Flintoffs’s 72tips balance in England’s favour

A TYPICALLY aggressive 72 not out from Andrew Flintoff tipped the balance in England's favour on the first day of the fourth Test against the West Indies at the Oval yesterday.

At the close England were 313-5 from 90 overs with Geraint Jones on 22 not out.

England were wobbling at 64-3 but debutant Ian Bell scored 70 and captain Michael Vaughan, in his 50th Test, 66 as they shared a partnership of 146 for the fourth wicket to turn England's innings round.

Flintoff marched to the wicket with England 210-4 and hit a half-century for the eighth consecutive Test match, passing the landmark with two fours from Dwayne Smith, having faced 51 balls and hit 10 boundaries.

He was joined by Jones, with whom he has shared some profitable partnerships this summer, with England 236-5 but the wicket-keeper only contributed nine of the first 50 runs they put on for the sixth wicket.

As usual Flintoff was severe on anything short and drove powerfully as he treated an 18,500 sell-out crowd in the newly rebuilt Oval to his full repertoire of shots. Dwayne Bravo, fresh from taking 6-55 in the last Test at Old Trafford, was the pick of the West Indian bowlers taking 2-48 from 17 overs whilst Jermaine Lawson, who returned to the side in place of Pedro Collins (back injury), took 2-84.

Bell, who has had a prolific season in the English domestic game, had to endure a baptism of fire before he got off the mark.

He survived a big appeal for leg before first ball from Dwayne Bravo and when he edged Fidel Edwards over the slips for four he had spent 11 fruitless deliveries at the crease.

He took a nasty knock on the shoulder from Edwards before scoring but after treatment from the England physiotherapist he soldiered on and gained confidence with every one of the 10 boundaries he hit.

He was eventually fourth man out when he was caught behind off Jermaine Lawson, having spent 130 balls at the crease.

Vaughan looked set to record his 14th Test hundred until he tamely edged Bravo to Brian Lara at slip and with England 236-5 at that stage the West Indies were looking to bowl England out for less than 350.

However Flintoff's belligerent innings changed all that and the West Indies will be keen to get rid of him early on Friday morning before he bats them out of the match.

Earlier Andrew Strauss played a poorly-judged pull shot to mid-on and Marcus Trescothick, who found runs hard to come by after lunch, clipped Edwards off his toes straight to Ramnaresh Sarwan at square leg.

Robert Key, whose place on England's tour to South Africa is under pressure following Bell's innings, scratched around for 10 from 41 balls before he edged one to the keeper four balls after Trescothick had departed.

England lead the four-match series 3-0 and a win would see them win seven consecutive Test matches for the first time since 1929.