Sold-out crowd behind home team today at Providence

Mar 20, 2009 Sports

As Windies aim to extend winning streak against England

England cricketers including Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss prepare for a practice session yesterday.

By Sean Devers
After a hard fought Test series win and a victory in the one-off 20/20 in Trinidad, the battle lines have been drawn as West Indies face-off with England today in Guyana in the opening match of the five-game ODI series.
A 16,000 sold-out crowd equipped with flags, horns, bugles and drums is expected to produce a Carnival-like atmosphere and plenty of support for the home team today at a venue hosting its seventh ODI and first since the 2007 World Cup.
The fans expect nothing less than a win today and pulsating cricket is anticipated on what should be a flat batting track with some assistance for the slower bowlers and a lush green and lightning fast outfield.
The weather forecast for today is for variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms and a 60% chance of rain but unless there is a torrential downpour, the match should not be badly affected since the Guyana National Stadium is arguably one of the fastest drying International cricket grounds in the world.

WI players and Coach John Dyson (right) talk strategy during practice.

Both teams had their final sessions at the practice ‘nets’ at the Stadium yesterday after doing fielding drills on the outfield as Guyana’s newest cricket venue was a hub of activity as preparations intensified for the first contest between the two sides since they clashed in Barbados in the 2007 World Cup.
The fight shown by the Chris Gayle led unit in the Test series now makes the home team the favourites today against a team which reportedly felt they were here for a Caribbean excursion and warm-up for the Ashes series.
“It (hamstring injury) is improving day by day and batting is not a problem right now and I intend to do a lot of time doing so during the nets sessions,” Gayle announced yesterday morning.
The West Indies captain Is one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket and the only one with a 20/20 International hundred and if he gets going on a placid track and the Guyanese pair of in-form Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shiv Chanderpaul gets stuck-in, the fans could be rocking in the stands today as the English chase leather.

Tight Security was the order of the day yesterday at the Providence Stadium as these patrolling policemen indicate..

With Devon Smith looking to keep his place in the side and Dwayne Bravo returning to International cricket for the first time since last year, the batting firepower is strong.
Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Vice-Skipper Denesh Ramdin and Kieron Pollard will also hope to show their worth with the bat today as the West Indies aim to continue their winning streak against a side which lost five-nil to India in their last ODI series.
The forced return to the ODI side as captain by Andrew Strauss due to the controversial retirement of their premier batsman Kevin Pietersen and the question marks around Freddy Flintoff’s fitness add to the English woes.
The West Indies management will want to remind their team that West Indies beat England 2-1 in England when the teams last met in an ODI series two years ago after the 2004 seven-match series was drawn 2-all when the sides last clashed in a ODI series in the Caribbean.
England, who played the first of their 28 ODIs against the West Indies on Caribbean soil in 1981, have lost 18 of those encounters and without a settled opening pair or a settled bowling attack their prospects of improving their overall ODI record against the West Indies (39 losses, 32 wins and four no-results from 75 matches) are not great as they hunt their ODI series win in the West Indies.
Both teams have played once at Providence with England beating Ireland and West Indies losing to Sri Lanka in the last World Cup.
With Sarwan in the best form of his life and the others contributing, Gayle says the batting is no worry.
Fidel Edwards’ express pace and deadly yorkers make him a lethal threat with the new white ball while Jerome Taylor is the team’s leading fast bowler. Sammy and Bravo can provide support, while if left-arm spinner Nikita Miller (surprisingly selected ahead of Sulieman Benn) plays, he and Gayle will provide the spin options.
Stuart Broad has bowled well and has been successful in ODI cricket. He should share the new ball with James Anderson while Amjad Khan, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Paul Collingwood will need to lend support with the ball for England.
While Strauss is fit enough to play, Flintoff’s injured hip is a major concern and will also be a dent to their batting which will be led by the exciting Kevin Pietersen with support from Collingwood, Owais Shah and Dimitri Mascarenhas in the middle order.
Steven Davies, who made his debut in the 20/20 in Trinidad could get another chance to open with Ravi Bopara if Strauss bats in the middle.
The gates open at 06:30hrs and there will be free parking in the area between the Stadium and Buddy’s International Hotel for the first 500 cars, while a fee of $1,000 will be charged to park inside the Stadium.
Teams: West Indies:- Chris Gayle (Capt), Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, , Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Lionel Baker
England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Ravi Bopara, Steven Davies, Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Stuart Broad, Gareth Batty, Amjad Khan, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Steve Harmison, Gareth Batty, Adil Rashid.