Bresnan delivers timely strikes to leave West Indies in disarray

For two sessions in the field the tourists manoeuvred themselves back into the game – bowling England out for 428 from a strong overnight position of 259-2.

But England’s 58-run lead looked more than enough when the Windies staggered to stumps on 61-6.

Bresnan, who also scored an important 39 not out, was instrumental, taking three wickets in nine deliveries in the closing minutes, following fine work from new-ball pairing James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

“It wasn’t what we expected with the bat today, but we came back strong with the ball, certainly,” he said.

“We could have capitulated and been bowled out for less than them but me and Stuart put on a bit of a partnership, got a 50-odd run lead and now they’re six down which is pretty popular.

“To get them 61-6 is a phenomenal effort on that wicket. We still have a lot of hard work to do but I’m backing us to knock the last four lads over without them getting too much of a lead.

“But it doesn’t really matter how many they get from here, I’m backing the batsmen to chase anything.”

England had started the day eyeing a run-feast and a total of at least 550. Instead, West Indies defied expectations with two sessions of spirited bowling.

Kevin Pietersen made a thrilling 72 yesterday but added just eight more before Ravi Rampaul nipped one back off the seam to have him lbw.

Strauss, resuming on 102, had yet to face a ball when Pietersen fell, but clipped Shane Shillingford for four to get off the mark for the day.

Ian Bell’s first runs came with a classy cut for four off Rampaul and he then used his feet to deposit Shillingford over mid-on.

He was dropped on 15 but made just seven more before falling to the fifth delivery with the new ball. Kemar Roach was the bowler, going full and fast to Bell and clattering the front pad.

Aleem Dar rejected this appeal but it was overturned on review to make it 300-4.

At 70 behind there was still serious work ahead of Jonny Bairstow, who was struck in the chest first up and almost gloved Roach’s next bouncer just short of gully.

Roach took that as his cue to bomb Bairstow with short deliveries and the Yorkshireman, playing his second Test, failed the examination.

He managed four singles but it was no surprise when Roach dismissed him with another short one, Bairstow caught at mid-on off an ungainly leading edge.

Matt Prior made a breezy 16 before losing his middle stump and at lunch England were six down and still 30 behind.

Bresnan was clattered by a Rampaul bouncer at the start of the afternoon session and had a scare when the seamer had an lbw appeal unsuccessfully reviewed.

But while Bresnan survived, Strauss – after seven hours at the crease – finally lost his discipline.

Darren Sammy hung one outside the off stump and Strauss flashed a catch to Denesh Ramdin, departing for 141 with his side seven short of parity.

A Roach no-ball tied the scores, with eighth-wicket pair Bresnan and Broad embarking on an entertaining stand worth 53 to build the lead.

Broad managed 25 before he mis-timed a sweep to give Shillingford his only wicket.

Bresnan struck five boundaries on his way to 39 not out but was left stranded when Marlon Samuels’s part-time off-breaks did for Graeme Swann and Anderson.

Anderson was quickly back to his day job, sizing up the West Indies’ vulnerable opening pair.

He needed just one ball at Kieran Powell, pitched up and sending the left-hander’s leg stump cartwheeling via the inside edge.

Five for one became 14-2 as Anderson undid Adrian Barath with one that came back in to trap him leg before. With regular No 3 Kirk Edwards absent with flu, Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul each moved up a place in the order.

Chanderpaul had a lucky escape on seven, shaping to leave Anderson but inadvertently sending the ball over the slips for four.

The world’s No 1 batsman did not score again. Broad was the successful bowler this time, digging one in short and drawing the hook, which sailed straight to Jonathan Trott at fine-leg.

Samuels, fresh from his first-innings century, was next in and was duly beaten three times as Broad completed a wonderful wicket maiden.

England brought Swann and Bresnan into the attack and the latter struck in his second over.

He went round the wicket to Bravo (22) and won a clearcut lbw decision that was bafflingly referred by the batsman.

Samuels flicked Bresnan to deep mid-wicket to put the tourists back in the lead but the England all-rounder was not finished.

He had both Ramdin (six) and the latecomer Edwards (nought) lbw in the space of three deliveries to leave the West Indies just three in front with four wickets left.

Ravi Rampaul, who aided the West Indies fightback with a disciplined bowling return of three for 75, could not hide his exasperation at the top-order failures.

“It’s tough watching the top six batsmen get out after the bowlers worked so hard in the first two sessions,” said the seamer.

“It’s frustrating. It isn’t easy to bowl 120-odd overs and then look at your batsmen not applying themselves and losing their wickets. I ask them to focus more, apply themselves a bit more and they will get there.”

One bright spot for the West Indians was the success of a clear ploy to bounce out Jonny Bairstow, who made an uncomfortable four before Kemar Roach got him with a short ball.

“We know he doesn’t like the short deliveries,” said Rampaul.

“It’s in our plan. Roach is our fastest bowler and he executed it well.”

Bresnan, though, does not see a technical weakness in his Yorkshire team-mate and backed him to prove it.

“Whenever I’ve seen him play for Yorkshire he seems to whack it out the park,” said Bresnan.

“I can see his predicament but don’t think he’s too worried about it and I’m certainly not worried for him.”

n Full scorecard: Page 11.