Magnificent Strauss

Strauss didn't need asking twice - and nor did Key, once England had lost Marcus Trescothick with only 29 on the board.

Together they took England beyond 200, despite the visitors' lamentably slow over rate, and gave Michael Vaughan's men every hope of starting this series the way they began the last one in the Caribbean this spring.

Strauss was not part of the England team that walloped West Indies 3-0 earlier this year. But he is a vital member of it now and today's century - made from 154 balls with 15 fours - confirmed as much.

As for Key, he would not have been playing here but for Mark Butcher suffering whiplash in a car crash on Monday. The crispness of his strokes, though, suggest a big future.

Fast bowlers Tino Best, Pedro Collins and Fidel Edwards tried to justify their captain's choice this morning. But apart from Best's early breakthrough, they posed minimal threat for four hours on a sluggish pitch with Strauss and Key cutting and driving them to distraction.

Lara's decision to bowl must have had something to do with the weather conditions. A muggy atmosphere and a forecast for increasing humidity through the day suggested the ball ought to swing.

But maybe the West Indies captain was simply keen to demonstrate his faith in a pace attack that has misfired its way through a couple of warm-up matches. Edwards must have wondered whether he would play at all.

So exciting in the Caribbean earlier this year with his low, slingy action, Edwards's figures against MCC and Sri Lanka A added up to a distinctly wayward looking 32 overs one for 197. West Indies, however, backed his promise today, even if Lara chose not to entrust him with the new ball.

Collins and Best shared that honour, though it proved a dubious one for Collins.

The left-armer slipped over in his follow-through after the first delivery of the day and took quite a heavy tumble. It was probably more embarrassing than painful but, either way, he took a fair time to settle.

With Best also unable to make the brand new ball deviate either through the air or off the pitch, England's openers achieved almost carefree early progress.

A series of clips and pushes got them going before Trescothick first square drove and then pulled Collins for a couple of boundaries.

A crowd growing steadily towards the Lord's capacity of around 28,000 showed their approval. For Lara, though, this was not what he had in mind at all - and when Best dropped Trescothick during the fourth over his heart must have sunk. Driving