Bravo, Dwayne
West Indies really do miss Dwayne Bravo, not only for his batting and bowling but also his electric fielding. He is currently recovering from ankle surgery and his progress has been good enough that he has been able to help out as a substitute in this Test. What a difference he makes. Early on the second morning he swooped in from midwicket to run out Owais Shah with a direct hit from midwicket. West Indies have dropped catches and missed run outs all through this series. Bravo's full return is eagerly awaited.
Picking the gaps
England were threatening to lose their grip on the match after the loss of two early wickets and with the extra bowler in the team the tail was longer than usual. However, Matt Prior settled any nerves with a fine counter-attacking display and proved expert and just missed the fielders. Twice he edged balls through the vacant third slip away, but while those benefited from an element of luck his well-placed late and square cuts were out of the top draw.
Tiffin gets tonked
Umpires sometimes need eyes in the back of their heads - or at least in the side of them. Russell Tiffin was minding his own business between deliveries when he got a nasty shock as Chris Gayle tried to toss the ball back to his bowler and only succeeded in finding Tiffin's head. There were giggles all around but Tiffin remained fairly emotionless through it all. Gayle may have been advised to check Tiffin was okay as he could hold the fate of Gayle's innings. As it was, when Graeme Swann had a huge appeal for lbw Tiffin correctly turned it down. So there were clearly no hard feelings.
Shiv's slip
Shivnarine Chanderpaul looked as though he needed a walking frame as he limped around with his dodgy groin. Gayle tried to hide him in the field, but that only added to the problems because when he found himself at slip one of the few chances to be offered - an edge off Prior - was shelled. Chanderpaul isn't a regular slip fielder and it showed as he moved late and slowly to the catch.
Splitting the men
There were rarely many close catchers to bother England throughout the day, but out of the blue Gayle then decided to bring in two very short midwickets against Paul Collingwood, who had spent most of his innings nudging into that area off the spinners. But as soon as the men had been positioned Collingwood decided to make them feel a little too close as he swatted a delivery right between the middle of them and away for a boundary.
Rock the baby
Prior's celebration on reaching his hundred was about as predictable as they come. When he picked up the two through the off side that registered his second Test ton he saluted the dressing room then rocked the bat in his arms, a single of his new-born son who he flew home to see last week and missed the Barbados Test. He has shown no ill-effects of his round trip to Sussex, using his promotion to No. 6 to show that he is more than capable of holding down that position. Between nappy changes, of course.
Monty's back?
In the dying moments of the day England were given a late boost when Monty Panesar struck in his first over back in the side. Before play he spoke of the "foundations" and "learning" but it was just good to see that leaping celebration back in action as he beat Devon Smith's outside edge and bowled him. England will need a few more celebrations from him if they are to level the series.