By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent in Trinidad

Just when the West Indies were giving the impression that they had shrugged off the events of the past week, Steve Harmison produced a second memorable burst of fast bowling to spark another collapse.

At 100 for no wicket, with Chris Gayle striking the ball beautifully, the home team were perfectly set to answer their many vocal critics.

Harmison was again on form to spark West Indies collapse

Harmison, at this stage, had already completed one spell of six overs at a cost of 27 runs and there was no indication of what was to follow.

Michael Vaughan then brought the fast bowler on from the other end and immediately Gayle touched one to Chris Read for 62.

In Harmison's next over, Devon Smith fell leg before for 35 to bring in Lara to face the final five deliveries before lunch.

He survived three before gloving a nasty lifter, via his helmet, to Ashley Giles in the gully for a duck.

This was just the tonic England needed and, although a lengthy rain break interrupted their flow, it did not disturb their rhythm and the collapse resumed in earnest after the interruption.

Simon Jones was the first to break through when Shivnarine Chanderpaul weakly twitched at a short ball outside the off stump and edged to Read for two.

Lara is forced to rue another poor batting display

Dwayne Smith pulled Harmison for a mighty six, the pair exchanged glances but Smith's inexperience then let him down horribly when he tried to repeat the stroke and top edged a gentle catch to square leg.

It was a desperate dismissal and, in the same over, Sarwan edged to Andy Flintoff at second slip for 21 to give Harmison his fifth wicket.

Tino Best hung around with Ridley Jacobs, but Matthew Hoggard found the outside edge and when Adam Sanford was crazily run out going for a third, of all things, Brian Lara was seen burying his head in his hands.

The ball did enough to keep the bowlers interested but, frankly, this was a weak batting performance against Harmison, whose confidence has blossomed to the extent that he is barely recognisable from a fortnight ago.

Unless the West Indies bowlers produce something special on the second day, they will find themselves batting under pressure to save the game and currently no one would bet on them being able to do that.