England Seal Series With Nine-Wicket Victory

England Seal Series With Nine-Wicket Victory

Andrew Strauss led his side to a seventh straight series win at home, falling for 45 in the second innings against the West Indies at Trent Bridge

©REUTERS / Action Images

England 428 (Strauss 141) & 111-1 beat
West Indies 370 & 165 by nine wickets
Second Test, Trent Bridge
Scorecard | Day One | Day Two | Day Three

England moved into an unassailable 2-0 series lead over the West Indies by confidently wrapping up a nine-wicket win on day four of the second Test at Trent Bridge.

Marlon Samuels was the tourists' lone beacon of resistance and after they were bowled out for 165 in their second innings, England were largely untroubled as they closed on111 for one.

Samuels added to his first innings century by scoring 76 not out, hammering Graeme Swann for two big sixes; having run out of reliable partners, he hit out to take the West Indian lead past 100.

He forged useful partnerships with Darren Sammy (25) and Kemar Roach (14) before England broke through, Bresnan trapping Sammy in front and Anderson dismissing Roach in the same way as he moved across his stumps.

Shillingford held up an end, registering a 22-ball duck before he drove at Swann and edged to Anderson at slip before Ravi Rampaul (0) limply steered Anderson to Bresnan behind the wicket.

Bresnan, who was the chief architect in reducing West Indies to 61 for six at stumps on day three, finished with figures of four for 37 while Anderson returned four for 43.

Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss then scored their 5000th run in Tests together in the course of an assured 89-run partnership that ended the West Indies' chancecs.

Strauss fell when he was caught by Darren Bravo off Samuels for 45 in 72 balls but Cook, unbeaten on 43, and Jonathan Trott, not out on 13, guided their side to victory with more than four sessions to spare.

It was England's seventh straight victory at home and the result means they maintain their hold on the number one Test ranking.

They won the opening match at Lord's by five wickets and the third and final match begins at Edgbaston on 7th June.

© Cricket World 2012