NOTTINGHAM – A dramatic final session on the third day yesterday left West Indies yet again in shambles and with little or no hope of saving the second Test against England at Trent Bridge.
At the close, West Indies were tottering precariously on 61 for six – an overall lead of just three runs – after seamers Tim Bresnan (3-10) and Jimmy Anderson (2-12) laid waste to their top order in torrid spells that put England on the brink of a winning 2-0 series lead.
Only Marlon Samuels, unbeaten on 13, has shown any resistance and will need another record stand with captain Darren Sammy, who is yet to face a ball, if the visitors are to avoid a heavy defeat.
Earlier, West Indies conceded a deficit of 58 runs on first innings after they produced an outstanding bowling effort to restrict England to 428 all out on the stroke of tea.
Speedster Kemar Roach took two of the four wickets to fall in the morning session while part-time off-spinner Marlon Samuels (2-14) and medium pacer Sammy (2-120), also finished with two wickets apiece.
Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul was the best bowler with three for 75.
Captain Andrew Strauss carried his unbeaten 102 overnight to 141 while Kevin Pietersen fell for 80, after resuming the day on 72.
Any hopes West Indies had of building on the momentum set by their bowlers perished inside the first 20 minutes when both openers were dislodged by swing bowler Jimmy Anderson, with just 14 on the board.
Left-handed Kieran Powell lasted just four balls before he was bowled leg stump, essaying an expansive drive at the first delivery he received from Anderson and playing on.
Adrian Barath followed soon afterward, tucked up on the crease and falling lbw for seven in the fifth over of the innings.
The prolific Shivnarine Chanderpaul stroked two boundaries in 11 runs off 15 balls and together with the stylish Darren Bravo, who hit 22, looked to be restoring order to the innings.
However, England got the prized wicket of Chanderpaul at 31 for three when the veteran left-hander played an uncharacteristic loose pull stroke at a short ball from seamer Stuart Broad to give Jonathan Trott a regulation catch at long leg.
The left-handed Bravo hit four boundaries including two superb strokes – a delightful drive through point and equally graceful push through mid-on, both off Broad – in an innings that lasted 43 balls in just over an hour at the crease. His innings ended tamely, trapped lbw on the back foot to Bresnan, with his recourse to the DRS proving futile.
Denesh Ramdin’s dismal career in front the stumps continued when Bresnan accounted for him for six via the lbw route, nine minutes before the close to leave West Indies further in the mire at 61 for five.
Kirk Edwards, who spent most of the day at his hotel fighting the flu, arrived to lend his hand to the battle but Bresnan also trapped him plumb lbw without scoring to extend his rut of eight runs from four Test innings on tour.
The dismal showing by Windies’ batsmen undermined the good work by their bowlers to limit England after the hosts resumed the day on 259 for two and in a prime position to pile up a big score.
Roach, plagued by no-ball problems on Saturday, responded with a pacy, devastating seven-over spell that cost 23 runs and yielded the wickets of Ian Bell (22) and Jonny Bairstow (4).
West Indies claimed Pietersen in the third over of the morning, lbw to one from Rampaul that a subsequent review showed was clipping leg-stump.
Bell put on 33 for the fourth wicket with Strauss before also falling lbw on review, after the initial appeal was turned down by umpire Aleem Dar.
Roach then shook up rookie batsman Bairstow with a couple of short balls and the pressure eventually told on the right-hander as he scooped one tamely to mid-on, 40 minutes before lunch. (CMC)
