England win the first Test comfortably by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	England v West Indies
Player:	G Onions, GP Swann
Event:	West Indies in England 2009

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DateLine: 8th May 2009

 

After 14 unfruitful attempts England for the first time since 2005 won a opening Test at Lords. England's bowlers particularly Onions and Swann performed admirably and these performances will give the selectors some relief when they select the squad for the First test against Australia.

 

Showers delayed the start by an hour and initially there was some solid resistance from Lendl Simmons and Devon Smith, but once Onions replaced Broad, Simmons failed to keep the ball down when he flicked straight into Alastair Cook's waiting hands at square leg. Chanderpaul was the next to go when Swann got him to in side edge onto his pad and give Bopara a catch. Next wicket to fall was Smith when his middle stump was uprooted by a cracker from Onions.

 

Nash and Ramdin held forte and frustrated the English bowlers with a solid 143 runs for the sixth wicket. Broad forced Ramdin to inside edge an incoming delivery onto his stumps. Jerome Taylor fell trying an ambitious sweep at Swann while Sulieman Benn was cleaned up by an impressive Swann. Fidel Edwards found Broad too hot to handle.

 

England needed just 32 runs to win and both the openers reached the target without breaking much sweat.