and Rajindra Dhanraj, had earned them an unexpected if narrow first-innings lead. Tony Wright (73) and Andrew Symonds (51) batted well in contrast- ing styles but with Dhanraj and Benjamin taking four wickets each Gloucestershire lost their last eight wickets for only 73 runs on an easy-paced pitch. When the West Indians batted again Stuart Williams (56) once more played fluently and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with 53, also looked in good form but generally there were too many loose strokes played against steady bowling and athletic fielding. Gloucestershire, resuming in the morning at 137 for two, moved steadily to 166 before Bobby Dawson was undone by leg-spinner Dhanraj. In the next over Curtly Ambrose found a good one for Wright, who edged to first slip. Mark Alleyne and Ricky Williams both went cheaply but Symonds, badly missed on six, counter-attacked with his customary bold- ness, taking 18 from an over from Dhanraj and reaching his fifty off 47 balls with a six and seven fours. Benjamin, having bowled a lively spell earlier returned at the Ashley Down end and, bowling to full length, immediately had Sy- monds caught behind and polished off the tale with a four-wicket burst in three overs without conceding a run. Pashah Sheeraz, having taken six for 67 in the West Indies first innings, struck early when he nipped one back to have Sherwin Campbell lbw, but with Williams showing a wide range of strokes the tourists seemed untroubled. Courtney Browne then marred a pleasant innings by driving Alleyne low to point. Sheeraz returned to have Williams caught behind at- tempting a forcing back stroke and shortly afterwards had Brian Lara lbw offering no stroke. While Chanderpaul and Richie Richardson were together a recovery was possible but Richardson, too, perished aiming an extravagant shot. It was fortunate for the West Indies that Chanderpaul had escaped a sharp chance at the wicket on 23. Chanderpaul reached fifty off 57 balls with nine fours but then fell to Symonds`s occasional off-spin. Carl Hooper, whose injured finger must put his Test place in doubt, was soon caught at short mid-off. Sheeraz picked up the wickets of Vasbert Drakes and Benjamin to give him 11 wickets in what is only his fourth first-class match. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 3, 7 Aug 95 Benjamin turns up heat - David Green West Indians (242 & 193) bt Gloucs (239 & 122) by 74 runs THE West Indians, turning up the heat on the final day as they had done in their previous match against Somerset, clearly demon- strated the gulf in class between county and Test cricket to record a comfortable win. Gloucestershire were fancying their chances when, having taken the last West Indian wicket with only seven runs added to the overnight score of 186 for nine, they set out to make 197 for victory in 82 overs. Their hopes rose higher when they saw that Kenny Benjamin`s new- ball partner was off-spinner Carl Hooper, this odd pairing being due to minor niggles in Curtly Ambrose`s back and Vasbert Drakes`s side. Nevertheless, Gloucestershire tumbled to 29 for five, Benjamin doing the initial damage by taking two wickets in his third over. Then Hooper, bowling gentle out-swingers, picked up the next three cheaply. First to go was Matthew Windows, caught behind off Benjamin as he failed to cover his off-stump adequately. Three balls later Tim Hancock was beaten for pace and, though palpably lbw, departed with unaccountable reluctance. Tony Wright nicked an out-floater to second slip, Bobby Dawson played back to one that kept low and then Mark Alleyne`s half- hearted cut dragged the ball on to his leg bail. Andrew Symonds yet again responded to a crisis in positive fashion, hitting seven fours in his 41, but after he had been bowled around his legs by Rajindra Dhanraj as he tried to sweep, the writing was on the wall. Ricky and Reggie Williams resisted doggedly until Benjamin re- turned to dispose of both. He finished with five for 52 but the man of the match award went to Pashah Sheeraz for his returns of six for 67 and five for 44. West Indies have no worries about Ambrose`s fitness for Thursday`s Test - he would have bowled yesterday if necessary - while Brian Lara, who left the field after the ball struck his right forearm, suffered nothing worse than slight bruising. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@*ogi.edu)