June 09, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1428

MANCHESTER (England), June 8: Ryan Sidebottom sparked a West Indies collapse as England strengthened

their grip on the third Test at Old Trafford here on Friday.

Fellow left-armer Monty Panesar followed up with two wickets in three balls as England closed in on an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

West Indies lost their last six wickets for 13 runs in 44 balls as they were bowled out for 229 in reply to England's first innings 370.

At the close England, in their second innings, were 34 for one – a healthy lead of 175 with three days remaining.

But by that stage Andrew Strauss's poor run of form continued when the opener was out for nought. Alastair Cook was 12 not out and England captain Michael Vaughan unbeaten on 10.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, West Indies' senior batsman, top scored with 50 in an innings where the next best total came from 42 extras.

Left-arm spinner Panesar finished with four for 50 from 16.4 overs while left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom, who had never before taken a first-class wicket at Old Trafford, had three for 48 from 12.

Strauss, who has only scored one fifty in his last 15 Test innings, was plumb lbw for to impressive recalled fast bowler Fidel Edwards.

Earlier Sidebottom, recalled for England's innings and 283 run victory at Headingley in the second Test – West Indies heaviest Test innings loss – had Dwayne Bravo caught behind by wicket-keeper Matt Prior for 24 to end a stand of 59 with left-hander Chanderpaul.

Wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin fell next, a miscued pull off Sidebottom caught at square leg by Kevin Pietersen.

Then 224 for six became 225 for seven when debutant Darren Sammy, on one, nicked Panesar to Paul Collingwood in the slips. And two balls later Jerome Taylor went in similar fashion, although this time Strauss held the catch.

Sidebottom then picked up the prize wicket of Chanderpaul, who had missed the Headingley match with a knee injury, when the left-hander drove him straight to Pietersen at cover for 50. Chanderpaul faced 78 balls with seven fours.

Panesar wrapped up the innings when Corey Collymore was held by Collingwood.

West Indies began the final session on 153 for three, a deficit of 217.

Devon Smith was 40 not out and Chanderpaul 15 not out.

Smith though failed to add to his score when he was caught

off bat and boot by Ian Bell at silly point off Panesar — the bowler's 50th Test wicket although the decision was handed over to replay umpire Peter Hartley.

England fast bowler Stephen Harmison, again worryingly wayward, took a wicket in a first over featuring seven wides when West Indies captain Daren Ganga, leading the team in place of the injured Ramnaresh Sarwan, was lbw for five.

However, someone else should have been taking the new ball as Harmison ought to have been prevented from coming on until 30 minutes into West Indies’ reply under Cricket's Law 17.1 after breaking the rule which prevents players practising with new bowling advisor Allan Donald on the square when the match is in progress, during the break between innings.

At lunch, West Indies were 17 for one. Afterwards, Chris Gayle moved on to 23 when, trying to drive Liam Plunkett, he lost control and was caught in the gully by Cook.

Bell just missed out on Friday on what would have been a seventh Test hundred and second of the series when he was caught behind for 97 off Collymore. He batted for nearly five hours after coming in when England were wobbling at 132 for four.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 296-7):

A.J. Strauss lbw Taylor 6

A.N. Cook c Bravo b Sammy 60

M.P. Vaughan b Collymore 41

K.P. Pietersen c Bravo b Collymore 9

P.D. Collingwood lbw b Taylor 10

I.R. Bell c Ramdin b Collymore 97

M.J. Prior c Morton b Bravo 40

L.E. Plunkett b Edwards 13

S.J. Harmison c Ramdin b Edwards 18

R.J. Sidebottom b Edwards 15

M.S. Panesar not out 14

EXTRAS (B-15, LB-8, W-6, NB-18) 47

TOTAL (all out, 105.1 overs) 370

FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-117, 3-132, 4-132, 5-166, 6-264, 7-285, 8-324, 9-338.

BOWLING: Taylor 20-1-67-2 (3nb, 2w); Edwards 20.1-2-94-3 (11nb, 1w); Collymore 25-5-60-3 (3nb, 1w); Bravo 23-4-94-1 (2w); Sammy 17-7-32-1.

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

C.H. Gayle c Cook b Plunkett 23

D. Ganga lbw b Harmison 5

D.S. Smith c Bell b Panesar 40

R.S. Morton c Strauss b Harmison 35

S. Chanderpaul c Pietersen b Sidebottom 50

D.J. Bravo c Prior b Sidebottom 24

D. Ramdin c Pietersen b Sidebottom 5

D.J.G. Sammy c Collingwood b Panesar 1

J.E. Taylor c Strauss b Panesar 0

C.D. Collymore c Collingwood b Panesar 4

F.H. Edwards not out 0

EXTRAS (B-20, LB-10, W-9, NB-3) 42

TOTAL (all out, 52.4 overs) 229

FALL OF WKTS: 1-17, 2-49, 3-116, 4-157, 5-216, 6-224, 7-225, 8-225, 9-225.

BOWLING: Sidebottom 12-3-48-3; Harmison 11-2-53-2 (1nb, 8w); Plunkett 12-0-43-1 (1nb, 1w); Panesar 16.4-5-50-4; Collingwood 1-0-5-0 (1nb).

ENGLAND (2nd Innings):

A.J. Strauss lbw b Edwards 0

A.N. Cook not out 12

M.P. Vaughan not out 10

EXTRAS (B-, NB-6, PR-5) 12

TOTAL (for one wkt, 6 overs) 34

FALL OF WKT: 1-1.

BOWLING (to-date): Edwards 3-0-16-1 (6nb); Taylor 2-0-12-0; Collymore 1-1-0-0.

—Agencies