Kevin Pietersen, captain deposed, held England together after the West Indies bowlers had threatened to strangle the life from the innings. ­Arriving at the crease at 31 for two, with both openers surrendering cheaply to the new ball, Pietersen had hit 12 fours and a six in making 97, before adrenaline did for him. He had raced to within three of his 16th Test hundred by launching an assault that brought him four

Kevin Pietersen's two-paced half-century helped England close day one of the first Test against the West Indies in Jamaica on 236 for five on an unusual day's cricket in the Caribbean. Pietersen fell for 97 in 172 balls attempting to reach his century with a fourth boundary in as many balls on a day where spinners proved more threatening than fast bowlers after England won the toss and chose to bat first.

Boosted by the return to fitness of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, England captain Andrew Strauss has called on his bowlers to lift their game for the four-Test series against the West Indies. "We need to bowl better, that is the reality," Strauss said on the eve of the first Test which starts in Sabina Park on Wednesday. "All our bowlers are proven match-winning bowlers but they need to do it more consistently."

England's selectors will have spent Sunday pondering the side for this weeks' Jamaica Test, but Andrew Strauss admitted that much of the chat was about the merits of Steve Harmison and the fitness of Andrew Flintoff. The good news for England is that the chances of Flintoff playing appear to be improving with every passing day. His side strain has responded well and he had no adverse reaction to a spell in the nets ahead of Saturday's final day at Warner Park.

When the fifth ball of his first over against West Indies A at Warner Park on St Kitts sprang wickedly from just short of a length and smacked into the right shoulder of the protégé Trinidadian opener Adrian Barath, once more hope sprang that Steve Harmison was back. It has been a while, it seems. In 2006 on an old Trafford pitch that had the bounce of Tigger with bedsprings on his feet, Harmison put Pakistan to the sword with devastating match figures of 11 for 76.

West Indies 'A' finally declared their innings on 574 for eight on day two of their match against England in St. Kitts, before the runs continued to flow when England batted. Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell stroked half-centuries to help the tourists close on 134 for two. Lendl Simmons' vigil was finally ended when Ryan Sidebottom had him trapped in front and the young Trinidadian was dismissed 12 short of a triple-century as West Indies 'A' continued to pile on the runs on day two

The spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed is to extend his stay on England's tour of the Caribbean. The former Pakistan legspinner was originally scheduled to spend the 10-day warm-up period in St Kitts working with the slow bowlers before departing but the tour management have requested an extension. He will now remain until midway through the Test series against West Indies, which will account for another fortnight of his 100-day-a-year England and Wales Cricket Board contract.

England found the going as hard as the pitch in St. Kitts as West Indies 'A' batsmen Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath both scored centuries on the opening day of their tour game. After Andrew Strauss lost the toss for the second match in a row, England were asked to field and had to wait five and a quarter hours between taking their first and second wicket before the home side closed on 343 for two when bad light curtailed proceedings prematurely, perhaps to the relief of England's weary fielders.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the ongoing trial of the umpire decision review system will afford each side two unsuccessful reviews per innings rather than the three that have been available up to now. An ICC media release said that the change to the playing conditions of the trial has been made after receiving initial feedback from players and match officials and will apply to the upcoming Test series between the West Indies and England.

As certainly as the trade winds blow across the Caribbean at this time of year, Kevin Pietersen began the next phase of his career by blasting the ball to all parts of Warner Park, while his successor Andrew Strauss departed dolefully for a duck, undone by the second ball of the tour and his reign. That'd be right, as they say in Australia.