West Indies' latest top-order collapse left England on the brink of a series-clinching victory in the second Test at Trent Bridge here yesterday.
The tourists had slumped to 61 for six in their second innings at stumps on the third day. That gave them a lead of just three runs after England had made a first innings 428 featuring captain Andrew Strauss’s second hundred in as many Tests.
ADVERTISEMENT
Marlon Samuels (13 no) and West Indies captain Darren Sammy (0 no), who both made hundreds in the first innings, were together at the close.
James Anderson removed both West Indies openers in a spell of two wickets for three runs in eight balls while fellow seamer Tim Bresnan followed up with three for nine in 26.
Anderson bowled Kieran Powell for one after the left-hander inside-edged a drive onto his stumps and then had Adrian Barath lbw for seven.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, officially the world’s best batsman, walked out at number four instead of his usual number five slot when the tourists were forced into a rejig as regular number three Kirk Edwards was suffering with flu.
The left-hander had made a mere 11 when his renowned concentration faltered as he fell into a hooking trap, top-edging Stuart Broad’s bouncer to Jonathan Trott at long leg.
And when Darren Bravo, who took Edwards’s spot at three, was lbw to Bresnan — the desperate review showed the ball hitting middle stump — West Indies were 45 for four and still 13 runs adrift of making England bat again.
Bresnan then had Ramdin and Edwards lbw, the latter out for nought.u00a0