West Indies v England 55-2
Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell helped rescue England to 50-2 after the West Indies took control of the early stages of day one of the first Test.
The tourists lost openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook inside 10 overs, with the captain edging Jerome Taylor to Denesh Ramdin for seven.
Cook fell at 30-2 when he mistimed a pull off Daren Powell to mid-on.
England named all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom in their starting XI.
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By Tom Fordyce
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606: DEBATE
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1631: Eng 55-2
I can't apologise enough for this disastrous technical woe. They can put a man on the moon etc etc. Mind you, they don't put men on the moon any more. Maybe that's where they're going wrong - lack of ambition. Great delivery from Mr Benn, and KP was nearly back in the hutch there - the ball turned and spat from middle and ended up an inch outside off. Nasty business.
1629: Eng 54-2
Scamperer of a single from KP before Bell is kept honest by the remaining five. Bell's barely scored a run since KP strode onto the stage. Interesting.
1622: Eng 52-2
I'm told these updates aren't getting through to all of you. I apologise, if that wasn't absolutely pointless since can't you read this anyway. First the scoreboard, now this - they're already calling this "Live Text Commentary's Day Of Shame". Bell drives Mr Benn uppishly for two.
1618: Eng 50-2
It is, you know. If you've not seen Mr Benn in action before, he's got the classic build of a great fast bowler. Expect he bowls left-arm off-spin. After his first delivery bites and turns, he drops a fraction short and gets flayed to the cover fence by the imperious Pietersen. The next one looks to be heading in the same direction, but KP's eyes slip off the prize and he almost thins a skinny one through to Ramdin. Gasps of horror to my right and left.
1612: Eng 46-2
That's nice from Powell - menace in the high 80s in the tempter zone outside off. Bell tugs his blade away until an inside edge from a late in-dipper cannons into his front pad. Ouch. Now then - is that the enormous Sulieman Benn limbering up for a tweak at the other end?
1606: Eng 46-2
Edwards, with that Malingaesque arm action, flings one right into the slot and is middled with dreamy ease by KP straight back past the stumps for a photograph-that four. What a shot. If it wasn't tempting fate in the most foolhardy way, I'd say the ex-skipper is in sensational form out there - but it would be, so I won't.
From Kevin, TMS inbox: "Has anyone else noticed that on the right hand side of the screen under "See Also" is the title: Englands Biggest Obstacle - Cricket. Judging by this start I think you might have a point."
1601: Eng 40-2
KP blinks in the bright sunshine and then calls a halt to proceedings as a small piece of paper blows across the square. Maybe it's a cheque from the Rajasthan Royals. Powell drifts down leg and KP creams him away to the square leg fence with swashbuckl... I'm sorry. That's drinks.
From Anonymous via text on 81111: "Thanks for your coverage. I am currently in Milan airport, sitting next to a man who obviously is not aware of deodorant, while I contemplate another five-hour wait until my flight back to England which should have left Monday but couldn't because it snowed a bit."
1557: Eng 35-2
Attempted yorker from Edwards, which KP klips legwards for a strolled two. If you've not seen his face recently, KP has grown a 'tache-heavy faux-beard which makes him look a little like a cricketing pirate. Expect a rush of 'swashbuckling' and "flashing blade" comments shortly.
1551: Eng 33-2
Extraordinary - KP walks to the middle, takes off his gloves and pulls up his shirt to reveal the words "SACK ME, WOULD YOU?" tattooed across his midriff. Not really - I'm joking. He twiddles his bat, pops Edwards away for the usual dicey single to get off the mark and then ostentatiously practises his forward defensive at the non-striker's end.
1546: WICKET - Cook c Sarwan b Powell 4, Eng 30-2
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1543: Eng 30-1
Little jab into the covers from Cook to move his tally along to four. Bell stays watchful to Taylor's testers and then steps into a full one to drill it sweetly to the long off boundary.
1537: Eng 25-1
Did I say run machine? Powell tears in for his first over of the series and stamps down on the brakes with a large size 10. Maiden.
From Rhys, TMS inbox: "RE. 1526 - Correct Steven, you're not one to make gut reactions - that was more of a knee-jerk reaction."
