England beat West Indies by nine wickets to win the second Test with more than a day to spare at Trent Bridge here on Monday and take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in this three-match series. Set 108 for victory on the fourth day, England finished on 111 for one. England captain Andrew Strauss, who made 141 in the first innings to follow his hundred in the five-wicket first Test win at Lord’s, was out for 45 when he chipped part-time spinner Marlon Samuels to short extra-cover with his side just 19 runs short of victory.
But fellow left-hander Alastair Cook (43 not out) and Jonathan Trott (17 not out) completed the win. Earlier, Samuels made a dashing 76 not out, top-scoring for the tourists for the second time in the match after his first innings 117.
However, he merely delayed the inevitable and this loss extended West Indies’ winless run in England to 16 Tests, with 14 defeats and two draws. West Indies were all out for 165 in their second innings shortly after lunch. Tim Bresnan took four wickets for 37 runs in 17 overs for a Test-best match haul of eight for 141, while James Anderson was close behind his fellow paceman with a second innings return of four for 43 in 20.1 overs.
This victory meant Bresnan had been on the winning side in all his 13 Tests. Considering West Indies resumed on their overnight 61 for six, their second innings total represented a considerable recovery.
Samuels started the day on 13 not out with West Indies captain Darren Sammy, who made a maiden Test hundred in his side’s first innings 370, nought not out. They started positively, with Samuels clipping Bresnan for a legside boundary while Sammy drove him through extra-cover for four. But Bresnan had Sammy lbw — his fourth leg before wicket of the innings — for 25. Sammy reviewed the decision and replays showed the ball, which hit him on the back leg, would have just clipped the top of the stumps. As Aleem Dar had already given Sammy out, the Pakistani umpire’s call was upheld and West Indies were now 110 for seven after their two best batsmen of the match had only added 49 this time around. Kemar Roach struck several fours before he was lbw to Anderson for 14, although England had to review umpire Asad Rauf’s original not out decision.
Samuels, on 58, survived a sharp chance to Cook at short leg off the bowling of off-spinner Graeme Swann, who did dismiss Shane Shillingford for nought. But Swann then conceded 16 in an over to Samuels, who drove him for a four and a six in successive deliveries before, two balls later, lofting him for a huge straight six.
