PORT-OF-SPAIN, March 21: Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain put England firmly in charge of the second Test against the West Indies on Sunday as the tourists reached 123-2 in their first innings in reply to the home side's 208 all out.

Butcher was undefeated on 61, his 19th Test half-century, while Hussain was unbeaten on 42 at lunch. The two England batsmen put on 115 for the third wicket after the visitors continued from their overnight position of 54 for two after rain badly affected Saturday's second day when over four hours were lost.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 208 (C.H. Gayle 62; S.J. Harmison 6-61).

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 54-2):

M.E. Trescothick c Sanford b Best 1

M.P. Vaughan lbw b Collins 0

M.A. Butcher not out 61

N. Hussain not out 42

EXTRAS (LB-8, NB-11) 19

TOTAL (for two wkts, 58 overs) 123

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-8.

TO BAT: G.P. Thorpe, A. Flintoff, C.M.W. Read, A.F. Giles, S.P. Jones, M.J. Hoggard, S.J. Harmison.

BOWLING (to-date): Collins 15-5-36-1 (6nb); Best 12-4-23-1; Sanford 15-4-42-0 (1nb); Collymore 12-6-7-0 (2nb); D.R. Smith 3-0-6-0 (2nb); Gayle 1-0-1-0. -Agencies