England eye innings victory

Kevin Pietersen celebrates reaching his first Test double hundred © Getty Images

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Kevin Pietersen’s maiden Test double hundred pushed his own career closer to greatness and England towards victory over West Indies at Headingley Carnegie.

Pietersen struck a scintillating 226 to take his tally to 2448 in his first 25 Tests, a return only bettered throughout history by Australian Sir Donald Bradman.

It was the major contribution to England’s 570 for seven declared, a total which promoted the chance of an innings win against a West Indies batting line-up without Ramnaresh Sarwan, injured late on the first evening, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a pull-out on the eve of the match.

With wet weather forecast for the coming days, batting once appears the best chance of Michael Vaughan’s men going 1-0 up in the npower series.

By the close England’s pace attack had completed more than half the task in gloomy conditions by dismissing their opponents for a paltry 146.

They were 22 for two in the second innings thanks to Ryan Sidebottom’s sixth success of the day.

He celebrated his return to the Test scene after a six-year absence with four for 42 first time around while Liam Plunkett claimed three and Steve Harmison two in a much-improved showing.

Ryan Sidebottom strikes for his first wicket, that of Chris Gayle

England dominated from the first over of the day, during which Pietersen casually flicked a boundary off Corey Collymore to set the tone.

Sheer power was the feature of the finale of Pietersen’s seven-hour masterclass as two sixes sailed into the stands at long-off and deep square-leg respectively.

Pietersen doubled his eighth Test hundred, getting to the landmark with a push for two just behind square on the leg-side off Chris Gayle, from the 250th ball he faced.

He succumbed when, with the declaration imminent, a towering hit was well held by Jerome Taylor at deep extra-cover.

England pulled the plug immediately as Pietersen acknowledged the applause of the crowd and congratulatory handshakes from the West Indies fielders.

Pietersen and Matt Prior both hit hundreds in the opening match of the npower series and they picked up where they left off at Lord’s.

He and Prior took their stand to 160 this morning, operating at better than a run-a-minute as the West Indies attack suffered - racking up three unwanted hundreds of their own, from the seam bowling of Daren Powell, Corey Collymore and Jerome Taylor.

Matt Prior and Kevin Pietersen added 160 runs for the fifth England wicket © Getty Images

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And when Prior fell, Liam Plunkett came in and blazed an unbeaten 44 as West Indies wilted.

The tourists, led by Daren Ganga in Sarwan’s absence, had no answer as Pietersen expertly blasted the ball to all parts - finding the angles to play almost exclusively into and through gaps, most often on the leg-side.

Wicket-keeper Prior, more orthodox but equally adventurous, did his bit to ensure England were in the field midway through the middle session.

He fell 25 runs shy of a second century in as many outings when a beauty from Powell left him to hit the top of off-stump.

There was no hint of the clatter of wickets which was to follow when Pietersen, who had three times previously hit 158 in his short Test career, combined with Plunkett (44 not out) in a stand of 81 in a dozen overs.

But Nottinghamshire left-armer Sidebottom, back in favour after a six-year absence, struck twice early on with the new ball.

Two leg-before decisions inside the opening seven overs provided a perfect start in defence of England’s highest score on home soil since September 2003.

Sidebottom, 29, claimed the prize scalp of Chris Gayle as his first Test victim - he failed to take a wicket on his debut against Pakistan in 2001 - when he was rewarded for keeping a full length, despite being hit for two fours earlier in the over, as the ball defeated an attacking stroke.

Liam Plunkett is congratulated by Michael Vaughan on taking the wicket of Devon Smith

South African umpire Rudi Koertzen then upheld a second lbw appeal when Ganga failed to play a shot at one which straightened but nevertheless appeared marginal on grounds of height.

Picked for his ability to swing the new ball, Sidebottom did not disappoint former Yorkshire colleague Michael Vaughan.

The aerial movement gave England added attacking penetration and, having begun the rout before tea, Sidebottom, relinquishing membership of the one-Test wonder club of which his father Arnie was signed up, returned to mop up the innings.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo’s misjudgment resulted in being bowled around his legs while Collymore sliced to first slip to culminate things.

In between West Indies middle-order displayed an inability to cope with the overcast conditions as full-length deliveries found their way to wicket-keeper and slip cordon.

Although Prior fluffed a straightforward chance offered by Gayle at the head of the follow-on, Sidebottom was undeterred and claimed another couple of leg-before dismissals.

Ganga fell for his second single-figure score of the afternoon while nightwatchman Powell’s delaying tactics climaxed by being given out playing no shot to one which angled back in.

Avoiding defeat now appears improbable for the Windies, who are not expecting Sarwan to bat unless they have realistic chances of escaping.

The extent of the damage incurred to his right shoulder after colliding with the advertising boards on Friday evening is yet to be determined and a further assessment will be made on Sunday after the scan results have been examined.