Panesar the star turn

11 June 2007

Monty Panesar removes Denesh Ramdin, one of his 10 wickets in the match © Getty Images

England banished any remaining doubts about the outcome of the third npower Test against West Indies by wrapping up a 60-run victory shortly after lunch on the last day.

While England were never less than favourites at Old Trafford from the moment West Indies resumed in the morning on 301 for five in pursuit of a record 455, it is not unreasonable to suggest there were a few nerves in the home dressing room when the visitors moved to within 70 runs of a remarkable triumph with three wickets in hand.

But Steve Harmison grabbed two wickets in four balls after lunch before Monty Panesar followed up his two scalps in the morning session by removing Corey Collymore to seal a hard-fought win - and the series.

Panesar finished with second-innings figures of 6-137 from 51.5 overs - and 10-187 in the match - while Harmison, gradually approaching something like his best form, bowled with devastating hostility after the interval to finish with 4-95.

The match was also notable in that it saw Michael Vaughan become England's most successful Test captain, surpassing Peter May's record of 20 victories, while Harmison passed 200 Test wickets and Panesar 50.

Though West Indies fell short in their pursuit of the highest fourth-innings total to win a Test, that they managed 394 on a wearing pitch spoke volumes for their resolve.

That was epitomised by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made a magnificent unbeaten 116 to go with his first-innings half-century, but was helpless to prevent the five remaining wickets falling on the final day.

England, who now lead the series 2-0 with just one Test remaining at the Riverside, could have been forgiven for expecting to wrap up victory much quicker after Panesar removed Denesh Ramdin in the third over.

The wicket-keeper cut the first ball of the day for four and slashed Harmison over the slips before succumbing to Panesar, caught by Paul Collingwood at slip playing back to one that turned and bounced sharply to take the shoulder of his bat.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul celebrates his magnificent hundred © Getty Images

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Chanderpaul continued to demonstrate the adhesive qualities for which he is renowned, though, and Darren Sammy combined watchful defence with occasional strokes of aggression during a seventh-wicket stand worth 37.

Sammy rode his luck - he saw Andrew Strauss spill a difficult chance low to his left at gully as he pushed forward at Panesar on 13, and drove the same bowler just short of mid-off - in making 25, but his ambition eventually got the better of him.

It took smart reflexes from Panesar, who held a firmly-hit drive to his right at chest height, to give England the boost they needed and leave West Indies 348 for seven.

Jerome Taylor was also given a reprieve, put down on one by the normally reliable Collingwood, moving to his left at first slip in search of an outside edge, and hung around long enough to see Chanderpaul reach three figures, off 233 balls with 12 fours.

The contest was effectively settled in the second over after lunch, Harmison extracting steepling bounce from just short of a length to account for Taylor and Fidel Edwards in quick succession.

The pace bowler found the handle of Taylor’s bat to gift Alastair Cook a simple catch at short leg and, three balls later, had Edwards fending another brute of a delivery to Ian Bell at gully.

Panesar supplied the coup de grace to his own sensational display as well as England’s performance when Collymore was superbly taken one-handed by Bell at short leg via bat and pad as he aimed to leg.