1531: Eng 25-1
Who dared doubt the run machine that is Ian Ronald Bell? Taylor drifts down leg and is flipped behind square for four more. 12 runs off eight balls from England's all-conquering number three, an early candidate for one of Wisden's cricketers of the year. Fear us, Ponting, fear us...
By the way - I'm told our match scoreboard has been misbehaving. It's now been disciplined by my colleagues in the IT department and should be working again shortly. Early talk is of a loss of match fee following allegations that it was out late last night with the picture gallery.
1526: Eng 18-1
Now then - expectation sits on Bell's shoulders like an overweight elephant. He flicks two fullish ones into the vacant midwicket acres for a brace of singles and then drives straighter for three more. Pressure - what pressure?
From Steven, TMS inbox: "I'm not one to make gut reactionsÂ…BUTÂ…sack Strauss I say."
1517: WICKET - Strauss c Ramdin b Taylor 7, Eng 8-1
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1512: Eng 8-0
Whoo - argh! Taylor whistles one across Strauss, the new skipper chases it with eyes-shut abandon and the edge flies straight to Marshall at third slip - who spills an absolute dolly. Goodness me. Strauss rubs chunky salt in the raw wounds by driving fuller one back down the ground for the first fence-slapper of the day, and when he follows it up with another for two, Taylor strides off with a face like like tropical thunder.
1506: Eng 2-0
Fidel Edwards from the other end, and Cook plops forward to nudge the first run of the series into the covers. Strauss deflects to leg for one of his own before Cook keeps his blade in its scabbard for the remainder.
From Paul Wileman, TMS inbox: "Oh god bless the return of TMS. Sometimes I wonder if watching the live updates is better than actually watching the cricket, apart from being in Barbados to watch the 3rd test live, which I will be, but then who isn't??"
1502: Eng 0-0
Oh my giddy... Jerome Taylor canters in to Skipper Strauss, and there's an edge first ball - which falls just short of second slip. Gulp, bead of perspiration appears on brow, sweaty palms wiped on jeans. The next five continue a fizzing arc from right arm over across the leftie and are left alone with judicious judgement.
1458: Right - hold onto your keyboard and mouse mats - I mean mice mats - the Windies players are out, Cook and Strauss are jogging towards the middle and we're almost off.
1450: A little statistic for you to chew on as Cook and Strauss strap on the arm-guards and visit the smallest annex of the dressing-room for the last time: the Windies have only won two of their last 30 Test matches, and lost 17 of them. The mockers thus placed on the tourists, I'll sit back and wait for the inevitable England collapse.
From Emma in Aberdeen, TMS inbox: "Only 90 minutes until work is over, then I shall run as quickly as the snow and my clumsiness allows back home to make sure I miss as little of the text commentary as possible. It's days like this that bring back glorious memories of a sun-soaked St Kitts and Scotland playing the worst one-day cricket ever in 2007 World Cup. Sigh."
1440: Some consternation on the emails about the inclusion of Ian Bell at the expense of 'Midnight at the' Owais Shah. Understandable, I'd say - the incumbent needs a good knock later on. As does Colly, to be fair. The pitch looks like it should help them, though - dry, flattish, no early signs of that nasty shininess which heralds finger-breaking bounce.
From Mick in TMS inbox: "Ahhh - Test Match cricket. You are back! And in the Caribbean too. Once I have finished work I shall lock myself in a room where I cannot see the snow, turn the heating up, pour myself a rum and coke and listen to the sounds of the Windies. Either that or the sounds of England taking 2 days to try and get Chanderpaul out."
1429: And now for the toss - Skipper Strauss calls it correctly, and he opts for a joust with the bat. Big news for England, that - the pitch looks a beauty. "Good toss to win, I think," says a smiling Strauss. "The guys are chomping to get out here," he adds, possibly referring to a pre-match snack the rest of team are enjoying in the dressing-room.
1428: Other team news for you - Ryan Sidebottom is in, as is Monty and Stuart Broad.
1425: Breaking team news for you - Freddie is fit and plays. Repeat - Freddie is fit and plays.
1415: Good day all. Three feet of snow? A face-ripping Arctic wind? Ice underfoot as treacherous as Guy Fawkes? Not in Jamaica. Oh no. It's a freckle-inducing 28 degrees, the sky overhead is a watercolour blue and we're set for a mouth-watering afternoon of Test match magic. C'est superbe.
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