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Rediff.com  » Sports » England close in on series victory

England close in on series victory

May 17, 2009 15:25 IST
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England closed in on a series victory over the West Indies after taking complete control on the third day of the second Test on Saturday.

The hosts declared their first innings on 569 for six before paceman James Anderson dismissed Devon Smith, Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons as West Indies limped to 94 for three in reply.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (41) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (three) were the not out batsmen at the close of play.

England resumed on 302 for two following the second day washout and Alastair Cook took his score to 160, his highest in Tests, before he fell just before lunch, caught by Gayle at short extra cover off left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn.

Kevin Pietersen looked in prime form with a flurry of early boundaries and the home team reached the interval on 411 for four.

RIGHT STAND

Pietersen (49) skied a catch off Benn to Simmons at backward point but Matt Prior and Paul Collingwood shared a bright sixth-wicket partnership of 94 to maintain the momentum.

Prior punched eight crisp fours in his eighth Test half-century before falling for 63 but Collingwood, who finished on 60 not out, and Stuart Broad (28 not out) continued to flay the tiring West Indies bowlers.

Anderson made early inroads for England when he comprehensively bowled Smith for seven with a rapid full-length delivery and, after a brief delay for bad light, he trapped captain Gayle lbw for 19 as the batsman offered no stroke.

Simmons never looked comfortable and edged another seaming delivery from Anderson to be smartly caught by skipper Andrew Strauss at first slip for eight.

The players were again forced off the field by bad light and although Sarwan and Chanderpaul safely negotiated the final 11 overs the West Indies still need 276 runs to avoid the follow-on with two days remaining.

England lead the two-Test series 1-0.

Scorecard

England (1st innings):
 A. Strauss c Ramdin b Gayle 26
 A. Cook c Gayle b Benn 160
 R. Bopara b Baker 108
 J. Anderson b Edwards 14
 K. Pietersen c Simmons b Benn 49
 P. Collingwood not out 60
 M. Prior c Benn b Simmons 63
 S. Broad not out 28
 Extras: (b-20, lb-5, w-8, nb-28) 61
 Total: (six wickets declared; 147 overs) 569

 Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-282, 3-326, 4-410, 5-419, 6-513.

 Bowling: Taylor 20-2-68-0 (4nb, 1w), Edwards 25-1-113-1 (14nb), Baker 30-3-119-1 (3w), Gayle 14-2-31-1, Benn 43-8-146-2 (1nb, 2w), Simmons 14-0-60-1 (1nb, 1w), Sarwan 1-0-7-0.

 Did not bat: G. Swann, T. Bresnan, G. Onions.

 West Indies (1st innings):
 D. Smith b Anderson 7
 C. Gayle lbw b Anderson 19
 R. Sarwan not out 41
 L. Simmons c Strauss b Anderson 8
 S. Chanderpaul not out 3
 Extras: (b-2, lb-11, w-2, nb-1) 16
 Total: (three wickets; 26 overs) 94

 Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-38, 3-68

 Bowling: Anderson 11-3-36-3 (1w), Broad 6-0-28-0 (1nb), Onions 7-3-15-0 (1w), Bresnan 2-1-2-0.

 To bat: B. Nash, D. Ramdin, J. Taylor, S. Benn, F. Edwards, L. Baker.

 * England lead the two-match series 1-0.

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Source: REUTERS
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