England inflicted the West Indies’ worst Test defeat of all time, breaking a 50-year-old record, as they won the second Test by an innings and 283 runs to go 1-0 up in the four-match series with more than a day to spare at Headingley on Monday.
West Indies, 137-6 at tea on the fourth day, lasted just 25 balls after the resumption, losing their last three wickets on 141 after being made to follow on.
This loss surpassed their innings and 237-run reverse against England at The Oval in 1957.
Stephen Harmison wrapped up the innings when he bowled Jerome Taylor for nought after Dwayne Bravo, who top-scored with 52, had holed out against left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.
West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan was still unable to bat after sustaining a shoulder injury fielding on Friday and that meant the match was over with the tourists’ nine wickets down.
Left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom was the star of England’s attack with match figures of 8-86 from 27 overs.
The 29-year-old was only playing his second Test, six years after his debut, because Matthew Hoggard was injured.
England’s victory had been set up by man-of-the-match Kevin Pietersen’s Test best 226 and captain Michael Vaughan’s 103, in his first Test after 18 months out injured, in a huge total of 570-7 declared.
The third Test starts at Old Trafford on June 7.
England were held up by a sixth-wicket stand of 63 between Runako Morton (25) and Dwayne Bravo.
But that ended shortly before tea when Morton top-edged a hook off a short, straight ball from Harmison and was caught by wicket-keeper Matthew Prior.
Bravo, undaunted, hooked England’s quickest bowler for four to bring up a 61-ball fifty with a six and six boundaries.
However, Harmison found some form late on to finish the innings with 3-37 although Sidebottom led the way with 4-44.
Vaughan, with West Indies on 104-5, switched on Monday to Panesar.
But his first ball was confidently on-driven for four by Bravo, one of the few West Indies’ batsman to use his feet against Panesar in the drawn first Test at Lord’s, where the spinner took a career-best 6-129.
Bravo followed that up with a six over long-off.
West Indies, 31-3 at lunch, slumped to 47-4 when Sidebottom, who began his career at Headingley with Yorkshire before moving to Nottinghamshire three years ago, had Sylvester Joseph lbw for one.
Sidebottom saw Devon Smith become the latest flat-footed West Indies batsman to lose his wicket against him when he edged to first slip where Andrew Strauss held on at the second attempt.
West Indies suffered a major blow even before the match started when senior batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul withdrew because of a knee injury.
Rain meant only four overs were possible before lunch on Monday. But that was enough time for paceman Plunkett to dismiss a squared-up Chris Gayle, edging to Prior for 13, after West Indies resumed on 22-2.
England took the field without batsman Ian Bell, who was continuing to receive treatment to his lower back following a spasm he suffered on Saturday.
Before play began on Monday, players and officials observed a minute’s silence in memory of International Cricket Council president Percy Sonn, who died on Sunday, and wore black armbands as a mark of respect. — AFP
