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International Cricketer
England vs. West Indies: 1st Test, Day Three, Morning Session LIVE!
David Gower: Welcome to this third day of this first npower test match between England and the West Indies at Old Trafford and due to us being on air later this morning we are going to go straight to the middle where the players are just on their way out for day three. Our commentators for the morning session are Michael Atherton but first Sir Ian Botham.
Sir Ian Botham: Thanks David and we are all set for today's play. West Indies are 8/0 and Hoggard is set to bowl the first over of the morning with Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle at the crease for the West Indies.
The first nine overs pass with the West Indies really struggling and the England bowlers really challenging them. The Winidies only score three runs leaving the score at 11/0 after 12 overs.
Michael Atherton: Steve Harmison to continue to bowl well and he is now going to bowl to Wavell Hinds. Great shot that is perfect. He got on the front foot early and punched it through the covers between the fielders for a much needed West Indies Boundary. The score now moves on to 15 without loss.
Hoggard bowls one more over and gets a maiden. Harmison is then taken out of the attack and Freddie Flintoff joins the action.
Sir Ian Botham: Andrew Flintoff is into the attack then and can he make a breakthrough or keep things tight and build even more pressure. Running in and he has bowled him! Hinds went to leave it and it was swinging in and it hits offstump out of the ground! Hinds has gone and Flintoff gets a wicket. The West Indies are 15/1.
Michael Atherton: This is the Windies captain and their best player who averages over fifty it is of course the one and only Brian Lara. England need to get this man out early otherwise the West Indies could post a big total.
Sir Ian Botham: Lara on strike then and he immediately gets off the mark with a leg glance to fine leg for a single which brings Chris Gayle on strike. Gayle facing and he hits a majestic shot for four through the covers and the West Indies at the end of the 15th over are now 21/1.
Michael Atherton: Matthew Hoggard to continue then. Gayle on strike for the first ball and that is short and cut away for another boundary. Hoggard drops that one short and gets punished by the aggressive Gayle. Hoggard now delivering the fifth ball of the over and that one is overpitched and it is another boundary with a wonderful cover drive. Chris Gayle moves on to 18 and the Windies are 29/1.
An over passes with Flintoff conceding just one run.
Sir Ian Botham: Hoggard to continue than and Lara is on strike and hits a brillaint cover drive. That one should be shown to all young kids because that was simply perfect. Lara looks in fine touch which isn't good news for England but they will have to find a way to get the man out.
Flintoff bowls a maiden before Simon Jones is brought on in the 20th over to bowl his first over since the Ashes in 2005.
Michael Atherton: Simon Jones has bowled well here with five dot balls he is looking good on his return for England. Lara is on strike though so anything can happen and that is a great shot just steered through teh slips for a boundary. Jones didn't do anything wrong it was just a very good shot from Lara. Good over for Simon Jones, the West Indies are 38/1.
3 overs pass with the West Indies moving on to 41/1 and Simon Jones about to bowl the 24th over.
Sir Ian Botham: That is a no ball from Jones and Gayle edges it over the slips for a boundary. He heard the call and just went for a smack and it paid off. Unlucky for Jones but at this level you just cannot afford to bowl no balls. West Indies are now 47/1 and this partnership is now building between Lara and Gayle.
Michael Atherton: Flintoff to carry on and Lara is on strike. Good attempt at a yorker from Flintoff there but Lara was up to it. Now Flintoff runs in again and that is four. Wonderful cover drive again from Brain Lara. He is lookin invincible at the minute. The fifty is up for the West Indies. It is 51/1.
Three maidens are bowled building pressure on the West Indies and Flintoff carries on.
Sir Ian Botham: Flintoff runs in then to Brian Lara. Too short and cut away for a boundary from Lara. Flintoff is starting to look frustrated. Runs in again and this time Lara hits one powerfully through teh covers for another boundary. Eight off the over and the West Indies are 59/1.
Michael Atherton: Two overs left until luch then and Simon Jones is to continue, he has looked good so far. Bowling to Chris Gayle now and that has gone straight down the throat of Ian Bell at cover and Chris Gayle is deceived by a vrilliant Simon Jones slower ball and he deserves that wicket. A blow for the West Indies they are now 59/2 and Gayle must go for a good 23.
Sir Ian Botham: The new batsman for the West Indies is the resilient Shiv Chanderpaul who England have really struggled to get out in the past. He won't be on strike though because that was the last abll of the over so Lara will face the last over before lunch from Monty Panesar.
Panesar bowls a maiden to finish off a very good session from England. Lunch is called and the players go off to applause from the crowd.
Michael Atherton: Right then at lunch the story is that England are on top with the West Indies 59/2. Hinds was bowled by Andrew Flintoff for 9 when he didn't read an inswinging one correctly and just two overs before lunch Chris Gayle chipped a Simon Jones slower ball to Ian Bell at cover to give England a bonus. Lara is 24 not out and looking good and Chanderpaul is at the crease but he hasn't faced a ball.
Sir Ian Botham: As for the England bowlers every one of them has bowled superbly. They have challenged the batsmen and have been consistent in their lines and lengths. They have all been economical and the wickets have so far gone to Flintoff and Jones. Also this sessionn the run rate was just 1.82. The West Indies really need to improve this because at the minute England are dominating.
Michael Atherton: That is the story this morning then and join us after the break when David Gower will get to talk to legendary West Indies player Sir Viv Richards. Make sure you join us.

