Dwayne Double puts Windies on top.

Dwayne Bravo struck late on to remove Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flintoff, leaving England on the back foot in the Third Test.

His first strike ended a partnership that threatened to push England into a commanding position that their earlier bowling didn't deserve.

Resuming on 275-6, the bowling throughout the first session was far too short, as Carlton Baugh's range of strokes over the keeper or slips brought him 4 boundaries on the way to a splendid maiden Test half-century that has surely ended Ridley Jacobs International career. Baugh had the support of first Dave Mohammed, who hit some powerful shots in his knock of 23 and then latterly Pedro Collins and Corey Collymore as the West Indies dominated the first session to add 120 in only 23 overs.

Andrew Flintoff had removed Mohammed with a well directed short ball that caused a mis-hit to Strauss on the off side, but when the new ball was taken with Flintoff and Steve Harmison bowling, they persisted in giving short balls to the batsmen, and Baugh in particular was inventive as he guided balls to the boundary over the keeper and slips before an exquisite cover drive brought him his half century.

He lost Collins to a short ball that clattered into the chin of the opening bowler, leaving him needing 8 stitches and actually preventing him from taking the field when England batted. Before that blow, he had added 50 with Baugh at more than a run a ball though, and the momentum was with the tourists for possibly the first time all series.

Finally, Michael Vaughan did the thing that seemed obvious to everyone in the ground and gave the ball to Matthew Hoggard, who did exactly what was asked of him in bowling Collymore, and when James Anderson finally got a bowl, it took him just 9 balls to end the innings on the stroke of lunch, Baugh miscuing to Vaughan. The final score of 395 was a lot more than either side expected at 108-4, and probably a lot more than the West Indies could have hoped for from the overnight position.

The West Indies position got even better, in spite of the loss of Collins, in the first 4 overs of the reply, as Edgbaston hero Marcus Trescothick fell 2nd ball to Fidel Edwards, and then Robert Key was bowled by Collymore for only 6. England were 13-2 and in disarray, but Vaughan joined Strauss in a dogged hour of batting that added 27 runs, before Bravo bowled the England captain for 12, and at 40-3, England were facing the biggest trouble they'd faced for a long time.

At times of crisis though, the man most English fans love to see walking out to bat is the veteran Surrey left hander Graham Thorpe, and yet again he didn't disappoint.

In partnership with Strauss, Thorpe first steadied the innings and then the runs began to flow through the late afternoon and early evening sessions - England didn't seem to be troubled for a long spell as the pair eased their stand past 150 with little trouble, although Thorpe survived a shocking drop by Ramnaresh Sarwan when on 58 off the extremely impressive bowling of Mohammed, who extracted considerable turn from the Old Traffod pitch. But, contrary to previous matches, the West Indies fought back from a position of relative adversity, as they dried up the runs for a while, and then finally in this series, the luck went their way as Strauss inside edged a Bravo ball onto his stumps via his pads. This brought in Flintoff to a huge ovation, and with his record in recent matches when resuming not out at the start of play, his wicket was a crucial one.

Opposing all rounder Bravo got it, trapping him leg before wicket with a ball that appeared to be going down leg-side, but with the poor decisions that the West Indies have received in this series, one could argue that they deserve one to go their way.

Whatever the discussions about that call, Flintoff was out for 7, and with a handful of overs to go, Hoggard went out as a nightwatchman, and yet again did his job in seeing the side to the close.

With 2 days of 105 overs each left, there's a lot of Cricket left in this game, and although the visitors hold the upper hand with a new ball just 1 over away, it only takes a typical innings from Hoggard to see off that threat, and Geraint Jones could possibly come in and play another knock that he's made his trademark in his brief International career.

West Indies are in front, but they need to avoid the first session blues that affect England so badly this morning if they are going to push home that advantage.

WEST INDIES 395
Bravo 77, Chanderpaul 76, Baugh 68, Joseph 45, Sarwan 40, Hoggard 4-83, Flintoff 3-79
ENGLAND 233-5
Strauss 90, Thorpe 89*, Bravo 3-36

Posted by Marc