Technology dominated at Sabina Park as England struggled for breakthroughs against West Indies in the first Test.

The umpire review system helped England gain an initial dismissal but soon denied them a second and the hosts had ominously piled up 160 for one by the close of the second day.

Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan both struck unbeaten half-centuries to put their side well on the way to overhauling the tourists' 318 all out.

Andrew Flintoff made the first incision, after being thrown the new ball, when New Zealand umpire Tony Hill's initial decision to give Devon Smith not out from a leg-before appeal in the sixth over was overturned.

But the appliance of technology also scrubbed off a wicket for Steve Harmison, England's hero here five years ago, who celebrated an early comeback success when Hill's finger pointed skywards in answer to another lbw shout.

Hill, only standing in the contest because Sri Lankan official Asoka de Silva could not obtain a visa, adjudged Sarwan out after he was pinned on the back foot but, after a 'T' sign from the batsman and a lengthy delay, a reprieve was granted.

Television umpire Daryl Harper advised that the ball, which struck the batsman above the knee role, would in his opinion be passing over the top of the stumps.

By that stage England had already lost one of their two challenges to umpiring calls - Flintoff erroneously contesting that one of his deliveries to Sarwan pitched on leg rather than outside.

And with West Indies captain Gayle watchful in defence and murderous in attack, the home team progressed serenely.

Although his career ratio of converting starts into three figures is poor, Gayle came into this campaign on the back of 197 in his previous innings, against New Zealand in Napier.

And Sarwan, whose career statistics are virtually a mirror image of Gayle's in appearances and runs, kept pace with his second-wicket partner.

All-rounder Flintoff was given a new role by captain Andrew Strauss, having passed a fitness check to take part in the first match of a four-Test series.

Strauss spoke in the build-up about redefining Flintoff as a strike bowler and reverted to the brief first given to the 31-year-old in India back in 2001, but dealt him sparingly since.

It proved an explosive start as well as he dismissed left-handed opener Smith, who was struck on the back leg hopping in his crease, apparently having failed to pick up the ball.

Gayle countered Flintoff's fire when he lofted a straight six from his second ball, via an extraordinary checked drive, and then felt one whistle past his nose end at 89 miles per hour.

Harmison's introduction was greeted with similar disdain: a ferocious pull clearing the rope at midwicket.

Harmison's previous Test display here of seven for 12, a career-best, resulted in West Indies being bundled out for just 47 in the second innings of a 10-wicket England win.

But the portents were different today with Gayle, whose 50 came off 70 balls, completing a hat-trick of sixes with a straight blow off Monty Panesar.

Earlier Matt Prior celebrated passing 50 for the seventh time in 13 Tests to counter-act the loss of Flintoff early on the second morning.

Flintoff failed to add to his overnight score of 43 but Prior struck 64 as the tourists developed their position of 236 for five.

Flintoff, who persuaded the team management of his fitness following a side strain on the eve of the series opener, failed to build on his dogged display yesterday.

Having been beaten by a beauty from fast bowler Daren Powell two balls earlier, Flintoff guided a long hop straight to point to give West Indies success in just the third over of the morning.

Stuart Broad also departed to the second new ball, taken in the second over today, when he sliced a drive at Jerome Taylor straight to gully.

But Prior's quality at number seven once again came to England's aid as a number of impressive boundaries took him to a half-century from 84 balls.

Prior drove exquisitely throughout, aside from the stroke which brought up his landmark, an edge to the third man boundary.

He was just into his stride, in fact, easing an on-drive for four off Powell and following up in the next over by guiding Fidel Edwards' first delivery of the day behind square for another boundary, when he was dismissed.

Prior's drive at Sulieman Benn, the hosts' outstanding bowler, proved too close to the giant left-arm spinner, who snaffled the catch moving to his left.

But tail-enders Ryan Sidebottom and Harmison guided their side beyond 300 thanks to a bodged attempt by Shivnarine Chanderpaul when the pair had not begun their ninth-wicket account.

Sidebottom skied an attempted pull off Edwards to mid-off but Chanderpaul fluffed it and gestured to his colleagues he had lost sight of the ball in the sun.

It was not until after lunch, therefore, that the innings was wrapped up.

Harmison and Panesar both came out on the wrong side of referrals, as lbw decisions to Taylor and Benn respectively were upheld by Australian Harper.