On this day: Phil Tufnell’s unbelievable bowling figures
Phil Tufnell may not be a known name to many cricket fans but the English left-arm spinner had a colourful career. One of his spectacular performances came at the Oval in 1991 against West Indies. The Caribbean team had taken a 2-1 lead at end of the fourth game of the five-match series. The final Test was set to be played at The Oval starting on August 8th. This game was marked to be the 50th Test match as captain for Sir Viv Richards which was also his last.
England, in consolation, wanted to win the match and draw the series. They began well after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Skipper Graham Gooch scored 60 and shared a 112-run opening stand with Hugh Morris. The No.4 batsman Robin Smith smashed 109 during his 353-minute long innings as the hosts reached 419 before getting bowled out in 151.1 overs.
West Indies reached 90/1 by end of the second day’s play as Desmond Haynes scored an unbeaten 46. The visitors lost a couple of wickets on third day morning but went past 150-run mark losing only three wickets. Clayton Lambert was making the scoreboard ticking with a 49-ball 39 which included four boundaries. Richards was yet to come as he held himself back due to headache.
Tufnell turns it around!
The match was drifting away towards a draw as West Indies were not so far away from avoiding the follow-on. Tufnell had gone wicketless in his first nine overs. He then removed Lambert on the first ball of his 10th over. In the very next over, Jeff Dujon bagged a golden duck as the visitors stumbled to 160/5.
Tufnell, with assistance from the track, ran through the Caribbean side picking up the last five wickets. West Indies were bowled out for 176 by losing their last seven wickets for 18 runs in 10.3 overs. As many as four batters bagged ducks among those seven players but Desmond Haynes carried the bat with an unbeaten 198-ball 75. Tufnell finished with analyses of 14.3-3-25-6 with all the six wickets coming in his last 5.3 overs at the cost of only four runs.
A consolation win for England
England enforced the follow-on after taking a 243-run lead in the first-innings. Richie Richardson scored 121 while Carl Hooper (54) and Viv Richards (60) scored fifties as West Indies crossed 300-run mark losing only four wickets. A couple of wickets towards the end of the 4th day saw them going to stumps at 356/6. They could only add 29 runs for their last four wickets on final day morning. England were favourites with the target being 143 but they lost four wickets for 80 runs. However, an unbeaten 38 from Alec Stewart guided England to a 5-wicket victory.
