Windies in slim lead

West Indies edged into a lead of 34 runs with three first innings wickets in hand on an attritional third day of the first test against England at Sabina Park.

The hosts had hoped to create an imposing total from the foundations built by centurions Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan, who shared a 202-run partnership for the second wicket.

But England, thanks to three wickets from seamer Stuart Broad, made the home side work for every run on Friday.

In fact, just 192 runs were scored all day, as West Indies finished the day on 352 for seven in reply to England’s first innings total of 318.

Gayle went before lunch for 104 and was quickly followed by Xavier Marshall (0), and after the interval Sarwan (107) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (20).

England must have sensed a West Indian middle-order collapse, with four wickets having gone for just 34 runs, but they were frustrated as Australian-born Brendan Nash and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin put together a solid partnership.

The pair batted sensibly and patiently to put on 66 in 26 overs and by the time Ramdin went, caught by Paul Collingwood at slip off spinner Monty Panesar, West Indies were two runs ahead.

It was just the sort of application West Indies coach John Dyson has been urging from his supporting batsmen and exactly the reason why he turned to the 31-year-old Nash, who qualified for selection through Jamaican parentage.

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Resuming on 160 for one, Gayle and Sarwan carried on as they had left off on Thursday. - — Reuters