Craig White and Curtly Ambrose stole the spotlight with contrasting bowling achievements for England and West Indies as Headingley provided another characteristically compelling day's Test cricket yesterday. White, underling his emergence at international level as a highly effective change bowler, captured his Test best of five for 57 and combined with Darren Gough and Dominic Cork to fire out West Indies for 172.
Ambrose responded to the task of defending that modest total by dispatching England openers Marcus Trescothick for one and Michael Atherton for six to become only the fifth bowler in cricket history to take 400 Test wickets.
The Antiguan fast bowler's double strike reduced England to 10 for two and, after a second-wicket stand of 70 between Graham Thorpe and captain Nasser Hussain, Courtney Walsh seized three for eight in 28 balls to leave the home side on 105 for five at the close.
West Indies were undone by a mixture of fine bowling and ill-judged strokes after winning the toss, with White playing the telling role in a burst of three for six in 17 deliveries that included Brian Lara for four.
Getting Lara's wicket was "a particularly nice one" for White whose previous best in Tests was three for 18.
White said it was "very special" to get his first five wickets in a Test innings on his Yorkshire home ground.
"It is nice to know the coach, captain and selectors rate you and have faith in you. It helps your confidence," he said.
Gough, his county team-mate who made the initial breakthrough in the third over of the game, finished with three for 59 and Cork took two for 19.
Despite losing Sherwin Campbell to Gough for eight, West Indies reached 50 for one with little hint of the drama that was to unfold when White came on as first change for Gough to start a collapse in which four wickets tumbled for 10 runs.
White first had Wavell Hinds caught behind for 16, giving Alec Stewart his 150th victim as England wicketkeeper, then trapped Lara lbw offering no stroke to a ball that came back in to him.
Gough returned to have Adrian Griffith caught behind for 22, rashly cutting a rising delivery, before White bowled captain Jimmy Adams off an inside edge for two to make the touring side 60 for five.
A poor day for West Indian batting was redeemed by Ramnaresh Sarwan who faced 82 balls while scoring an unbeaten 59, including nine fours. A wristy player with some beautifully timed strokes, he underlined in only his fourth Test that he is a great prospect. Sarwan put on 68 for the sixth wicket with Ridley Jacobs (35) but once they were parted the last four wickets went for 29.
Ambrose, needing two more wickets for the 400, now took centre stage.
He removed Trescothick with a ball that bounced and left him, Lara holding the catch at first slip, and reached the coveted landmark with a delivery that squared up Atherton and sent the ball flying off the edge to Lara.
Once Ambrose and Walsh were rested the pressure on the batsmen eased until Walsh returned for a second spell and sent back Hussain (22), Thorpe (46) and Stewart (5) late in the final session.
