England were 71 without loss and in total control at stumps on day three of the first test at Lord's on Saturday after Andrew Flintoff took three wickets for no runs to help dismiss West Indies for 416.
Marcus Trescothick had made a steady 34 and Andrew Strauss, who scored 137 in the first innings, was 27 not out as the home side built a lead of 223.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with an unbeaten 128, had earlier calmly pushed West Indies past their target of 369 to avoid the follow-on after England amassed 568 in their first innings.
However, Flintoff made sure England started their second innings with a lead of 152, finishing with three for 25 from 10.
The bulky all rounder was only brought into the attack in the 76th over having just recovered from an ankle injury.
He bowled the obstinate Omari Banks off his pads for 45 before sending Tino Best's stumps flying next ball. Pedro Collins (0) easily dealt with his tame hat-trick ball but could do nothing two overs later when Flintoff uprooted his off stump.
Flintoff originally pulled out of England's recent triangular one-day series because of a spur on his ankle but was drafted in as a batsman and did not bowl.
Spinner Ashley Giles wrapped up the innings, bowling Fidel Edwards (5) for his fourth wicket.
Ridley Jacobs earlier fell for 32, caught behind off Matthew Hoggard, having survived a difficult dropped catch by Flintoff in the slips.
Banks also received two let-offs when Graham Thorpe failed to gather a diving catch at mid-on and Steve Harmison could only get a hand to a drive when Banks again went after Giles on 24.
Harmison, the world's number two-ranked bowler, was wicketless and failed to threaten, going for 72 from 21 overs.
England's only breakthrough of the morning session was the dismissal of debutant Dwayne Bravo for 44.
Pace bowler Simon Jones managed to make a ball climb off a decent length, almost the first delivery to misbehave in the match, and Bravo could do nothing but flick the ball high to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.
Bravo, who took three for 74 in England's first innings, shared a 125-run stand with Chanderpaul, a record fifth-wicket partnership for the tourists at Lord's.