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Featured Sport News

England seek salvation

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 25/02/2009

England's highly-eventful series in the Caribbean continues in Barbados as Andrew Strauss' side face the West Indies in the fourth Test match.

The first match of the series ended in an ignominious innings defeat in Jamaica, with England capitulating for a mere 51 all out in their second innings and cricket betting experts predicting a whitewash.

The second match was over and done with in ten balls as the dreadful outfield at Antigua's Sir Vivian Richards Stadium put paid to any hopes of a proper contest.

However, the Recreation Ground across the island stepped in to host the hastily-arranged third Test and the game proved to be a cliff-hanger right to the death.

England eventually came within one wicket of drawing the series level, but were left frustrated by a combination of some obdurate lower-order resistance and bad light.

The disappointment for England of missing out on victory was further exacerbated by key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff sustaining a hip injury, which will keep him out of the action in Barbados and could also see him sit out the series finale in Trinidad.

Flintoff was hampered while bowling as England pushed for victory at the ARG and subsequent scans showed a torn muscle in his left thigh which could end his tour prematurely.

The absence of Flintoff will add further pressure on England's bowling attack, with only Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann having impressed so far in the Caribbean.

Skipper Strauss will be praying that at least one of Steve Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom and Monty Panesar come to the party, while Amjad Khan could challenge for a place after impressing in a warm-up fixture.

Strauss has led the way with the bat for his side, but again the story is mainly one of underachievement by the likes of Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and, to a lesser extent, Kevin Pietersen.

The self-appointed best batsman in the England side has yet to register a century in the series, despite averaging a touch over 45.

The Windies have the in-form batter of the series in their ranks, with Ramnaresh Sarwan having passed fifty in all three of his knocks to date, including a ton last time out in Antigua.

The hosts also have the only two bowlers to have taken ten wickets or more in the series to date, with pace bowler Jerome Taylor and left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn to duo in question.

However, England's morale will be boosted by the knowledge that they have won on two of their last three visits to the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

The loss of Flintoff may prove to be too big a hurdle for England as they seek to keep alive their hopes of engineering a series victory and it could be another disappointing few day for Strauss and his depleted squad.

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