St John’s, February 17:

Paul Collingwood became the second century-maker in the England first innings when he hit his eighth Test hundred against West Indies in the third Test here on Monday.

West Indies made an unsteady start to reach 55-1, replying to England’s total of 566-9 declared when stumps were drawn on the second day. Collingwood made 113 and shared three half-century stands to beef up the England total after captain Andrew Strauss’s 169. Kevin Pietersen scored 51, Stuart Broad made 44, Matt Prior got 39 and Graeme Swann was not out on 20.

England trail the series 0-1 following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening Test at Kingston inside four days. The second match was abandoned due to a dangerous outfield at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground. Jerome Taylor claimed 2-73, Fidel Edwards snared 2-75, and Ryan Hinds got 2-86.

England’s new-ball pair of James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff then found out what their opponents had learnt about the pitch over the past two days. Flintoff got a few balls to jump from a good length and startle Chris Gayle, but the West Indies captain and fellow left-handed opener Devon Smith had little about which to worry in between. Gayle was the only West Indies wicket to fall when Steve Harmison had the the skipper caught at mid-off.

Earlier, Collingwood helped England pile on the runs. He struck 14 boundaries from 202 balls before he was dismissed — caught inside the deep mid-wicket boundary off Hinds — to prompt the declaration.

Collingwood added 94 with Pietersen for the fifth wicket, 62 with Prior for the seventh wicket, and the same amount with Broad for the eighth wicket. At lunch, England had reached 391-4, after they suffered an early, but not totally surprising setback. The visitors continued from their overnight total of 301-3.