West Indies crash to 9-wicket defeat to England

Alistair Cook

St. George's (Grenada), April 26 (IANS) Mediocre batting coupled with a devastating new-ball spell from seamer James Anderson combined to see the West Indies squander a position of strength and slide to a heavy nine-wicket defeat to England in the second Test here.

Resuming the final day at the Grenada National Stadium on 202/2 with a lead of 37 runs, West Indies spectacularly lost their last eight wickets for 105 runs to be all out for an insufficient 307, 35 minutes after lunch, reports CMC.

They lost six wickets for 84 runs in the first session as Anderson blew away the middle-order with an inspired spell that saw him finish with 4/43. Opener Kraigg Brathwaite, unbeaten overnight on 101, fell for 118 while Marlon Samuels made 37, after resuming from 22.

There was no sign of what was to come when the pair stretched their third-wicket stand to 79. However, once the right-handed Brathwaite fell in the morning with the score on 224, six wickets tumbled for 62 runs in quick time.

Set a meagre 143 for victory, England overcame the early loss of Jonathan Trott to coast home with little complication.

Left-hander Gary Ballance sustained form, finishing on 81 not out, his second half- century of the game while captain Alastair Cook followed suit with a knock of 59 not out to also post his second 50-plus score of the encounter.

Following the drawn first Test in Antigua last week, the visitors will take a 1-0 series lead to the third and final contest bowling off at Kensington Oval in Barbados next Friday.

Starting the day in a fabulous position to save the Test, West Indies' confidence were given a further boost when Brathwaite kept the scoreboard ticking.

England immediately turned to the new ball when it became available which marked the decline of the West Indies innings.