Sensational win for England, as Steve Harmison destroys Windies

KINGSTON, Jamaica, March 14 - West Indies slumped for their lowest ever test total after fast bowler Steve Harmison's destructive spell, as England completed a 10-wicket victory in the first test on Sunday.

Harmison took seven for 12 in 12.3 overs as West Indies were bowled out for 47 in their second innings on the fourth day, leaving England needing just 20 to take a series lead.

The visitors reached the victory target in 2.3 overs, before lunch on the fourth day.

"Steve produced one of the greatest spells of bowling by an England player," said England captain Michael Vaughan.

"I fully expected two more hard days of cricket, but I said before the match that it needed a couple of magical performances and, thankfully for us, Steve produced one today."

Harmison was able to celebrate the best test return at Sabina Park.

"I can't quite believe it," he said. "I thought I tried to bowl too fast in the first innings and I relaxed today and just put it in the right place. It was one of those days."

The previous lowest test total by West Indies was the 51 they made against Australia in Port of Spain in 1999.

Resuming on eight without loss, West Indies were in disarray from the moment Graham Thorpe took a superb catch above his head in the slips off Harmison to remove opener Chris Gayle for nine.

Ramnaresh Sarwan was unlucky to be adjudged leg before for a duck and Shivnarine Chanderpaul played on, also for a duck, as the hosts slumped to 15 for three.

Captain Brian Lara, with the little finger on his right hand heavily strapped after he dislocated it on day two, failed to halt the slide. He also went for no score, easily caught by Andrew Flintoff at second slip off Matthew Hoggard.

Devon Smith, who hit a century in the first innings, was next to go, brilliantly caught and bowled by Hoggard for 12 to leave the home side reeling on 21 for five.

Ridley Jacobs hit a few lusty blows in a top score of 15 but his cameo ended when he gloved a Harmison lifter to Nasser Hussain at short leg.

Harmison completed his second five-wicket haul in tests by removing Tino Best for a duck, Simon Jones had Ryan Hinds caught behind for three and Harmison then quickly mopped up the last two wickets.

Vaughan also singled out Hoggard for praise.

"I must give a special credit to Matthew Hoggard when he went into bat," he said. "I thought he showed tremendous application and frustrated the West Indies bowlers to really give us a psychological edge.

"Now we are 1-0 up, which is the position we badly wanted to be in, but we know the West Indies are a dangerous side and we have to focus on taking the same form into the next test," he added.

The second test begins at Port of Spain in Trinidad on March 19.