Clinical England surge to 2-0 series lead

England asserted their dominance in the Test arena as they beat West Indies comfortably by 9 wickets in the second Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match series.

It was a sunny Friday morning at Trent Bridge and West Indian skipper, Darren Sammy, fresh from the fight offered at Lord’s, elected to bat. However, he could not get the start he expected from his team as the top order was blown away. They were reduced to 63/4 before Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels offered some resistance.

The duo added 62 for the fifth wicket before Graeme Swann got rid of Chanderpaul, LBW for 46. Dinesh Ramdin departed soon and at 136/6, things were shaping up for a pretty average first innings total. However, then came a real great fightback, as Samuels and skipper Sammy dug it in for their side. 

They played out the whole of Day 1 and even the first hour on Day 2, before Sammy was dimissed by Bresnan for an entertaining 106 and the mammoth 204-run stand was broken. After that, it did not take long for the hosts to wrap up the innings and West Indies folded up for 370. Marlong Samuels top scored with 117 while Darren Sammy bagged the best Batting Momentum of 212 for his enthralling 106. For England, Tim Bresnan was the pick of the bowlers with 4/62 and a Bowling Efficiency of 76 while Anderson, Broad and Swann picked up 2 wickets each.

England did not have the best of starts to their innings. Alastair Cook was given a reprieve twice, both by Roach, getting him caught behind off no balls. He could not make use of it through as he was eventually dismissed for 24 by Rampaul.

After that, the Windies did not have much joy. It was a string of useful partnerships, first, 80 between Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott and then, a fine 144 between Strauss and Kevin Pietersen. It was all looking rosy for England at 300/3, trailing by just 70 but towards the second session on Day 2, sparked by some sensational bowling by Kemar Roach, West Indies struck back and reecued the Brits to 363/7, before a 53-run stand between Bresnan and Stuart Broad took them into the lead.

England were eventually bowled out for 428 with a lead of 58, which seemed paltry at that stage. Andrew Strauss top scored with 141 and ended up with a Batting Momentum of 173 while Kevin Pietersen scored a fluent 80. For the Windies, Ravi Rampaul picked up 3/75 and a Bowling Efficiency of 91 while Roach, Sammy and Samuels picked up 2 wickets each.

Filled with confidence on restricting England to a small lead, West Indies were ready to take advantage of their position. But alas, it was not detined to be so. They stuttered at the start and ended up losing 6 wickets with just 61 on the board at close. Sammy and Samuels pushed the lead to 107. Samuels stayed unbeaten on 76 and he finished with a Batting Momentum of 135. Anderson and Bresnan finished with 4 wickets apiece and Bowling Efficiencies of 81 and 102 respectively,

Have a look at the scorecard.

England did not have to sweat much for victory and lost just the solitary wicket of skipper Strauss.

England finished on a Castrol Index of 249 while West Indies managed just 184.

Tim Bresnan was named the Man Of The Match and he finished with 125 Castrol Index points but the top performer according to the Index was Marlon Samuels with a value of 197.

The third and final Test will be played at Birmingham on Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 1000 GMT.