Analysis: Second Test, days three and four: England v West Indies

On paper, this game went to the evening session of the fourth day. Fundamentally, we all know it took England only two and a bit days to roll the Windies over, and sadly that says more about the tourists than the hosts.

Stand-in captain Daren Ganga will doubtless point to the lack of new skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan, who looks likely to miss a significant chunk of the rest of the tour with a nasty shoulder injury. The Windies are adjusting to life after Lara, admittedly, but the various displays of sheer ineptitude as this Test dragged to its sorry conclusion indicate a wider and deeper malaise in West Indian cricket.

Rain prevented any play at the Headingley Carnegie on day three, and washed out sizeable chunks in day four. When some cricket was possible, the England attack, suddenly realising that wickets were there for the taking, picked up scalps. Ryan Sidebottom grabbed four in both innings, finishing with figures of 8-86; Steve Harmison, though still nowhere near his best, got five in the match, three of which were in the second innings to finally destroy the tail; Liam Plunkett, if a tad wayward at times, got four wickets; and even Monty Panesar, on a pitch not conducive to spin, removed Dwayne Bravo just after his half-century.

Michael Vaughan is doubtless and justifiably delighted with his team. Ramnaresh Sarwan won't be a happy man, but the question must be asked - can this Windies squad actually play any better? [Carrie Dunn] [Image: Getty]