Cook, Trott start strongly in chase

Alastair Cook closed in on becoming England's highest Test run-maker as his team began strongly in their pursuit of West Indies' 299 all out on the second day of the second Test in Grenada.

England skipper Cook (37) and fellow opener Jonathan Trott (32) negotiated 26 overs without real alarm as the visitors reached 0-74 at stumps at the National Cricket Stadium.

It was a positive start from England's latest opening pair after they could only manage partnerships of 1 and 15 in the first Test.

Trott is Cook's fifth opening partner since Andrew Struass retired in 2012, with Nick Compton, Joe Root, Michael Carberry and Sam Robson all tried and discarded since.

Cook achieved a milestone during his unbeaten knock, going past former player Alec Stewart as his country's second-highest run-getter in Test history with a tally of 8484.

Only Graham Gooch, the former opening batsman and captain, remains ahead of him in the list of prolific English batsmen with an aggregate of 8900.

Earlier, England's bowlers eventually overcame the determination of Marlon Samuels and an entertaining last-wicket partnership to dismiss the West Indies in their first innings on a rain-affected second day.

Devendra Bishoo (30) and Shannon Gabriel (20) got their Test-best scores in lifting the home side from 9-247 after Samuels' dismissal for a determined 103 triggered a lower-order collapse as the tourists' seamers made effective use of the second new ball.

Stuart Broad led the English effort, taking 4-47, while James Anderson and Chris Jordan claimed two wickets each.

It was left to Moeen Ali to end the West Indies innings, trapping Bishoo leg-before wicket.

Persistent morning showers restricted the pre-lunch session to just 40 minutes of play and when the action eventually resumed in mid-afternoon, Samuels reached his seventh Test hundred with his 14th boundary off 226 deliveries.

However the 34-year-old seemed to lose concentration after reaching the treasured landmark in his 100th Test innings.

He missed a big drive at the next delivery from Anderson before edging the following one to Ian Bell for 103.

His effort in a 94-run sixth-wicket partnership with captain Denesh Ramdin (31) appeared to be in vain with the West Indies losing four wickets for 24 runs.