MANCHESTER, England, 16 August 2004 — England gave themselves a chance of victory on the last day of the third Test against West Indies here at Old Trafford with a fine all-round bowling display.
At stumps, on the fourth day, West Indies were 161 for nine in their second innings, a lead of 226.
However the biggest fourth innings total to win an Old Trafford Test is the 145 South Africa managed back in 1955.
England’s best winning Test chase at the ground was when they scored 142 against South Africa in 1951.
Local hero Andrew Flintoff (three for 26), left-arm spinner Ashley Giles (three for 43) and fast bowler Stephen Harmison (three for 44) all chipped in as West Indies collapsed.
Only Ramnaresh Sarwan (60) and opener Chris Gayle (42) made scores of more than 16 as a match that had been meandering towards a draw, hardly surprising after Friday’s second day total washout, came alive after tea.
When bad light ended play at 1750 GMT with 11.2 overs remaining Corey Collymore was two not out and Fidel Edwards nought without facing. But the fact the game was still in progress was partly down to West Indies’ slow over-rate earlier in the day.
West Indies began a marathon final session comfortably placed at 58 for one, a lead of 123, after they had bowled England out for 330. Gayle was 29 not out and Sarwan 11 not out.
Left-hander Gayle fell for 42 when a lofted drive off Giles was well-caught low-down at long-on by Matthew Hoggard.
West Indies captain Brian Lara, bowled for a duck in the first innings by Flintoff, came in needing seven more runs to become the fastest man and only fourth player in all to score 10,000 Test runs.
He reached the landmark with a square-driven four off 26-year-old Flintoff.
But on seven, the startled left-hander could only fend his fourth ball, a rising Flintoff delivery, to Andrew Strauss at second slip.
England’s hero with the bat in their 256-run second Test win at Edgbaston where he scored a Test-best 167, Flintoff was turning it on with the ball to the raucous delight of his adoring home fans.
And he struck again when Shivnarine Chanderpaul (two), trying to work the ball through midwicket, got a leading edge and was caught at mid-on by England captain Michael Vaughan.
Flintoff had taken two wickets for no runs in nine balls to leave the tourists, already two down in the four-Test series, 99 for four.
Even when he wasn’t bowling there was no keeping Flintoff out of the game. He helped reduce West Indies to 110 for five when, running back from slip, he caught Dwayne Bravo (six) following a top-edged sweep off Giles.
