Imperious Lara makes England pay for his suffering
The West Indies captain leads from the front on his most productive ground in a swashbuckling attempt to avert the whitewash

The deluge that England knew and feared inevitably would come from the bat of Brian Lara duly did so on a glorious day at the Recreation Ground. Close to a century overnight, the West Indies captain reached a chanceless double century midway through the afternoon session, and as the evening drew on completed his triple as the home side piled on the runs that seem increasingly likely to prevent an England clean sweep in the series.

After more than 10 hours batting Lara had reached 313, already his second highest score in Tests, as West Indies reached 595 for five at close of play. It was the seventh double hundred of his career and only Walter Hammond can match it; Bradman alone, with 12, has more. He reached it in dramatic fashion, taking advantage of a new spell from Gareth Batty after the second new ball had brought the wickets of Ramnaresh Sarwan, for 90, and Ricardo Powell for 23. Lara, on 189, advanced down the pitch to the first ball and drilled it high, straight and out of the ground, taking several minutes to retrieve. The next delivery was on the left-hander's leg stump and swept crisply to the square-leg boundary. Finally, a single tickled round the corner took him to his landmark, greeted with a jump and punch of the air. For all the criticism levelled at him, Lara remains a genuinely great player and this was his fourth hundred and second double in his last nine Tests. Full Article