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James Anderson had a hand in all four wickets to fall during the morning session © Getty Images
Graeme Swann's reputation has blossomed since he made his Test debut for England less than four years ago, but until today his home ground had failed to bestow its favours upon him. To be a spinner at Trent Bridge has been to feel like the unwanted child, but at least he has a toy to play with now - and it came in the form of the wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Swann had bowled only 17 overs in his two previous Tests at Trent Bridge, with all its affection bestowed upon England's quick bowlers. He must have imagined he might suffer more of the same as West Indies put up an enfeebled batting performance on the opening day of the second Test.
But he claimed the wicket that England most prize - Chanderpaul, for 46 in 86 balls - as he found first-day turn around off-stump and struck him on the back leg to have him lbw. The toy was more Inaction Man than Action Man but it was invaluable all the same.
Even then, England had to resort to DRS to win a decision in Swann's favour. It was the second decision by the umpire Asad Rauf that was overturned by the review system; Rauf had given out Marlon Samuels lbw to Tim Bresnan when he had only made a single, only for replays to suggest that the ball was too high when West Indies reviewed.
Without Samuels, West Indies really would have been in a sorry state. He had 41 from 126 balls at tea, displaying as he had in the first Test at Lord's great responsibility. West Indies, debilitated by IPL, were routinely preyed upon by England. Their five-wicket defeat at Lord's, a match they took into the final day, might prove to be their highlight of the Test series. If the ICC does not act to negotiate a window for IPL, the destruction of West Indies Test cricket will be the consequence.
England, who reduced West Indies to 79 for 4 by lunch, squeezed them dry in the first hour of the afternoon. Chanderpaul and Samuels added 13 runs in as many overs before Chanderpaul's unwieldy straight drive brought the first boundary of the afternoon. He had nine boundaries, including a few covert flicks and edges and even a couple of drives, before Swann intervened.
West Indies endured a disastrous first start to the match as Trent Bridge once again brought perpetual delight to an England pace attack. Compared to recent Nottingham Tests, batting conditions were comfortable, but West Indies had a dismal morning all the same, losing four wickets by lunch.
West Indies opted for the offspin of Shane Shillingford in the expectation that he would come into his own on the last two days, especially with five days of hot weather forecast. The only challenge was exactly how they intended to reach them. By morning drinks they were three wickets down for 42 and the doleful figure of Chanderpaul, back at the crease prematurely, sipped a refreshment he did not need and observed a scoreboard he did not want.
James Anderson had a hand in all four morning wickets, dismissing Kirk Edwards and Darren Bravo in an opening spell of 9-4-22-2 and holding two slip catches as Stuart Broad accounted for the openers, Adrian Barath, without scoring, and Kieran Powell for 33.
Anderson has an outstanding Test record at Trent Bridge, 33 wickets at 17 runs each going into the Test. He was initially so contented that he might have won an advertising contract for camomile tea, although while he held slip catches for Broad, others were spurning them off his own bowling in a manner that suggested his equable mood could not be relied upon.
West Indies won the toss, and their decision to bat was one that England's captain, Andrew Strauss, suggested that he would also have taken, but England did not regard it as quite the straightforward decision that it appeared. They expected that the pitch would have most life in the first two sessions and, although that life was limited, it was more than enough for West Indies.
Broad was also comfortable on his home ground and he struck first, Barath edging a back-foot force in Broad's second over and Anderson intercepting a fast, athletic catch with a nonchalant thrust of his left hand at third slip.
For his own bowling, England's fielding lacked the same grace. He might have dismissed Kirk Edwards for a single, but Bresnan could not take the chance at third slip.
Edwards' tour of England has been a difficult one. He scored a century on Test debut against India last year, but he has yet to reach double figures on this tour. Anderson picked him off with ease, jagging one back through the gate as, not for the first time in this series, he seemed late on the shot. He added Darren Bravo in his eighth over of the morning, switching round the wicket and drawing a prod at a wide-ish delivery that found its way to Swann at second slip.
And so, with indecent haste, it was time for Chanderpaul. He dug in for nearly ten-and-a-half hours at Lord's, but Anderson's bouncer almost dislodged him first ball as the ball flew off his arm guard and over the wicketkeeper, Matt Prior. An edge in Anderson's next over flew at catchable height between Bresnan's half dive and Swann's crouch as neither locked on to the coordinates.
England refined their tactics against him, experimenting imaginatively with a leg gully to dry up, or at least bring an element of risk, to his get-out shot in which he shuffles across his stumps and works the ball to the leg side. Broad completed an excellent morning's work by England as Powell edged a good-length delivery to Anderson at third slip.