David Gower: Welcome to this third day of this first npower test match between England and the West Indies at Old Trafford and due to us being on air later this morning we are going to go straight to the middle where the players are just on their way out for day three. Our commentators for the morning session are Michael Atherton but first Sir Ian Botham.
Sir Ian Botham: Thanks David and we are all set for today's play. West Indies are 8/0 and Hoggard is set to bowl the first over of the morning with Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle at the crease for the West Indies.
The first nine overs pass with the West Indies really struggling and the England bowlers really challenging them. The Winidies only score three runs leaving the score at 11/0 after 12 overs.
Michael Atherton: Steve Harmison to continue to bowl well and he is now going to bowl to Wavell Hinds. Great shot that is perfect. He got on the front foot early and punched it through the covers between the fielders for a much needed West Indies Boundary. The score now moves on to 15 without loss.
Hoggard bowls one more over and gets a maiden. Harmison is then taken out of the attack and Freddie Flintoff joins the action.
Sir Ian Botham: Andrew Flintoff is into the attack then and can he make a breakthrough or keep things tight and build even more pressure. Running in and he has bowled him! Hinds went to leave it and it was swinging in and it hits offstump out of the ground! Hinds has gone and Flintoff gets a wicket. The West Indies are 15/1.

Michael Atherton: This is the Windies captain and their best player who averages over fifty it is of course the one and only Brian Lara. England need to get this man out early otherwise the West Indies could post a big total.

Sir Ian Botham: Lara on strike then and he immediately gets off the mark with a leg glance to fine leg for a single which brings Chris Gayle on strike. Gayle facing and he hits a majestic shot for four through the covers and the West Indies at the end of the 15th over are now 21/1.
Michael Atherton: Matthew Hoggard to continue then. Gayle on strike for the first ball and that is short and cut away for another boundary. Hoggard drops that one short and gets punished by the aggressive Gayle. Hoggard now delivering the fifth ball of the over and that one is overpitched and it is another boundary with a wonderful cover drive. Chris Gayle moves on to 18 and the Windies are 29/1.
An over passes with Flintoff conceding just one run.
Sir Ian Botham: Hoggard to continue than and Lara is on strike and hits a brillaint cover drive. That one should be shown to all young kids because that was simply perfect. Lara looks in fine touch which isn't good news for England but they will have to find a way to get the man out.
Flintoff bowls a maiden before Simon Jones is brought on in the 20th over to bowl his first over since the Ashes in 2005.
Michael Atherton: Simon Jones has bowled well here with five dot balls he is looking good on his return for England. Lara is on strike though so anything can happen and that is a great shot just steered through teh slips for a boundary. Jones didn't do anything wrong it was just a very good shot from Lara. Good over for Simon Jones, the West Indies are 38/1.
3 overs pass with the West Indies moving on to 41/1 and Simon Jones about to bowl the 24th over.
Sir Ian Botham: That is a no ball from Jones and Gayle edges it over the slips for a boundary. He heard the call and just went for a smack and it paid off. Unlucky for Jones but at this level you just cannot afford to bowl no balls. West Indies are now 47/1 and this partnership is now building between Lara and Gayle.
Michael Atherton: Flintoff to carry on and Lara is on strike. Good attempt at a yorker from Flintoff there but Lara was up to it. Now Flintoff runs in again and that is four. Wonderful cover drive again from Brain Lara. He is lookin invincible at the minute. The fifty is up for the West Indies. It is 51/1.
Three maidens are bowled building pressure on the West Indies and Flintoff carries on.
Sir Ian Botham: Flintoff runs in then to Brian Lara. Too short and cut away for a boundary from Lara. Flintoff is starting to look frustrated. Runs in again and this time Lara hits one powerfully through teh covers for another boundary. Eight off the over and the West Indies are 59/1.
Michael Atherton: Two overs left until luch then and Simon Jones is to continue, he has looked good so far. Bowling to Chris Gayle now and that has gone straight down the throat of Ian Bell at cover and Chris Gayle is deceived by a vrilliant Simon Jones slower ball and he deserves that wicket. A blow for the West Indies they are now 59/2 and Gayle must go for a good 23.

Sir Ian Botham: The new batsman for the West Indies is the resilient Shiv Chanderpaul who England have really struggled to get out in the past. He won't be on strike though because that was the last abll of the over so Lara will face the last over before lunch from Monty Panesar.

Panesar bowls a maiden to finish off a very good session from England. Lunch is called and the players go off to applause from the crowd.
Michael Atherton: Right then at lunch the story is that England are on top with the West Indies 59/2. Hinds was bowled by Andrew Flintoff for 9 when he didn't read an inswinging one correctly and just two overs before lunch Chris Gayle chipped a Simon Jones slower ball to Ian Bell at cover to give England a bonus. Lara is 24 not out and looking good and Chanderpaul is at the crease but he hasn't faced a ball.

Sir Ian Botham: As for the England bowlers every one of them has bowled superbly. They have challenged the batsmen and have been consistent in their lines and lengths. They have all been economical and the wickets have so far gone to Flintoff and Jones. Also this sessionn the run rate was just 1.82. The West Indies really need to improve this because at the minute England are dominating.

Michael Atherton: That is the story this morning then and join us after the break when David Gower will get to talk to legendary West Indies player Sir Viv Richards. Make sure you join us.