1st Test, 1st session, West Indies v England.

Ian Bell was dismissed in the penultimate over before lunch to give West Indies the advantage on Day One in Jamaica. England finished the first session on 73-3 after winning the toss and electing to bat on a pitch that looked more like a wicket that might be found on the subcontinent. Indeed the wicket showed early signs of wear with both Gayle and Suliemen Benn getting the ball to turn sharply.

It is not often that spinners are able to operate in tandem in the Caribbean, but Benn and Gayle both showed enough control to suggest they have plenty of bowling to do for the remainder of the Test, but it was the West Indian seamers who did the early damage reducing the visitors to 31-2.

Andrew Strauss’s first act as permanent Test Captain was to win the toss and elect to bat, but his first innings as full-time skipper was not so memorable as he feathered a catch to Dinesh Ramdin off the bowling of the impressive Jerome Taylor. Strauss had been anything but convincing in his short stay, surviving a simple chance to third slip and looking uncertain outside his off stump.

Alistair Cook proded and poked defensively for 20 deliveries before he slapped a mistimed pull shot straight to mid-on in Darren Powell’s second over.

Ian Bell, who retained his place in the side ahead of Owais Shah, immediately looked in fine touch, driving well down the ground and punishing the bowlers when they strayed too straight. Kevin Pietersen made an equally impressive start to his innings, playing one particularly memorable on-drive off the bowling off Fidel Edwards, who went wicketless in the morning session.

Bell and Pietersen were both troubled by the left-arm spin of Benn, who at 6ft 5, was getting considerable turn and bounce and using his quicker ball to great effect. The score had reached 71-2 when Bell, who is often criticised for failing to convert starts, went back to a good length ball from Gayle and was sharply taken by Devon Smith at first slip. Bell’s dismissal will doubtless trigger the calls for Owais Shah’s inclusion, but in the immediate future, England will look to Pietersen and Paul Collingwood (1*) to bat them towards a competitive first innings total.