Rain fails to halt Ryan on his return

Nottinghamshire seamer Sidebottom struck twice in the second of three passages of play on a stop-start fourth day.

West Indies are facing the prospect of their biggest defeat in history after following on 424 runs behind.

Sylvester Joseph became a classic left-armer's leg-before dismissal when he was defeated by one which shaped back in while Devon Smith, top scorer in the first innings, succumbed dangling the bat outside off-stump, held at first slip at the second attempt by Andrew Strauss.

That took the 29-year-old's match haul to eight wickets but further rain swept in immediately upon Smith's departure and provided half an hour's respite for the tourists.

Resuming on 57 for five, the tourists' sixth-wicket pair of Runako Morton and Dwayne Bravo held England up for 63 minutes, during which they shared as many runs.

They were separated when Morton misjudged a pull at a 90-mile-per-hour Steve Harmison delivery to steeple a catch to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

England might have been a step closer to victory - West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan is not scheduled to bat - but Liam Plunkett dropped Denesh Ramdin at gully shortly before the second interval.

Bravo's positive approach to adversity, including a handsome off-driven six off Monty Panesar, was appreciated by the Leeds crowd and he saluted them after bringing up a half-century from 61 balls.

Plunkett removed dangerman Chris Gayle to enhance England's victory bid in the four overs possible at the start of the fourth morning.