Cricket West Indies v England - first Test: This was the series when experienced batsman were going to wreak havoc on novice bowlers, but the West Indies suggested yesterday that their young attack will prove no pushover.

On the second day at Sabina Park the visitors suffered a torrid time against the raw pace of Fidel Edwards, who removed the openers Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan in a devastating, eight-over opening burst.

But by the time rain stopped play and tea was called, Mark Butcher (53) and Nasser Hussain (40) were still battling away as the ball darted around as if it were Headingley under cloud cover, having taken the score on to 145 for two.

Earlier the West Indies had lost their last wicket without adding to their overnight 311 for nine, Matthew Hoggard finishing with figures of three for 68.

England made a careful start against the fast-medium pace of Cory Collymore and the more virile, 90 m.p.h. stuff of Edwards, with a low, slingy action in which the ball seems to appear from behind the umpire's right ear.

Both batsmen were beaten outside off-stump, and in the fifth over Trescothick, on three, was fortunate to survive a confident lbw shout from Collymore, with umpire Daryl Harper mistakenly considering the ball to have pitched outside leg-stump.

It was the England captain who made the first aggressive moves, pulling a short ball from Edwards for the day's first boundary, and then driving the same bowler square for another four. Brian Lara immediately posted a fielder on the point boundary. In the following over, however, when 11, Vaughan too was fortunate to survive an lbw appeal from Collymore that appeared to have all the right credentials. Harper had obviously left his benevolence in the hotel.

The breakthrough West Indies were looking for came in the eighth over, with the score 28, and involved a masterly piece of fast bowling from the inexperienced Edwards. First came a hideous, skidding bouncer that almost decapitated Trescothick before clearing wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and careering into the fence for byes: 93 m.p.h. Next ball he cranked it up to almost 95, found the inside edge of a tentatively prodding bat and saw the off-stump perform gymnastics.

By now Edwards, roaring in with the George Headley Stand as a dramatic backdrop, was on an adrenal rush and brought further trouble for England, when Vaughan drove loosely at a fast away swinger and edged to the West Indies captain.

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