England on top

The England captain walked out to bat on the first morning to a mixture of boos and applause, having been caught up in a controversy over his comments criticising the drunken World Cup antics of local hero Andrew Flintoff.

But those in the crowd who believe Vaughan was wrong to criticise the injured Lancashire all-rounder were soon won over as he played his part in an unbroken 56-run partnership with Alastair Cook to help England reach a comfortable 69 for one after an hour's play.

Entering the Test needing victory to not only seal the series but also become the most successful England captain in history, Vaughan won the toss before the start of play on a pitch expected to be fast and bouncy.

West Indies had reacted to the conditions by introducing fast bowler Fidel Edwards as a replacement for Daren Powell, while Darren Sammy was given his debut ahead of Sylvester Joseph.

But it was Jerome Taylor who made the early breakthrough for the tourists, striking in the third over of the day to continue opener Andrew Strauss' recent struggles with the bat.

Strauss had made just six when he was trapped lbw in his crease to extend a desperate run for the Middlesex left-hander, who has not scored a century in his last 16 Test innings.

But Vaughan and Cook played a variety of quality shots to put the tourists on the back foot.