England win quickest test for 54 years

West Indies 172 and 61 lost to England 272

West Indies 172 and 61 lost to England 272

The West Indies suffered one of their most humiliating test match defeats when they failed to even hold out into the third day in the fourth test against England at Headingley today.

It is the first time in over fifty years that a test match has lasted just two days.

England beat the West Indies by an innings and 39 runs to win the fourth cricket test and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series at Headingley on Friday.

At the start of the day bowling by West Indian legends Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh appeared to have given the visitors a chance in this crunch match by restricting England by 105 for 5. But then a bold stance by Graeme Hick (59) and Michael Vaughan (76) gave England a 100 run lead and then Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick set about reducing the once mighty West Indies strike force to an embarrassing 61 runs.

A batting session that lasted less than two hours started badly for the Windies when Gough dispatched Adrian Griffith and Wavell Hinds in the space of two balls and then removed the danger of Brian Lara after he had scored just two runs leaving the Windies on 11 for 3.

There was worse to come for the West Indies when Caddick took four wickets in an over and demolished any chance of the Windies saving face and forcing England to bat again.

As English cricket gets a much needed confidence boost Windies supporters will be wondering about their future when Anbrose and Walsh retire after this series.

West Indies first innings

Sherwin Campbell c Trescothick b Gough 8 Adrian Griffith c Stewart b Gough 22 Wavell Hinds c Stewart b White 16 Brian Lara lbw b White 4 Jimmy Adams b White 2 Ramnaresh Sarwan not out 59 Ridley Jacobs c Caddick b Cork 35 Nixon McLean c Stewart b White 7 Curtly Ambrose b Cork 1 Reon King lbw b Gough 6 Courtney Walsh c Caddick b White 1 Extras (2lb, 9nb) 11

TOTAL: 172 all out

England, first Innings

Michael Atherton c Lara b Ambrose 6 Marcus Trescothick c Lara b Ambrose 1 Nasser Hussain lbw b Walsh 22 Graham Thorpe lbw b Walsh 46 Alec Stewart c Campbell b Walsh 5 Michael Vaughan c Jacobs b Ambrose 76 Andrew Caddick c Jacobs b Ambrose 6 Graeme Hick st Jacobs b Adams 59 Craig White c Jacobs b McLean 0 Dominic Cork not out 11 Darren Gough c Griffith b Walsh 2 Extras (4b, 13lb, 3w, 18nb) 38

TOTAL: 272 all out

West Indies second innings

Sherwin Campbell c Hick b Gough 12 Adrian Griffith b Gough 0 Wavell Hinds lbw Gough 0 B Brian Lara lbw b Gough 2 Jimmy Adams b Cork 19 Ramnaresh Sarwan not out 17 Ridley Jacobs lbw Caddick 1 Nixon McLean b Caddick 0 Curtly Ambrose b Caddick 0 Reon King b Caddick 0 Courtney Walsh b Caddick 3 Extras (3lb, 4nb) 7

TOTAL: 61 all out

Umpires: Doug Cowie (New Zealand) and George Sharpe (England). Television umpire: David Constant. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).