England’s gains yesterday were not ill-gotten. Ten wickets fell in the day, which is a fruitful harvest in Test cricket, but, unlike at Lord’s, they had to work hard at times for their rewards. At least by extending their own first innings past the 300 mark, West Indies clawed back a measure of self-respect, even though it was not enough to prevent Andrew Strauss from enforcing the follow-on in consecutive Tests.

Weather permitting, England will wrap up this match and the series on the final day, because, second time around, West Indies looked like a batting line-up intent on enjoying a good time at the crease, rather than a long time. Chris Gayle led the charge, as he so often does, with an innings of savage beauty, smiting James Anderson over long-on second ball for six, before adding one more and six fours in a dramatic 39-ball half-century.

Animated at last, not least when he went to his half-century and raised a fierce salute to the dressing room, the West Indies captain looked intent on making England pay for the criticism he has received in this series. It was his England counterpart who was to have the last laugh in this contest, though, pouching a catch at first slip as Gayle fenced at a ball from Graham Onions that slanted across him and opened him up. Gayle’s innings lit up the overcast afternoon, and entertained a pitiful crowd, but it was a bright and breezy affair, in keeping with his preferences, rather than the innings of substance that his team needed.

Two other wickets fell in the evening session, as England sensed victory. Devon Smith has become something of a bunny for Graeme Swann, unsure whether to attack or defend, play forward or back. It is a cruel thing to watch a batsman’s mind tortured by the thought of facing a certain bowler, so in that sense Smith’s departure, back on his stumps and palpably leg-before to a straight delivery, was a relief. He can go and tend to his garden in Grenada for a while now and get Swann out of his mind.

Ramnaresh Sarwan’s dismissal in the second innings was instructive of England’s day because it came through a combination of good planning between captain and bowler and effective implementation. The field was set to encourage Sarwan into thinking that the kind of bombardment that curtailed his first innings was coming, but Onions instead bowled full, fast and straight. The batsman’s shuffle across his stumps was that of a man who expected a bouncer and he, too, was plumb in front.

That wickets were harder to come by than at Lord’s would have pleased Strauss. It is best that Test match victories do not come too easily, lest a false impression is created, and at least England were forced to think their way to some wickets. It also gave Strauss a longer look at Tim Bresnan (he’s probably seen enough now) and a chance he did not enjoy at Lord’s of putting some cunning plans into place. This is the seventh consecutive Test match between these two teams, ample chance for bowlers to expose flaws in batsmen’s technique and Strauss enjoyed the opportunity of setting the fields accordingly.

What would have pleased him, too, is the continued good form of his new-ball attack. Ever since the Hamilton Test match two winters ago, after which Matthew Hoggard was consigned to history and Stephen Harmison to the bench, it has been clear that Stuart Broad and James Anderson would have to shoulder more responsibility. They are certain to lead England’s attack in the Ashes and it was gratifying yesterday to see them looking so menacing whenever they had ball in hand.

Young, fit and always offering the impression of being keen to bowl, they shared eight first-innings wickets between them, five for Anderson — his sixth five-wicket haul in Tests — and three for Broad. The Lancastrian added two more wickets to his overnight three, Brendan Nash dragging on but really the victim of more good planning between captain and bowler, and Denesh Ramdin, edging to slip.

Broad produced a clever off cutter to dismiss Shivnarine Chanderpaul and then a short-ball ploy to hound Sarwan, who, having taken batting on to a different plane earlier in the day, suddenly became unsure whether to hook, duck or stand and play at a number of wide-of-the-crease, well- directed, fast bouncers. It was a hook that brought up his fifteenth Test hundred and his fourth in what is becoming a golden 2009 for him, but, without adding to his score, he then fenced at another short ball and gloved to gully.

Only two things detracted from England’s day: the lack of impact shown by the fourth seamer, Bresnan, and an injury to Matt Prior’s ring finger on his right hand, which forced him to go for an X-ray and leave the wicketkeeping duties to Paul Collingwood for West Indies’ second innings. Observers with a cruel disposition commented on the quality of Collingwood’s glovework. The X-ray showed no damage and Prior will resume his duties today.

Prior was injured gathering a grubber from Bresnan, who will not thank the wicketkeeper for letting an edge off Sulieman Benn fly between himself and first slip. It would have been Bresnan’s first Test wicket and the suspicion remains that he may have one last day to get off the mark. Some cricketers do not have the look of international sportsmen and Bresnan, somehow, is one. On this limited evidence he looks a very handy cricketer, but not an England cricketer.

England: First Innings
*A J Strauss c Ramdin b Gayle 26
A N Cook c Gayle b Benn 160
R S Bopara b Baker 108
J M Anderson b Edwards 14
K P Pietersen c Simmons b Benn 49
P D Collingwood not out 60
†M J Prior c Benn b Simmons 63
S C J Broad not out 28
Extras (b 20, lb 5, w 8, nb 28) 61
Total (6 wkts dec, 147 overs) 569

T T Bresnan, G P Swann and G Onions did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-282, 3-326, 4-410, 5-419, 6-513.

Bowling: Taylor 20-2-68-0; Edwards 25-1-113-1; Baker 30-3-119-1; Gayle 14-2-31-1; Benn 43-8-146-2; Simmons 14-0-60-1; Sarwan 1-0-7-0.

West Indies: First Innings
D S Smith b Anderson 7
*C H Gayle lbw b Anderson 19
R R Sarwan c Bresnan b Broad 100
L M P Simmons c Strauss b Anderson 8
S Chanderpaul c Prior b Broad 23
B P Nash b Anderson 10
†D Ramdin c Swann b Anderson 55
J E Taylor lbw b Onions 10
S J Benn run out 35
F H Edwards c Strauss b Broad 11
L S Baker not out 0
Extras (b 2, lb 21, w 2, nb 7) 32
Total (84.3 overs) 310

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-38, 3-68, 4-167, 5-188, 6-205, 7-216, 8-286, 9-310.

Bowling: Anderson 26.3-5-87-5; Broad 16-2-62-3; Onions 18-6-52-1; Bresnan 10-2-35-0; Swann 14-4-51-0.

Second Innings
D S Smith lbw b Swann 11
*C H Gayle c Strauss b Onions 54
R R Sarwan lbw b Onions 22
L M P Simmons not out 3
S Chanderpaul not out 18
Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 2) 7
Total (3 wkts, 22 overs) 115

Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-88, 3-89.

Bowling: Anderson 5-2-20-0; Broad 5-1-21-0; Swann 3-0-13-1; Onions 6-0-46-2; Bresnan 3-0-10-0.

Umpires: S J Davis and E A R de Silva.

Third umpire: P J Hartley.

Match referee: A J Pycroft (Zimbabwe).

Series detail: First Test (Lord's): England won by ten wickets.