Confident England wrap up series win
England win series 2-0 after beating West Indies by innings and 83 runs
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Monday, 18, May 2009 10:09
England have regained the Wisden Trophy after beating the West Indies by an innings and 83 runs to seal a 2-0 victory in the Test series.
The visitors were dismissed for 176 while following on as a clinical England completed a series whitewash at Durham's Riverside ground.
Chris Gayle's touring side had begun the final day on 115-3, 144 behind England's first innings total.
And wickets from Tim Bresnan and a superb James Anderson - who took nine wickets in the match - skittled out the remaining batsmen.
The signs were not good for a full day's play early on as the match was stopped twice for rain with the covers coming on and off the pitch at rapid intervals.
However, once the rain cleared and the home side were able to get up a head of steam in the field, the brittle West Indies batting lineup imploded.
Two almost identical dismissals started the rot, with Lendl Simmons (ten) and Brendan Nash (one) being caught at point by substitute fielder Scott Borthwick off Anderson and Bresnan, respectively.
Bresnan followed up his first Test wicket with a second soon after when Denesh Ramdin (zero) edged to third slip off only his second ball.
Anderson then got back in amongst the wickets to uproot the off-stump of Jerome Taylor (five) before Sulieman Benn (zero) also found his stumps skittled by the in-form swing bowler, who was finding good movement off the damp pitch.
The sanctuary of the lunch break loomed but the West Indies were up against it at 167-8, with only Shivnarine Chanderpaul looking capable of offering any resistance.
But when he lasted only a short time after the interval - edging another peach of a delivery from Anderson when on 47, taken by the injured Matt Prior's sub-wicketkeeper Paul Collingwood - the writing was on the wall.
And it was not long before Fidel Edwards (four) skied a high catch to the other substitute, Karl Turner, at fine leg who made no mistake and wrapped up a second straight dominant performance from the hosts.