DOUBLE BLOW: What would have hurt Kevin Pietersen more was his being out hit-wicket as his helmet came loose and hit the wicket. — Photo: AFP

MANCHESTER: Ruthless England had West Indies close to tears as the Caribbean bowlers performed badly, the fielders fluffed catches, let the ball through their legs for four and generally looked more like a league side than a Test team.

Alastair Cook might have been out half a dozen times, Michael Vaughan was the only wicket to fall in the first four hours and Kevin Pietersen gave a tough chance to slip before he was out hit wicket when his helmet fell on the stumps.

Those of us who remember the golden days of West Indies triumph found it difficult to sympathise with its plight as Vaughan went along serenely to 40, much as he had in his first innings of 41, until he was unexpectedly caught and bowled by Darren Sammy one-handed in the middle of a spell that promised that his Test career might blossom.

Nothing to praise

There was nothing much else that you could say in praise of West Indies fielding which stumbled from one error to another.

Cook looked confident as he always does but was frequently caught out by the life in the pitch.

He had escaped a big appeal for a catch at the wicket overnight but this morning he also almost edged a ball to Ramdin, was dropped by Corry Collymore at deep square leg.

Pietersen dropped a pull shot just short of Dwayne Bravo at mid-wicket. At lunch England was 136 for two, and soon after Pietersen was dropped by Gayle at slip off Chanderpaul.

It was untidy cricket rather than bad batting but on the West Indies side there was no reason for it to crow.

Jerome Taylor let a four through his legs, return throws were anywhere except in Ramdin's gloves and the capacity Saturday crowd, determined to have fun, jeered and cheered and provided an atmosphere ideal for cricket, even if that was provided by two sides which was trying to grind its opponents into the dust.

With a lead of 300-plus England was having the better of the battle, especially as the West Indies out cricket appeared to be in danger of disintegrating. Gayle was unable to bowl because of a rib injury until the 51st over and 48 overs had gone before Bravo, whose ankle was heavily strapped, was thrown the ball. Chanderpaul's defensive spell cost only three runs an over but it was not Test bowling.

Imperious Pietersen

Pietersen drove imperiously through the offside on his way to a tenth Test 50 off 79 balls, and Cook was content to steal singles as he closed in on a century. The pair was under no pressure against an under-powered attack, poor fielding with more than two days to force a win in Test and series.

It was that rarity - a day at the Test when a batsman could relax completely in the balmy atmosphere that passes for summer in Manchester.

Pietersen was almost too relaxed as he chipped the ball over Runako Morton's head at wide mid on at 51. It was among the sloppiest displays of fielding I have seen in nearly 286 Tests and 25 years of uncounted one day internationals and you can imagine the anger of Viv Richards who called it "sloppy", "shoddy" and "shabby" in a single sentence.

Ten minutes before tea Pietersen was out when his - loosely fastened - helmet was struck by a short ball from Bravo and fell on to his wicket. He had seemed likely to reach his century before Cook who was bogged down after four hours at the crease for 87 by the time tea came with England 228 for three, 369 ahead.

By this time England was out of sight of the West Indies.

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