West Indies pace bowler Fidel Edwards found frustration at every turn in the fourth Test against England as the tourists rattled up 600 for six declared on Friday’s second day.
Edwards, who finished with unflattering figures of three for 151 from his 30 overs on the flat track at the Kensington Oval, produced the most hostile and attacking bowling of his side but gained little help from his fielding team mates.
On the first day, Edwards had England captain Andrew Strauss dropped by his own skipper Chris Gayle. Strauss was on 58 and went on to make 142.
Kevin Pietersen was then dropped by Jerome Taylor off Edwards on Thursday evening, but the most costly spill came when the same fielder put down a skier from Ravi Bopara when he was on four.
Bopara went on to score exactly 100 runs more.
”It was frustrating. He went on from that to get a big hundred. He batted pretty well but it could have been a lot better for us,” Edwards told reporters.
The stocky Edwards let his disappointment show on a few occasions and even after the close, his thoughts were on what might have been.
”It’s pretty hurtful but that is the way it goes, I don’t think the guys go out to drop catches but you have to take the chances and sometimes they make you pay when you don’t.
”Strauss was dropped and went on to make a big score, Bopara as well. If we had taken the chances you never know how it might have turned out,” he said.
Edwards has also been handicapped by the lack of life on his home ground and said he had hoped that the Kensington Oval groundsman would have given him something more promising to work with.
”It’s kind of tiring. Coming here, I was hoping to get some grass and get a good fast wicket to bowl on,” he added.
”We were hoping to get some pace and we did not get it. It is one of those games where you have to be strong, keep bowling and hope for the best.
”Now we have to try and get as near as possible to them and hopefully push forward and draw this game,” he said.
West Indies, who lead the series 1-0, ended the second day on 85-1. – Reuters