Pietersen scores test best at Headingley

LEEDS, England, May 26 (Reuters) Kevin Pietersen finally passed his highest test score of 158 today to take England to 498 for six against West Indies at lunch on the second day of the second test at Headingley.

Pietersen, who has scored 158 twice against Australia and once against Sri Lanka, was 189 not out at the interval.

England, 366 for five overnight, looked to accelerate in the morning session and, fittingly, had their two most enterprising batsmen Pietersen and Matt Prior at the crease.

Prior made 75 in 99 balls before he was bowled five minutes before lunch by Daren Powell. The duo added 160 together in 211 deliveries and there was no respite for the hapless West Indies bowlers as Jerome Taylor's six-over spell cost 36 runs.

As the offensive continued in front of a sold out crowd in Yorkshire, Pietersen became more daring with his stroke-play.

One attempted flash through cover went to the fine leg boundary off the inside edge from Dwayne Bravo's bowling.

In the next over, Pietersen edged Powell over second slip to go to 184. His innings, though, was well crafted in the most part and he had 21 boundaries by lunch.

Maybe the most impressive was the four he scored off Bravo to take him to 189. He flicked a delivery from off stump to the leg-side boundary, perfectly finding the gap between the mid-on and midwicket fielders.

Prior, following on from his 126 not out on debut in the drawn first test, matched Pietersen blow for blow and perhaps his best stroke was the four he clubbed over Bravo's head to go to 64.

West Indies' captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, meantime, will not bat in his team's first innings at least because of a shoulder injury he sustained fielding yesterday.

REUTERS BJR PM1820