England ... Just!

In a game they had won and lost several times, England eventually beat the West Indies in Chennai when their opening bowler, off spinner Graham Swann, triggered a last minute collapse which saw the last four wickets tumble for just three runs. The Windies were within agonising grasp at a distance of only 18 runs.

Earlier in the day, England made a rapid fire start with Prior and Strauss which for once got even faster when the normally obdurate Jonathan Trott came to the crease. His first 26 runs came from just nine deliveries as England raced to 79 in the twelfth over when Strauss was out in a familiar fashion, top edging a pulled short ball to Gayle at mid wicket. When Trott changed his mind to debutant Devandra Bishop and chipped a simple lob to mid wicket, England were still in charge at 3-121 and more than half the overs still left but as Bell, Morgan and Bopara all followed him in the space of 11 overs and only 30 runs, England had their wobbly wheels back on. Luke Wright led a mini recovery but 243 still looked thirty runs short of a winning score.

Gayle made 43 of the first 58 until Tredwell struck him playing forward and two umpires and the technology gave him out. The technology said it would have clipped the bails. The ridiculous nature of the review system means that if the field umpire had shaken his head and England had sought the review, the same technology would have ruled it not out. Gayle could consider himself unlucky. Smith, Bravo, Sammy and Thomas all went in the next 13 overs, as Tredwell cut a swathe through the West Indies. Sammy had looked particularly good in an aggressive 29 ball stay. Devon Smith's departure was perhaps the most unusual, not only given out stumped of the off spinner Tredwell after the ball seemed to hit ever obstacle it could before dribbling back the Roy Rene look alike Prior behind the stumps but the 3rd umpire pressed the wrong button initially and had to quickly recant!

At 5-118, the West Indies looked done but with overs to spare, Sarwan got his head down while Pollard and Russel did some considerable hitting. As the 42nd over started, the West Indies had the match well and truly won at 6-222, with 22 required from 54 deliveries. Tredwell struck. Bowing round the wicket to Andre Russell, he hit him on the pads going back and was sent. Had a review been available, Russell would likely have batted the West Indies to victory. Two overs later, Swann was back for his last spell and a delivery got a little big on Sarwan, who went back to turn it to leg for a single, nicked it onto his thigh pad and Bell picked up the easiest of catches at short leg. With singles enough to win the game, Roach left two balls later with a dreadful attempted heave down the ground which lobbed to Chris Tremlett who took a good big man's catch at mid off. It finished soon after, with another West Indies brain explosion. Benn bottom edged toward fine leg, completed one and took on Trott for the second but as the Australians discovered, the man with the Geoff Boycott hair style is quick, clean and has a flat, fast throw and Prior completed the formalities.

This was a game the West Indies squandered and England kept scrambling long enough to win. The success of James Tredwell should be enough for them to abandon the shock and awe policy of a pace dominated attack- what Australia calls "speed kills" - and kept the second spinner in their line up.

All that remains in this topsy turvy English campaign is to see Bangladesh beat South Africa. It might have been interesting if the Bangers were playing Pakistan.