England build lead after Blackwood heroics

James Tredwell and Jermaine Blackwood emerged unlikely heroes for England and West Indies respectively, but it was England who ended the happier team at the end of day three after bowling out the hosts for 295, and had reached 116 for 3 in the second innings when stumps were drawn with two set batsmen at the crease. Gary Ballance and Joe Root had added 64 unbeaten runs for the fourth wicket to give England an overall lead of 220 after they lost three early wickets for the second time in the Test.

Jerome Taylor had given West Indies two early breakthroughs by removing openers Jonathan Trott (4) and England captain Alastair Cook (13), with Trott ending his much publicized Test return poorly after a nought in the first innings. Like on day one, Taylor pitched the ball up and had Trott edging behind to the wicketkeeper, while Cook guided the ball straight to gully, before first-innings centurion Ian Bell was sent back midway by Ballance and fell short of his crease for 11 as England were reduced to 52 for 3.

Ballance, who was looking good for a half-century was 44* and Joe Root had struck two fours and a six in his 45-ball 32* when stumps were drawn. But the day had belonged to West Indies middle order batsman Blackwood, who was the only batsman from the team to pass fifty and made it count by converting it into three figures to remain unbeaten on 112, despite losing partners rapidly after reaching the landmark.

For England, Tredwell - playing in his second Test in five years - took 4 for 47 to star with the ball asWest Indies were bowled out for 295, securing a 104-run lead for his team. The West Indies had gone into lunch on 231 for 6, but could only add 64 runs to their total before being bowled out at the stroke of tea, with the lone positive being Blackwood's fine innings.

Tredwell and Stuart Broad had struck vital blows in the morning session as England kept chipping away at the West Indies batting order. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Blackwood's 107-run stand for the fifth wicket had kept the England bowlers at bay since Tuesday's last session, but Chanderpaul's dismissal for 46, followed by West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin shortly after the new ball was taken brought the visitors back.

Much like the final session on day two, Chanderpaul and Blackwood began by getting solidly behind the ball, and while Chanderpaul was watchful, his younger partner rode the bounce generated by the bowlers by punching them through the off side. The quartet of England's fast bowlers were getting the ball to reverse, and the batsmen were patient to wear them down, but it was Tredwell's loopy offspin that accounted for Chanderpaul, who failed to keep his drive down and hit straight to Ben Stokes, one of the two fielders positioned at cover.

Blackwood continued to frustrate the England bowlers but the new ball did the trick for Broad, as Ramdin failed to move out of the line of Broad's leg side attack from around the wicket for 9. Holder pulled the first ball he faced for a boundary, but poked at the next one to Ballance, who failed to hold on to it as the teams broke for lunch.

Blackwood, unbeaten on 69 and mixing caution with some adventure - he had launched the second ball he faced for a six - looked immovable despite being worked over by Broad. He wore a blow on his elbow off the bowler but carried on regardless. Jason Holder was fortunate to survive a second-ball dismissal when Ballance dropped him at short leg off Broad.

Holder had helped Blackwood raise 49 runs for the seventh wicket but remained cautious against Tredwell before hitting a drive in the air for Ballance to pouch it when on 16. Kemar Roach hung around for 33 deliveries for his 5, giving his partner enough time to reach three figures, that included 14 runs from a Ben Stokes over.

West Indies were still six down until then but Tredwell struck twice in quick succession to get rid of Holder and Roach. Taylor was run out after being sent back and Sulieman Benn became James Anderson's second wicket in the innings, now just one behind Ian Botham in the all-time leading wicket-takers list for his team.

Anderson would return to have another crack at the England record while Trott will mull over his future for the remainder of the series, but in Tredwell they found their surprise. His bowling - however understated - was the catalyst on which England secured a sizeable lead, but in Blackwood West Indies found their saviour playing in just his sixth Test match.