The well-worn path

Perhaps predictably, the critics have not had long to wait to get stuck in to England's new one-day setup; indeed one game is not really long enough for the knives to have been properly sharpened, but coach and captain will still find themselves forced to do some explaining in the wake of a considerable defeat to a fast-improving West Indies side. Ryan Sidebottom had fallen ill prior to the first game, and the inclusion of Liam Plunkett, trusted by the management to bat at 8, in his stead permitted the selection of premier spinner Monty Panesar. Sidebottom's recovery meant that the pendulum swung the other way today; having made the statement at Lord's that the left-armer was first choice, the selectors felt compelled to draft him back in. They could not drop Anderson or Broad, the two best bowlers from Saturday, and so axed Plunkett, a decision with the result that Michael Yardy had to usurp Panesar, for the sake of preventing an overlong tail. The bottom line is Panesar should have played: however, the management opted for sentiment by refusing to allow a player to lose his place due to injury and in the resulting self-correction process contrived to lose one of their most important bowlers.

Overcast conditions, with rain a constant threat, allowed the selectors further self-justification; you might not have guessed that England had chosen to bowl, Collingwood finally having won a toss, as Chris Gayle and Devon Smith smote the bowling to all parts. If the opening salvo was unexpected, the demise of both openers was sadly predictable; Smith swished his bat while exercising neither feet nor brain, while Gayle decided one six in an over was insufficient and was held at mid-on. The predictable theme continued with the promotion of Chanderpaul to first drop: to say that West Indies rely on him in the absence of Sarwan and Lara is like remarking that Don Bradman could bat a bit, and he let no-one down as he consolidated the West Indies innings accompanied by Marlon Samuels.

Having shown in the 20-20 games at The Oval that the biggest ground in Britain is nevertheless too small to contain him, Samuels now carries a fearsome reputation to the crease. However, no-doubt coerced by the man at the other end, he opted for caution in the first half of his innings, preserving his wicket on a pitch which was not the easiest to score runs on and made 220 look a defensible total. As the run-rate stalled mid-innings, England were lulled and the slower bowlers rattled through their overs, Mascarenhas being particularly impressive and always ensuring he stayed a step ahead of the batsman with his clever changes of pace, making him harder to hit than his sedentary speed would suggest.

But wickets are the key currency in one-day matches and, for all the containment, England allowed Chanderpaul and Samuels to build the largest third wicket stand in an ODI at Edgbaston. Yardy bowled 6 overs, none too expensively, but equally lacking in threat. England missed Panesar as a frontline spinner who would have been a good bet to lure Samuels, especially, into a misjudgement. By the time the middle overs, medium-paced in all senses, were over, West Indies' hydra like line-up had 8 wickets left in hand. England, and Anderson in particular, were made to regret the omission of Panesar and a regulation missed chance in the most unlikely circumstances, by Collingwood off his own bowling, as the previously reticent West Indians blossomed and ripped the English bowling to pieces en route to Chanderpaul's century and a total in excess of 270, about 50 more than England would have reckoned on. After he had waited in line behind Morton and Samuels at Lord's, Chanderpaul rightly went in early today, and lived up to his description by West Indies coach David Moore as the most adaptable batsman in world cricket, unleashing some fearsome cover drives, a speciality, to complement the leg-side cuffs, agricultural, but like his technique, deadly effective. The official "wall" of cricket, Rahul Dravid, will tour later this summer, but even he will struggle to match the feats of Chanderpaul, who has yet to be dismissed in the ODIs, and for whom it would be fitting should he go unbeaten throughout the series to match his unbeaten 1000 minutes in the Tests.

When Peter Moores and Paul Collingwood decided on their opening pairing for this series, it would have appeared obvious to them which roles the two players would assume. While Cook was expected to do his utmost to bat through the innings, it was envisaged that Prior would aim to score as quickly as possible, and take advantage of the power plays. Somewhere, somehow, wires were crossed, and for the second time Cook was first man out, both times to rash shots. It is important that Cook, as a Test match opener, perceived as a slow accumulator, does not go out of his way to try and prove that he does a neat sideline in Adam Gilchrist impersonation. Andrew Strauss has already perished, attempting to replicate the impact England used to get from Marcus Trescothick, and Cook would be well advised to stick to what he knows. Not to say he should not hit the ball when it is there for the taking, and play the shots he does well, but the merits of an aerial drive through a packed cover area were dubious, the misadventure costing him his wicket.

Ian Bell was sold short, both by umpire Brian Jerling, shot out when he was struck outside the line of the off-stump by a ball sailing over the stumps, and in all likelihood in his match fee, if as is likely, the match referee takes his cut. Rampaul then severely dented England's hopes, slipping a yorker under the cross-batted swipe of the charging Pietersen. The rain gods demonstrated what they thought of the shot, and indeed the home side's chances by delivering what had been promised all day, a shower heavy enough to cause a break in play. The game was poised with England's fourth-wicket pairing of Prior and Shah together, as they accumulated efficiently. As the required rate climbed, the inevitable situation arose whereby "something had to give". Unfortunately for England, Prior proved to be the generous soul, trying to flick over short-fine leg's head and managing only to offer an easy catch to square-leg. Collingwood was trussed up by Edwards, his two least favourite deliveries, the throat ball and the full inswinger, utilised in perfect combination to nail the England captain and seal his team's fate. Shah was just starting to give England a glimmer when Yardy was out, preceding his own demise. Broad and Sidebottom dragged the score above 200, but the game was long dead.

For the England fan, the cheer of seeing West Indies show up well, for once throughout a full-game, was quashed by the fact that England saw fit to assume the part of the hapless loser, and yet again a game between these two sides was nothing approaching a contest. Yet that is what this series remains, going into the final decider at Nottingham on Saturday. No doubt the rain, which has amazingly allowed two complete games so far, will have its revenge; a pessimistic outlook, but then melancholy is the overriding humour associated with this England one-day side, something which is still as long way from changing.