Darren Sammy (centre) of the West Indies celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of England's Alastair Cook, caught by Dwayne Bravo for 60, during the third Test at Old Trafford yesterday. - APMANCHESTER, England (AP):
IAN BELL hit an undefeated 77 to help guide a struggling England to 296 for seven yesterday after the West Indies pace attack dominated the first day of the third Test at Old Trafford.
England had a good start. They won the toss and chose to bat, seeking a series-clinching victory and a record 21st Test win for Michael Vaughan as captain.
But after the hosts reached 112 for one at lunch, the West Indies attack removed Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood by tea for the addition of only 55 runs.
West Indies pacemen Corey Collymore and Jerome Taylor took two wickets each, and Darren Sammy grabbed his first wicket in his debut Test by removing Cook for 60.
Bowling
Collymore finished with figures of 2-44, and bowled five maidens in his 20-over spell. Sammy had seven maidens after 17 overs, with figures of 1-21. Taylor took 2-52.
Matt Prior and Bell rallied the innings in the final session with a 98-run sixth-wicket stand. But Prior was out on 40 after swinging a short ball from Dwayne Bravo to Runako Morton at deep square leg.
Bell reached his 12th half-century with a four off Fidel Edwards aimed between slips and gully. Bell is now aiming for his seventh century, having also hit a ton against the West Indies in the first-Test draw at Lord's last month.
Liam Plunkett made 13 before Edwards removed his middle stump. Steve Harmison finished on two not out.
Middle-order collapse
Vaughan'sexit on 41 sparked a middle-order collapse. He attempted to drive Collymore, but the ball went between bat and pad and hit middle and off stump in the third over after lunch. He hit six boundaries in his 99-ball innings and England were left on 117 for two.
Vaughan got a warm reception from the Manchester crowd, with a smattering of jeers, after reports that he blamed England's lack-lustre performance at this year's World Cup on Andrew Flintoff's drunken antics.
Flintoff, who plays for Old Trafford-based county Lancashire, is recovering from ankle surgery and said the issue was "a bit of a storm in a teacup".
Pietersen, who scored a career-best 226 in the innings and 283 run-win over the West Indies in the second Test at Headingley, could not even reach double figures yesterday, as he pulled a short ball from Collymore straight to Bravo at deep square leg for nine.
Fifteen balls later, with no addition to the score, Cook was out off a low catch from Bravo at point.
Paul Collingwood was trapped leg before wicket by Taylor for 10, with England on 166.
Opener Andrew Strauss was the first England batsman to fall, facing six balls before he was out lbw by Taylor in the third over, making it 13-1.
| England first innings A. Strauss lbw Taylor | 6 |
| A. Cook c Bravo b Sammy | 60 |
| M. Vaughan b Collymore | 41 |
| K. Pietersen c Bravo b Collymore | 9 |
| P. Collingwood lbw Taylor | 10 |
| I. Bell not out | 77 |
| M. Prior c Morton b Bravo | 40 |
| L. Plunkett b Edwards | 13 |
| S. Harmison not out | 2 |
| Extras (b-10 lb-6 w-5 nb-16) | 37 |
| Total (for seven wkts - 86 overs) | 296 |
Fall: 1-13 2-117 3-132 4-132 5-166 6-264 7-285 Bowling: Taylor 15-1-52-2 (3nb, 2w), Edwards 15-2-75-1 (10nb, 1w), Collymore 20-5-44-2 (3nb), Bravo 19-4-76-1 (2w), Sammy 17-7-32-1
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