Sat May 19, 2012 8:46pm IST

(Updates at tea)
By Ed OsmondLONDON May 19 (Reuters) – The West Indies fightback in the
first test against England at Lord’s was cut short when they
lost three wickets in nine balls to slip to 36 for three at tea
on the third day on Saturday.After bowling England out for 398 in their first innings,
West Indies battled through to 36 for no wicket before the
dismissal of opener Adrian Barath in Tim Bresnan’s first over
prompted a mini-collapse.Kieran Powell foolishly pulled a short ball from Stuart
Broad straight to Ian Bell at deep square leg and Kirk Edwards
was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Jonny Bairstow
attempting a non-existent single.England, who lead by 119 runs, resumed on 259 for three and
captain Andrew Strauss added just a single to his overnight 121
before nicking pace bowler Kemar Roach through to wicketkeeper
Denesh Ramdin.Bairstow struck three fluent fours on his test debut but his
bright innings ended on 16 when Roach jagged a ball sharply back
to trap him lbw.Matt Prior also looked confident in his knock of 19 but he
became Shannon Gabriel’s first test victim, playing an airy shot
at the young fast bowler to be bowled through the gate.Bresnan edged Darren Sammy to Ramdin for a duck and England
had collapsed to 323 for seven in overcast conditions at the
home of cricket.Bell batted through the morning to reach lunch on 38 not out
and he lost Broad soon after the interval, bowled by a superb
delivery from Fidel Edwards that hit the top of his off stump.Graeme Swann played a forceful innings, striking six clean
fours in his 30 from just 25 balls.Bell reached a patient fifty before Gabriel bowled Swann.
Bell was last man out for 61, well caught at deep square leg by
the diving Powell off Gabriel who finished with figures of three
for 60 on his debut.Barath and Powell withstood a fierce examination from James
Anderson and Broad, surviving 12 overs of high quality fast
bowling surrounded by a ring of close fielders.But with tea looming, Barath edged a catch to Prior off
Bresnan, and Powell and Edwards soon joined him back in the
pavilion after their double rush of blood.

(Reporting by Ed Osmond, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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