11 April 2004	Sunday	20 Safar 1425

ST JOHN'S, April 10: Chris Gayle hit his 14th Test half-century as West Indies showed some welcome spirit on the first day of the fourth and final Test against England.

Trailing 3-0 in the series and looking to avoid their first whitewash on home soil, Gayle smashed 12 fours in his 69 as West Indies reached lunch on 98 for two.

Captain Brian Lara was unbeaten on 17 and though Gayle fell to the off-spin of Gareth Batty to the second last ball before lunch, the home side at least showed some fight that had been sorely lacking in the first three Tests.

After winning the toss, Lara had no hesitation in batting on the same St John's ground that yielded 1315 runs in the final Test against Australia 11 months ago.

After a slow start, the decision looked a good one as Gayle punched boundaries almost at will off Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard.

Harmison, needing just six wickets to set a record of 28 wickets in a series between the two sides in the Caribbean, was a little off-line with his attack and West Indies took advantage.

Only a bowling change brought about the breakthrough for England as Andrew Flintoff trapped Daren Ganga lbw for 10.

Lara survived a confident appeal for a catch behind to Test debutant Geraint Jones, but umpire Darrell Hair ruled not out.

Gayle continued to attack the England bowlers though and brought up his half-century with a neat push through the covers.

But just as it looked like he and Lara would survive until the interval, Batty, called in for Ashley Giles who was struggling with a stomach upset, caught Gayle off his own bowling for 69.

West Indies called up Ricardo Powell to replace Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the only change to their side beaten by England in Barbados last weekend.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

C.H. Gayle c and b Batty 69

D. Ganga lbw b Flintoff 10

B.C. Lara not out 17

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1) 2

TOTAL (for two wkts, 25.5 overs) 98

FALL OF WKTS: 1-33, 2-98.

TO BAT: R.R. Sarwan, R.L. Powell, R.O. Hinds, R.D. Jacobs, T.L. Best, P.T. Collins, C.D. Collymore, F.H. Edwards.

BOWLING (to-date): Hoggard 5-1-10-0 (1nb); Harmison 9-3-28-0; Flintoff 8-1-35-1; S.P. Jones 3-0-22-0; Batty 0.5-0-2-1.

ENGLAND: M.E. Trescothick, M.P. Vaughan, M.A. Butcher, N. Hussain, G.P. Thorpe, A. Flintoff, G.O. Jones, G.J. Batty, M.J. Hoggard, S.P. Jones, S.J. Harmison.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and D.B. Hair (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: B. Doctrove (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa). -Reuters