ST JOHN’S (Antigua), Feb 17: England off-spinner Graeme Swann removed opener Devon Smith and nightwatchman Daren Powell as West Indies reached lunch on 132 for three on the third day of the third Test.

West Indies resumed at their overnight score of 55 for one and left-hander Smith was first to go, bowled for 38 after playing an awful shot across the line.

Ramnaresh Sarwan was lucky to escape a run-out when he was short of his ground as Stuart Broad threw just wide of the stumps.

Swann, in the side ahead of Monty Panesar, then put an end to Powell’s longest Test innings as Paul Collingwood took a smart catch at slip. He made 22.

At the interval, Sarwan was 13 not out and Ryan Hinds unbeaten on two.

England, who made 566 for nine declared in their first innings, lead by 434 runs.

On Monday a century from Paul Collingwood led England to an imposing total on the second day as the tourists made their first Test mauling a distant memory.

Just nine days after being bowled out for 51 at Sabina Park and suffering an innings defeat, England amassed over 10 times that total with five batsmen scoring half centuries or more.

Collingwood was the constant presence throughout a sun-blessed day at the Antigua Recreation Ground, as his 113, his eighth Test century, provided a perfect complement to skipper Andrew Strauss’s 169 on Sunday.

A great day for England ended with the added bonus of the wicket of West Indies captain and batting threat Chris Gayle, who drove Steve Harmison to James Anderson at mid-off to depart on 30.

Arriving at the crease after West Indies removed the nightwatchman Anderson Collingwood took the upper hand in a positive partnership with Kevin Pietersen through to lunch.

It is not often that Pietersen is overshadowed by his partner but Collingwood’s aggression was impressive, as was the way he was able to adjust his role, first to provide stability and then later to take the main run-making responsibility again.

Edwards had been threatening with the new ball but West Indies did not look like making any headway until after lunch when Jerome Taylor picked up two quick wickets.

With the first ball of his spell he bowled Pietersen for 51 with a delivery that kept low and then Andrew Flintoff went two balls later, Taylor removing his middle and off stump.

Those breakthroughs gave the hosts heart but any questions over England’s character that still remained after the debacle at Sabina Park were answered as Collingwood and Matt Prior put on a nicely paced 62-run partnership.

With England looking to pick up the run-rate, Prior skied a simple catch to Shivnarine Chanderpaul handing West Indies’ Australian-born medium-pacer Brendan Nash his first Test wicket.

Broad then played some well-timed shots in a lively 44, a partnership which allowed Collingwood to complete his century and take the applause of an overwhelmingly English crowd.

After Broad went, caught behind off Ryan Hinds, Swann contributed 20 and when Collingwood finally departed, caught at deep midwicket by Edwards off Hinds, Strauss declared.

That gave England an hour to bowl at West Indies and they gained the precious wicket of Gayle. The Jamaican had survived an impressive opening spell from Flintoff and Anderson before crashing Steve Harmison for a six and four in the same over only then to drive the England seamer straight into the arms of Anderson at mid-off.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings):

A.J. Strauss c and b Edwards 169

A.N. Cook c Smith b Gayle 52

O.A. Shah run out 57

K.P. Pietersen b Taylor 51

J.M. Anderson c Ramdin b Edwards 4

P.D. Collingwood c Smith b Hinds 113

A. Flintoff b Taylor 0

M.J. Prior c Chanderpaul b Nash 39

S.C.J. Broad c Ramdin b Hinds 44

G.P. Swann not out 20

EXTRAS (B-10, LB-1, W-1, NB-5) 17

TOTAL (for nine decl, 165.2 overs) 566

FALL OF WKTS: 1-123, 2-276, 3-295, 4-311, 5-405, 6-405, 7-467, 8-529, 9-566.

DID NOT BAT: S.J. Harmison.

BOWLING: Taylor 28-7-73-2 (1nb); Edwards 26-2-75-2 (3nb, 1w); Powell 26-3-103-0; Gayle 13-1-41-1; Benn 39-5-143-0 (1nb); Hinds 22.2-4-86-2; Nash 11-2-34-1.

WEST INDIES (1st Innings, overnight 55-1):

C.H. Gayle c Anderson b Harmison 30

D.S. Smith b Swann 38

D.B.L. Powell c Collingwood b Swann 22

R.R. Sarwan not out 13

R.O. Hinds not out 2

EXTRAS (B-16, LB-1, W-1, NB-9) 27

TOTAL (for three wkts, 42 overs) 132

FALL OF WKTS: 1-45, 2-109, 3-130.

TO BAT: S. Chanderpaul, B.P. Nash, D. Ramdin, J.E. Taylor, S.J. Benn, F.H. Edwards.

BOWLING (to-date): Anderson 9-0-26-0 (2nb, 1w); Flintoff 9-1-35-0 (3nb); Harmison 7-1-32-1 (4nb); Broad 6-2-5-0; Swann 11-5-17-2.—Reuters