Roses run riot

Day 5 at the Riverside

Preview

Of course it is possible - if highly unlikely - that West Indies will hold out for a draw. England need an early breakthrough so that their fast bowlers can sort out the tail. But in the last few months India and South Africa have made huge fourth innings scores to win and perhaps, in between the showers, West Indies might put up an unprecedented fight.

To lunch

West Indies were in plenty of trouble before a brief shower freshened the pitch so that a Northern Alliance of Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan and Lancashire's James Anderson snatched five wickets. Despite Shivnarine Chanderpaul's defiance, England needed only two more wickets after lunch. Bresnan and Anderson - can they be the 21st century Fred Trueman and Brian Statham? Anderson had already proved himself and now we can glimpse the quality of Bresnan. He is a thinking cricketer; a proper Yorkshire bowler in other words.

To the end

Sixteen minutes after lunch Anderson was pushing Bresnan towards the pavilion gate to take the applause and half an hour afterwards Anderson was named man of the match. That gesture to Bresnan was generous from the nine-wicket man who now leads the attack and makes the likely absence of Andrew Flintoff for at least another month less important. England had won by an innings and 83 runs, taken the series 2-0 and risen to fifth in the world rankings. There are only 51 days to the Ashes - but so far so good.