There was no comeback for the West Indies after Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara’s early heroics. Things panned out predictably and it came as no surprise that England won by an innings and eighty-three runs to win the Wisden Trophy 2-0 at Chester-le-Street.
The 213 run second wicket partnership with Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook was the nail in the coffin, even though a tall effort early in a Test match is not always expected to take the team across the line. But for the West Indies, it was morale breaking. While Bopara has risen in the esteem of men with his 108, Cook’s 160 came at a personal comfort too.
West Indies had their work cut out in the second Test once England finished their first innings on 569, declaring after losing six wickets with Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior all getting into the run making mode.
There could not have been much hope for the West Indies in a scorecard that five wickets to James Anderson and three for Stuart Broad. However, the West Indies did have a silver lining in that Ramnaresh Sarwan managed a hundred and Denesh Ramdin, fifty-five. But it was not enough to see the West Indies avoid the follow on.
310 in the first innings could not be bettered as once again the West Indies shambled showed up. Even rain could not dissuade them from their self destructive ways. Self belief that was evident when England went to the Caribbean last year was missing. 176 was all they could manage and even captain Chris Gayle’s half century could not let him escape the growing criticism over his comments. Another effort in vain came in the form of Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s forty-seven, but nothing would be enough. Graham Onion’s two wickets was overshadowed by Tim Bresnan’s three wickets and James Anderson’s four to take his match tally to nine.
It was as if, in a minute, the dream was over.
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