BARBADOS, April 3: Matthew Hoggard took a hat trick to leave England sensing a series triumph on Saturday as West Indies crumbled to 58 for six in their second innings on the third morning of the third Test.

Shortly after his feat play was interrupted by rain, forcing an early lunch with the home side just 56 ahead.

England, who lead the four-match series 2-0, have not won a series in the Caribbean since 1968.

West Indies, resuming on 21 for one, had reached 45 for two before Hoggard, who had already removed Daren Ganga, dismissed Ramnaresh Sarwan for five and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ryan Hinds for golden ducks.

West Indies captain Brian Lara, 19 not out when play was stopped, watched helplessly from the other end as right-hander Sarwan drove straight to Ashley Giles at gully, left-hander Chanderpaul was trapped lbw by a ball which nipped back in and Hinds, rooted to the crease, was snapped up at second slip by Andrew Flintoff.

Hoggard conceded afterwards there had been an element of luck to his hat trick delivery to Hinds, another left-hander.

"I was thinking: 'Bowl your best ball, an inswinger, on to leg stump'. It didn't really swing. It went straight across and thankfully he nicked it," Hoggard told Sky Sports.

Hoggard had barely recovered from being mobbed by his team mates after his triple-wicket maiden before it was 48 for six as wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs gloved a Flintoff lifter to Mark Butcher at gully.

Hoggard, the 10th Englishman to take a Test hat trick, at that stage had taken four for 21 off 11 overs.

Lara reached the break with bowler Tino Best at the other end.

The last Englishman to take a Test hat trick was Darren Gough against Australia in Sydney in January 1999.

England had been kept in the third Test on Friday when Graham Thorpe scored a magnificent 119 not out of England's first innings of 226. No other batsman scored more than 17.

The West Indies collapse had echoes of the first Test in Kingston, Jamaica, when there had been little between the sides in the first innings before West Indies collapsed to 47 all out in the second.

West Indies lost Chris Gayle, bowled by Steve Harmison for 15. before the close.

Thorpe, who came to the crease on 33 for three, batted flawlessly for his century after West Indies enjoyed two of their best sessions of the series.

Having lost their last seven wickets for 57 as they were all out for 224 on day one, West Indies needed something special from their bowlers and Fidel Edwards, with four for 70, provided it.

The use of Gayle, a part-time off-spinner, frustrated England's batsmen initially but while his 13 overs cost only 32 runs, the tail rarely had to face two of the home side's pace bowlers in tandem.

That allowed Thorpe to dominate the strike and the left-hander played impeccably for his second century at the Kensington Oval.

With Simon Jones and Harmison providing staunch support at the other end, Thorpe reached his 13th Test hundred with a stunning cross-bat drive down the ground, the century coming up in 181 balls.

Harmison was the last man out, bowled by Pedro Collins for three, but the fast bowler had his revenge by dismissing Gayle for 15 shortly before bad light ended play.

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