CRICKET: England completed a seven-wicket win over West Indies on yesterday's fifth and final morning of the second Test to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
Needing a further 28 runs for victory, England, seeking their first series win in the Caribbean for 36 years, lost Nasser Hussain for five to the second ball of the morning.
But left-handers Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe reached the victory target of 99 to retain the Wisden Trophy they won at home four years ago.
Butcher hit the winning runs to finish on 46 not out, while Thorpe, top scorer with 90 in the first innings, struck three boundaries for an unbeaten 13.
England, who won the first Test in Jamaica by 10 wickets, are on the brink of history, but captain Michael Vaughan said there would be no premature celebrations.
"We haven't won the series yet," he warned. "We know the West Indies will come back. We just have to keep our heads, continue to work hard and not be complacent."
West Indies manager Ricky Skerritt immediately announced his resignation, effective from the end of June.
Having dismissed West Indies for 208 early on the second morning, with fast bowler Steve Harmison taking six for 61, England stayed on top throughout the match. A stand of 120 between Butcher and Hussain, that spanned days two and three, set the platform for England's first innings of 319 and a lead of 111, with Thorpe just missing his 14th Test century.
When wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, promoted up the order above captain Brian Lara in a tactical move, hit a fine 70 to help West Indies to 158 for three, it looked as if they might set England a testing target.
But Simon Jones took five for 57 to trigger another West Indies collapse as their last seven wickets fell for 51, leaving England with a comfortable target.
Pakistan's Cricket Board (PCB) has threatened former captain Rashid Latif with legal action for suggesting the fourth one-day international between India and Pakistan might have been fixed.
"It's shameful for Rashid or anyone else to make such allegations without evidence in the midst of such an important series," PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told reporters. "We're looking into the matter and considering defamation and libel suits against him," he added.
Latif, who stepped down as captain last year, said on local television: "Even a common man could observe that the players were acting on a script, because the body language of the players was not as it should have been."
