NOTTINGHAM, England, May 25, CMC – Experienced batsman Marlon Samuels was holding West Indies together after England’s seamers destroyed the top order to leave the Caribbean side reeling at tea on the opening day of the first Test here Friday.
Samuels was unbeaten on 41 as West Indies, winning the toss and batting in great conditions at Trent Bridge, stumbled to the final interval on 154 for six.
He was partnered by captain Darren Sammy on 11, with the two so far adding 18 for the seventh wicket to prop up the innings.
Resuming from a lunch time position of 84 for four, West Indies lost the precious wicket of Shiv Chanderpaul for 46 and Denesh Ramdin for one, in a session where they added 70 runs.
Chanderpaul and Samuels put on 62 for the fifth wicket after the Windies had slipped to 63 for four, about 40 minutes before lunch.
The left-hander Chanderpaul looked at ease against England’s attack until he missed one that straightened from off-spinner Graeme Swann and was lbw on review, an hour and 12 minutes after lunch to leave the Windies on 125 for five.
Ramdin lasted just nine deliveries before he was late on a defensive prod and bowled by seamer Tim Bresnan at 136 for six.
Samuels and Sammy then came together to halt the Windies slide, with both players batting cautiously but putting away anything loose.
The right-handed Samuels has so far struck six fours off 126 balls while Sammy has counted two boundaries off 22 balls.
Earlier, the tourists were in trouble from as early as the fourth over of the morning when Adrian Barath was taken at third slip by Jimmy Anderson off seamer Stuart Broad without scoring at nine for one, attempting a forcing back foot stroke.
Vice-captain Kirk Edward’s wretched tour continued when he was bowled by Anderson for seven at 26 and Darren Bravo (3) fell on the stroke of the first hour when he drove loosely at Anderson to give Swann a regulation catch at second slip at 42 for three.
Opener Kieran Powell played positively, stroking seven fours in 33 off 49 balls before becoming the fourth wicket of the session when he flirted with a wide ball from Broad to give Anderson his second catch of the morning at third slip.
Seamers Anderson (2-31) and Broad (2-49) have so far claimed two wickets apiece.
TEAMS:
ENGLAND – Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson
WEST INDIES – Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul, Shane Shillingford.
UMPIRES: Aleem Dar, Asad Rauf; TV – Marais Erasmus.
