Such setbacks can often deflate teams seeking to re-establish themselves - it was heartening that the West Indies stuck to their

Such setbacks can often deflate teams seeking to re-establish themselves - it was heartening that the West Indies stuck to their task.. BY NICK DUXBURY Alex Ferguson yesterday revealed that the about-turn over Paul Ince's proposed pounds 8m transfer from Manchester United to Internazionale had little to do with the fee. "There were certain aspects of the deal I wasn't happy about, the main worry was the involvement in the negotiations with Inter of agent Dennis Roach," the United manager said. There was much to depress them but they never dropped their heads. Richie Richardson's decision to bowl first after he had won the toss for the eighth consecutive time in Tests was potentially undermined by a couple of dropped catches by fielders usually with velcro hands in the slips: Carl Hooper and the captain himself. Two minutes later he found the perfect length and line with one that found the edge of Atherton's bat.

The England captain had middled almost every one of the 145 deliveries he had faced.The West Indies showed the resolve missing in the disastrous series against Australia. Once he was switched to the Kirkstall Lane End he became more confident, fluent and effective.While he has remodelled his method, he can still bowl late outswingers at pace, and these were the balls that brought the West Indies back into the match in the nick of time, with the dismissals of Graham Thorpe and Michael Atherton.Bishop had troubled Thorpe by swinging into his legs, but he then adjusted the angle, came around the wicket and earned an lbw by making the ball straighten on pitching. He has struggled to come to terms with the transformation, and his first two overs yesterday emphasised the frustration. It was equally galling for him in that he was out to the final delivery before the eighth (and last) downpour of the day.County cricket, page 39.

BY TONY COZIER The overdue reintroduction of Ian Bishop was always eagerly anticipated by a West Indies team who have missed his pace, quality and enthusiasm for the past two and a half years. The significance of his return was immediately evident. He has shown patience and courage in altering his classical side-on action into a more front-on delivery to ease the pressure on a backbone fragile only in the physical sense. Hick was admirably positive against the sort of bowling that gave him such a harrowing introduction to Test cricket in 1991, but failed to get over a square cut, and Sherwin Campbell held a sharp catch at point.Richardson then dropped Graham Thorpe (on six) in the slips off a slightly off-key Courtney Walsh - the West Indian captain had previously missed another difficult offering from Atherton (on 34) off Benjamin. The Thorpe drop proved relatively inexpensive, Ian Bishop securing a marginal lbw decision to a ball that nipped back into the left-hander, but Atherton continued to play beautifully until Bishop got him caught behind with one which lifted and left him.Unlike most English batsmen, Atherton rarely gets out to bad deliveries, and this one was as near to unplayable as makes no difference.