At tea, left-arm quick Sidebottom had taken two wickets for 30 runs in 10 overs. He was well supported by Matthew Hoggard (one for 22 in 10) and Stephen Harmison (one for 27 in seven).

But Shivnarine Chanderpaul, dropped on nine, was 37 not out and Dwayne Bravo 14 not out, the pair having put on 37 after West Indies had collapsed to 55 for four in 17 overs.

England captain Michael Vaughan won the toss and elected to field under overcast, seam-bowler friendly, skies after rain had washed out the whole of Friday's first day and delayed Saturday's start by three hours.

He saw West Indies captain Daren Ganga out to the day's first ball when he turned left-arm quick Sidebottom to Alastair Cook at short leg.

Hoggard, who'd missed the last two Tests with a groin problem sustained in the series opener at Lord's, shared the new ball.

The Yorkshireman, in for the dropped Liam Plunkett in England's only change to the team that won the third Test at Old Trafford by 60 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 series lead, was soon swinging the ball in trademark fashion.

But Gayle drove Sidebottom past the dive of Monty Panesar at mid-off for four and next ball lofted him over mid-wicket for six.

Gayle then struck Hoggard for four through the covers off the backfoot.

But two balls later Hoggard swung a delivery back into the flamboyant left-handed opener's pads and Gayle was lbw for 28 after a 24-ball innings featuring one six and three fours.

Then 32 for two became 34 for three when Devon Smith, deliberately playing no shot, was bowled by a Sidebottom ball that hit his off-stump.

His exit brought in fellow left-hander Chanderpaul, who made 50 and an unbeaten 116 at Old Trafford.

But even Chanderpaul struggled initially, edging a drive off Hoggard to third slip where Ian Bell dropped the head-high chance.

Sidebottom was replaced by Harmison. England's fastest bowler, often wayward throughout this series, generally bowled a full, straight line on his Durham home ground and he was rewarded when, off the last ball of his second over, Runako Morton drove him to Sidebottom at mid-off.

A defiant Chanderpaul reached the landmark of 7,000 Test runs, in his 104th match, with a leg-glanced four off Harmison.

However, Harmison repeatedly went past the outside edge of Bravo, who took 20 balls to get off the mark before batting conditions eased as the sun shone.

Vaughan brought on spinner Panesar, who took 10 for 187 at Old Trafford, and medium-pacer Paul Collingwood in a bid to break the fifth-wicket stand but Chanderpaul and Bravo survived until tea.

West Indies made two changes with Marlon Samuels, a batsman and off-spinner, replacing all-rounder Darren Sammy, who took seven for 66 on Test debut at Old Trafford but subsequently strained a hamstring while batting.

Fast bowler Daren Powell, dropped in Manchester, replaced fellow quick Jerome Taylor.

West Indies have a woeful recent international record having won just two of their last 38 Tests.