England dismissed West Indies for 282 but then lost both openers and nightwatchman Mark Wood to close an enthralling first day of the third Test at Edgbaston on 38-3, 244 runs behind.
Zak Crawley (18) and Ben Duckett (3) fell to consecutive deliveries when driving, with the former edging to slip off Jayden Seales (2-19), before Duckett – dropped earlier by Alzarri Joseph (1-10) – chopped one back onto his stumps. Wood was snapped up for a duck with just two overs left in the day.
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To start proceedings, on a belting-looking pitch for batting, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite (61) won the toss and, along with Mikyle Louis (26), battled bravely during the opening hour and a half’s play, sparking hopes of the touring side securing just their second score of note in the series.
But the frailty of their batting was soon exposed again as, following that 76-run opening stand, five wickets fell for 39 runs either side of lunch to suddenly have the West Indies wobbling on 115-5 – Mark Wood (2-52) sending Kirk McKenzie’s middle stump cartwheeling out the ground with a 91mph beauty.
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The visitors rallied somewhat, Jason Holder (59) first digging in and then throwing some counter punches on his way to a 13th Test fifty, sharing in a 109-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Joshua Da Silva (49).
The reintroduction of Chris Woakes (3-69) in the evening session brought about the breakthrough as Da Silva poked an edge behind to fall one short of a half-century, while Gus Atkinson (4-67) cleaned up Holder soon after as the West Indies lower order subsided.
But rather than prove the pitch’s suitability for batting, a frenetic England effort late in the day has again given hope to the visitors of finishing the series on a winning note.
Woakes masters art of swing to help skittle West Indies
Although Brathwaite’s side will have been thrilled to make first use of an Edgbaston pitch bathed in sunshine, there was plenty of swing on offer for England’s seamers throughout the day, and particularly early on.
Woakes, Atkinson and Wood all beat the bat on numerous occasions in the morning session, with batting proving especially challenging for Louis who took 22 balls to finally get off the mark.
He and Brathwaite stood firm for 95 minutes, the West Indies skipper notching a 30th Test fifty, before Atkinson finally found the edge as Louis poked one behind to England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
It opened the floodgates, as the scalps of McKenzie (12) and Alick Athanaze (2) were swiftly added, the latter chopping the final ball of the morning onto his stumps.
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Two wickets then fell in the space of three balls soon after the lunch interval, with Brathwaite’s resistance ended by Wood as he gloved a bit of a strangle down the legside before Kavem Hodge (13) badly misjudged a leave off Woakes that swung in a touch to flatten his off stump.
It was part of a terrific spell from Woakes, who was getting the ball moving both ways as England threatened to run through their opponents inside two sessions… until, suddenly, the pitch flattened out for a period.
Shoaib Bashir was brought into the attack late on in the afternoon session as seam suddenly looked less threatening, but Holder in particular took a liking to the 20-year-old off-spinner, smashing a glorious straight six down the ground and three boundaries in as many overs.
England’s bumper theory with Wood at the other end also wasn’t proving fruitful, but as Woakes returned after tea, so did England’s potency with the ball, Da Silva nicking off in his second over back into the attack.
He too accounted for Alzarri Joseph (15), who suffered a rather tame end when chipping one up to mid-off, while Atkinson scattered Holder’s stumps with a ripper of a delivery – full and nipping away – in the next over.
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Joe Root took one of the stranger, but more spectacular slip catches you’re likely to see off an Atkinson bouncer that did for Gudakesh Motie (8) – near enough unsighted, behind Smith, Root somehow pouched a one-handed diving grab – before Bashir (1-55) ended the innings with the wicket of Shamar Joseph (16).
But it wouldn’t be the final wicket to fall for the day, with three more added early in England’s reply, Seales and Holder at slip combining superbly for two of them to have the hosts in a spot of trouble going into day two.
Woakes: I’ve got better as series has gone on
England’s Chris Woakes after his 3-69, speaking to Sky Sports:
“When we bowled them out, I was really happy. Obviously, to lose three tonight is not ideal… not the perfect end to the day, I suppose.
“We’ve got to be happy for what we did, having lost the toss and bowling them out on what was a good pitch.
“I felt like the ball came out alright. I was fighting for a bit of rhythm, especially at Lord’s… I feel like I’ve got better as the series has gone on.
“We still feel it’s a good batting surface and hopefully our middle order batters can cash in, building a big partnership, and then runs down the order are key. We’re still looking to get ahead of them.”
England’s Test series vs West Indies
Watch day two of the third Test between England and West Indies, from Edgbaston in Birmingham, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Saturday (first ball to be bowled at 11am).
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