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The England cricket team gained complete control of the second test match against the West Indies in Nottingham thanks to a terrible collapse from the visitors in the last session of the day that saw them lose 6 wickets for 61 runs. The West Indies bowlers did well to keep the English lead down to just 58 runs after restricting them from an imposing 259/2 to 428 all out by tea time on day 3. All the good work though was undone as the Windies top order collapsed in the final session to some disciplined bowling from Tim Bresnan (3/10) and Jimmy Anderson (2/12) on a slow wearing pitch. This meant that West Indies had their backs firmly pushed back to the wall on day 4 where they need something special from their first innings heroes Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy to bail them out of this predicament.

After being made to chase leather by the English batsmen on day 2, the West Indies hit back with another spirited display early on day 3. The best West Indies bowler on day 2, Ravi Rampaul struck a big blow in the third over of the day as his inswinger trapped the dangerous Kevin Pietersen leg before for 80. The in form Ian Bell then joined his skipper looking to overhaul the deficit. West Indies waited patiently for the new ball after the early breakthrough. In the short 8 over period before the new ball became available, England moved along slowly to 298/3, with Bell on 22* benefitting from being dropped by the keeper Denesh Ramdin off Shane Shillingford.

Windies skipper Darren Sammy took the new ball straight after the 80 over mark and it paid off instantly. Kemar Roach, who was in better rhythm in the morning trapped Bell leg before without any addition to his score with a full, inswinging delivery.

Johnny Bairstow(4) in only his 2nd test match was all at sea and was lucky to survive against the short ball early in his innings before a similar delivery from Roach had him in a tangle and had him caught at mid-on off the leading edge.

England's keeper Matt Prior then came out firing at No.7 by striking a couple of boundaries to ease the pressure before eventually falling to the innocuous Sammy, bowled off the inside edge for a quick 16. Amidst all the drama the England captain Andrew Strauss (125*) stood firm and took his side through to lunch on day 3 at a dodgy 340/6, still 30 runs behind the West Indies.

After finishing the first session on a high the West Indies continued their fightback in the second session. Strauss' anxiety and zeal to surpass the West Indian score quickly cost him his wicket as a wild slash at a harmless ball from Sammy found his edge through to the keeper after having made a fantastic 141. Still 10 runs behind the West Indian score England's capable tailenders Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad arrested the slide and built an important stand. They fast bowling duo took their time early on before playing some authentic strokes to get past the Windies score of 370. Broad drove and worked the ball elegantly while Bresnan was determined in defense and put away anything loose on offer.

They put on a productive 53 runs for the 8th wicket before Broad fell for a well made 25 top edging a sweep from spinner Shillingford. Swann wasn't to be another thorn in the West Indian flesh as he fell quickly for 1 caught at slip off the inside edge from Samuels. Samuels then wrapped up the innings for 428 by getting James Anderson lbw for naught via a full length yorker that struck his pad in line.

Hence after a fine display this morning West Indies fought back admirably once again to keep the English lead down to just 58 at Tea on day 3.

The English bowlers, with another substantial first innings lead behind them, came out all guns blazing in the 3rd session. New ball expert James Anderson struck early again by removing both openers inside the first 5 overs. He first got the left handed Kieran Powell (1) to drag one onto his stumps on the drive before trapping Adrian Barath (7) leg before with an in-cutter. With the regular No.3 Kirk Edwards down with flu and unable to bat, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo got together and looked to repair the innings. It wasn't to be this time for the Chanderpaul as he played an uncharacteristic pull shot off Broad and holed out to deep fine leg in the 10th over after making just 11.

Darren Bravo looked good in his brief stay of 22 before he too fell just after drinks, lbw to Tim Bresnan, playing back to a length delivery that kept a bit low. As if 4/45 wasn't bad enough there was further chaos for the visitors just before the close of play as Denesh Ramdin (6), who had survived close to 8 overs, fell leg before once again to Bresnan with just about an over to go for stumps. That dismissal forced the ill Kirk Edwards to walk out and bat and that didn't pay much dividends as Edwards too fell a couple of balls later, trapped leg before for naught by Bresnan capping off a horrid session for the visitors where they lost 6 wickets for 61 runs and with that probably the game, having gone just 3 runs ahead of England at stumps on day 3.

Teams:

England: A Strauss (c), A Cook, J Trott, K Pietersen, I Bell, J Bairstow, M Prior (wk), T Bresnan, S Broad, G Swann, J Anderson.

West Indies: A Barath, K Powell, K Edwards, D Bravo, S Chanderpaul, M Samuels, D Sammy (c), D Ramdin (wk), R Rampaul, K Roach, S Shillingford.

Mini Scorecard:

West Indies 1st Innings 370 all out (109.2 overs, 3.38rpo)
M Samuels 117 (261) T Bresnan 4-104
D Sammy 106 (156) G Swann 2-62

England 1st innings 428 all out (123.4 overs, 3.46rpo)
A Strauss 141 (303) R Rampaul 3/75
K Pietersen 80 (114) M Samuels 2/14

West Indies 61/6 (26 overs, 2.34 rpo)
D Bravo 22(43) T Bresnan 3/10
M Samuels 13*(53) J Anderson 2/12

File Photograph Copyright: Barry Zee