Congratulations to Michael Vaughan and his team on not only winning a Test match at Old Trafford this week, but also clinching the series with their second Test match win of the summer.  I thought the Test match turned in to a fantastic game of cricket having looked after two days as though it would be a totally one sided affair.  Fair play to the West Indies, they finally found some guts and determination just when they needed it most. 

Darren Sammy  bowled them back in to the match with his magnificent spell of bowling on Saturday afternoon and then the West Indies batsmen dug in and nearly completed what would have been an unbelievable turn around.  However Steve Harmison who showed signs of coming back to his true form, bowled a couple of ferocious short deliveries just after lunch yesterday to get rid of Taylor and Edwards to finally turn the game England’s way at just the point when the England players were probably getting a bit worried. 

Shiv Chanderpaul played one of the better innings in Test match cricket to score a magnificent unbeaten 116 in very trying conditions.  I cannot tell you how difficult it is in the latter part of those longer games when a left hander has to cope with the ball pitching in the rough outside his off stump while the ball literally runs along the ground or goes over your head from the same spot.  Chanderpaul never lost his cool or composure and with a bit more help from the other end, would have got his team home. 

Although England did well, I am sure that the management will be looking for some more improvement this week up at Durham.

Michael Vaughan came out of a tough week himself personally with a new accolade.  He now has more wins then any other cricket captain, thus becoming the most successful captain we have had.  We have had some illustrious leaders in our time and it is great to see Vaughany’s name not just in amongst those other great names, but now the top of the pile.  Let’s hope there are many more Test victories to come. Congratulations to him and his team.