GRAHAM ONIONS enjoyed a dream Test debut to put England on course to win the first match of the npower series against West Indies.

Durham paceman Onions claimed a maiden five-wicket haul, the final five wickets of the West Indians’ paltry 152, during a manic evening session.

The tourists closed on 39 for two second time around, still 186 runs behind, after bad light curtailed their suffering.

West Indies capitulated from 99 for two in mid-afternoon, losing their final eight wickets for 53 runs, including four for Onions in the space of seven balls.

Fittingly, he finished things off by pinning last man Lionel Baker leg before with a full, fast delivery which shaped into the left-hander, and received a standing ovation from a half-full Lord’s as he strode off.

To a large extent new boy Onions stole Graeme Swann’s thunder after an extraordinary second day of the match for Nottinghamshire’s offspinning all-rounder.

Swann hit a Test-best 63 not out, more than trebling his previous best score, in England’s 377 all out, surprisingly took the new ball, sparked the collapse with two wickets in as many deliveries before tea and held two catches in the slips for good measure.

But with half of the West Indians already dismissed, Onions took over and ensured the innings went into terminal decline in his sixth over from the pavilion end.

A delivery of extra bounce flew off the edge of Lendl Simmons’ bat high to Andrew Strauss at first slip, two balls later Jerome Taylor was taken down the leg-side after not getting enough on a pull and Sulieman Benn became the third victim of the over when he sliced to third slip, where Swann pounced.

The procession of departing batsmen continued, however, when Denesh Ramdin was beaten for pace and Onions celebrated on his back, having fallen in delivery, as umpire Asoka de Silva raised the finger.

A comedy run-out chance should have done for either of last pair, Fidel Edwards or Baker, by yards, with the score on 139, but Stuart Broad failed to gather James Anderson’s shy at the stumps with both batsmen in mid-pitch.

But it allowed Onions to finish with a handful of victims on his first international outing, having been overlooked for the new ball.

Off-spinner Swann was a surprising choice to open the bowling – presumably called upon because of his success against Devon Smith earlier this year – and although he did not find a breakthrough in his initial two-over spell, he was decisive upon his return.

Two wickets in as many deliveries accounted for lefthanders Smith, bowled through the gate, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who edged a full delivery to slip to leave West Indies 99 for four at tea.

Swann got the fifth wicket, and his third of the innings, before Onions took centre stage.

Anderson, who was earlier clunked on the helmet by a Fidel Edwards bouncer, then grabbed two wickets before a premature close with a typically-controlled new-ball spell.

Scoreboard

England v West Indies At Lord’s

Overnight: England 289-7 (R S Bopara 118 no; F H Edwards 4-53).

England First Innings

R S Bopara c Nash b Taylor .................143

G P Swann not out ..............................63

J M Anderson c Ramdin b Edwards ...... 1

G Onions b Edwards .......................... 0

Extras (b1 lb5 w7 nb9 pens 0) ....22

Total (111.3 overs)..................377

Fall: 1-28 2-92 3-92 4-109 5-193 6-262 7- 275 8-368 9-377

Taylor 24-2-83-2. Edwards 26.3-4-92-6.

Baker 24-5-75-0. Benn 27-4-84-2. Nash 2-1- 2-0. Simmons 5-1-24-0. Gayle 3-0-11-0.

West Indies First Innings

C H Gayle b Broad ..............................28

D S Smith b Swann ..............................46

R R Sarwan c Prior b Broad ..................13

L M Simmons c Strauss b Onions .........16

S Chanderpaul c Collingwood b Swann 0

B P Nash c Collingwood b Swann ........ 4

D Ramdin lbw b Onions ....................... 5

J E Taylor c Prior b Onions .................... 0

S J Benn c Swann b Onions .................. 2

F H Edwards not out ...........................10

L S Baker lbw b Onions ........................17

Extras (lb10 w1 pens 0)...............11

Total (32.3 overs).....................152

Fall: 1-46 2-70 3-99 4-99 5-117 6-117 7- 117 8-119 9-128

Broad 11-0-56-2. Swann 5-2-16-3. Anderson 7-0-32-0. Onions 9.3-1-38-5.

West Indies Second Innings Close

C H Gayle c Swann b Anderson ............ 0

D S Smith not out ...............................26

R R Sarwan b Anderson ...................... 1

L M Simmons not out ......................... 7

Extras (lb5 pens 0)....................... 5

Total 2 wkts (13 overs)..............39

Fall: 1-14 2-22

To Bat: S Chanderpaul, B P Nash, D Ramdin, S J Benn, J E Taylor, F H Edwards, L S Baker.Anderson 6-2-22-2.

Broad 5-1-9-0. Bresnan 1-0-2-0. Swann 1-0- 1-0.