Collingwood survives two chances to reach half-century

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) England batsman Paul Collingwood profited from two dropped catches to reach his fifth test half-century on the second day of the first test against West Indies at Lord's today.

Collingwood was dropped on 31 and 36 and in the meantime survived an lbw appeal, which television replays suggested would have hit the off-stump, before bringing up his 50 from 94 balls with five fours.

At lunch England, who resumed their first innings on 200 for three, had taken their total to 280 for the loss of Alastair Cook, who added three runs to his overnight total of 102 before he was caught at point by Dwayne Bravo off Jerome Taylor.

Collingwood was on 63 and Ian Bell, who took 37 minutes and 17 balls to get off the mark, had scored 23.

With the sun on their backs for the first time in the match, the West Indies bowlers rediscovered their pace and direction after play resumed on Friday.

Daren Powell, the pick of the bowlers on Thursday, delivered a testing maiden to Collingwood and Taylor, who had bowled only six overs for 35 runs on the first day, worked up a lively pace from the Nursery End.

He quickly accounted for Cook and should have had Collingwood caught from a straightforward chance to Daren Ganga in the gully. After scoring one more run Collingwood then padded up to a full-pitched delivery on the line of off-stump but umpire Asad Rauf turned the appeal down.

Collingwood survived a second chance when he mistimed a hook off Corey Collymore's first over of the day. Taylor, running in from deep mid-wicket, misjudged the flight of the ball which flew over his head to the boundary.

That was West Indies' last opportunity to make inroads into the England batting and one wicket was scant reward for a disciplined display from their pace quartet.

REUTERS SAM VV1820