Pulverising the West Indies

Scorecard
Pietersen arrived in Leeds buoyed by his 109 in the first Test against West Indies at Lord's and enthused by the return, after 18 months away with injury, of Michael Vaughan - a player he had admired ever since Vaughan supported him during his first real test as an England cricketer in South Africa in late 2004. And true to form, he celebrated in style.

England were 91 for two when Pietersen joined his captain at the crease - not exactly in trouble, but only two wickets away from potential peril. A boundary to fine-leg off the third ball from Dwayne Bravo seemed to have settled any early nerves, but Pietersen was lucky to survive on 20 when he skipped down the track to Chris Gayle and was stumped by Denesh Ramdin - only for an unexpected cry of no-ball to save him.

Gayle's transgression turned the match. Pietersen moved serenely to a 67-ball half-century after that, then turned on the style, requiring only a further 37 deliveries to move to his eighth - and quickest - Test hundred in just 104 balls. In between, Vaughan reached a century of his own, and only narrowly escaped being crushed as Pietersen enveloped him in a genuine show of pleasure at the comeback knock.

Now Pietersen settled down once more, milking West Indies to reach 150 for the fourth time in Tests from 193 balls. On the previous three occasions he had fallen, bizarrely, for 158, but now he made no such mistakes, stepping on the gas to race to his maiden - and so far only - double-hundred in Tests from 193 deliveries. Headingley rose to acclaim him.

By the time Pietersen had fallen to a smart catch by Jerome Taylor off Bravo for 226, he had faced just 262 balls in seven hours and 12 minutes, and hit 24 fours and a pair of sixes off Gayle. Only Corey Collymore was treated with something approaching respect. Taylor went for 47 runs off 43 balls, Gayle for 44 off 42 and Bravo for 51 off 52.

Just as importantly, Pietersen had laid the foundations for a crushing England win. Replying to England's 570 for seven declared, West Indies - deprived of the services of the injured Ramnaresh Sarwan - were bundled out for 146 and 141, with Ryan Sidebottom returning match figures of eight for 86.