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Andrew Flintoff and Geraint Jones's unbroken stand of 51 took England to 313 for five at stumps on the first day of the second Test against West Indies at Edgbaston here Thursday.

Flintoff was 42 not out off 76 balls with one six and four fours and Jones 27 not out, with five boundaries, when bad light forced an early close with more than four overs left.

Marcus Trescothick's 105, his maiden Test hundred against the West Indies and seventh in 52 Tests, was the centrepiece of England's total.

"The pitch is on the slow side and, with the sun on it, cracks are beginning to appear," said Trescothick.

"It might deteriorate so it's important to get runs on the board. It would be lovely to get past 400."

Despite his century, Trescothick admitted that it was disappointing to get out just after the tea interval.

"I did the hard work to get there and then I lost a little concentration. It would have been nice to cash in." England started the final session on 204 for three with opener Trescothick 103 not out and fellow left-hander Graham Thorpe 30 not out.

West Indies, who suffered a 210 run-thrashing in the first Test at Lord's completed Monday, bowled with improved discipline.

Between them 20-year-old all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, in only his second Test, and 22-year-old off-spinner Omari Banks reeled off three successive maidens after tea and the pressure eventually told on Trescothick.

He had added just two runs to his score when an edged cut off medium-pacer Bravo was caught by Brian Lara at first slip after the West Indies captain parried the ball above his head.

England were now wobbling at 210 for four, Bravo finishing the day with fine figures of 16-5-42-2.

Bravo tried to frustrate the hard-hitting Flintoff into a mistake by bowling outside off-stump to an 8-1 offside field under increasingly grey skies but the batsman resisted.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2004


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