Taylor: That's not my best spell

7 February 2009

Jerome Taylor accepts the applause after his stunning performance with the ball

Jerome Taylor claimed he had bowled better after his blistering new-ball burst set West Indies on the way to a stunning victory over England in the first Test in Jamaica.

Taylor, playing in front of his home crowd, claimed a Test-best 5-11 to help bowl England out for just 51 at Sabina Park and secure an innings-and-23-run win for the hosts.

He barely bowled a bad ball during nine devastating overs either side of lunch, claiming the wickets of Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior.

But man of the match Taylor insisted the crowd had not seen the best of him.

“I wouldn't say it was my best ever spell,” he said. “I have bowled well in the past and I knew I had it in me to get the ball in the right area.”

West Indies captain Chris Gayle pointed to the dismissal of Pietersen - bowled for one by a superb outswinger which uprooted his off stump - as the decisive moment on a day which began with England harbouring hopes of victory.

"Kevin Pietersen was the key wicket for us," said Gayle. “He's their main batter, he has been getting the runs for them over the last couple of series and we decided not to relax after we got him out.”

England captain Strauss admitted England failed to cope with the pressure applied by Taylor and Sulieman Benn, who took 4-31 to finish with match figures of 8-108.

It was a view echoed by Gayle, who added: "Perhaps the pitch and conditions were in the back of their mind.

Kevin Pietersen is cleaned up in style by Taylor, the key wicket for West Indies, according to Chris Gayle

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“As a cricketer, you don't want too many things to think about, just the bowler coming up to bowl to you. I am assuming that is what they were thinking.”

Victory was West Indies’ first over England since 2000 and halted a run of 13 defeats and three draws in the interim.

Gayle is not alone in the Caribbean in hoping this emphatic triumph - achieved with more than a day to spare - will spark an upturn in his side’s fortunes.

"It is definitely a turning point," he said. "We can't say if it's a big one yet - we will have to wait to see if we win the series first. Hopefully we can capitalise on this start.

"The batting and the bowling combined together in this match, which is absolutely tremendous."

However, Ramnaresh Sarwan, whose first-innings century helped West Indies establish a lead of 74, warned the hosts to expect an England response when the second Test in Antigua gets under way next Friday.

“I’m sure they are going to come back pretty hard in the next Test match and we’ve got to be prepared for it,” he said.