England's Liam Plunkett is clean bowled by Fidel Edwards at Old Trafford yesterday. - Dellmar

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters):

WEST INDIES stand-in captain Daren Ganga applauded the way his improved team made England fight for their runs at Old Trafford yesterday following their Leeds nightmare in the last game.

England, 1-0 up in the four-match series, closed the first day of the third Test on 296 for seven and it could have been worse. Ian Bell's unbeaten 77 rescued the home team after they were struggling on 166 for five.

It was a marked improvement for the tourists after they crashed to their heaviest Test match defeat of all time in the second match at Headingley by an innings and 283 runs.

A good day

"It was a very good day for us," Ganga said. "We showed our competitiveness right through the first day. It was a total team effort from everyone today."

Ganga's bowling changes paid off, especially the use of accurate seamers Corey Collymore and Darren Sammy after lunch.

The West Indies removed four England wickets and conceded just 55 runs in the afternoon session, until Bell added98 with wicketkeeper Matt Prior to halt the tourists' charge.

"It was very critical for us to remove that partnership of Bell and Prior," Ganga said. "We looked a little jaded and the ball was getting older, which went in England's favour."

Tribute

England opener Alastair Cook, who stroked 60, paid tribute to the gutsy innings of Warwickshire player Bell, who scored three consecutive hundreds last year against Pakistan.

"They both played very well for that partnership," Cook said. "Belly seems to like batting at number six. Hopefully he can bat well tomorrow and take us to 300 plus."