After a Lord’s Test that lasted six sessions and one hour there were concerns this series could go the same way as the farewell pint that Jimmy Anderson walloped on the balcony afterwards. But what this West Indies side lacks in experience they make up for in character and the second instalment here has been a tasty affair.
England were finally in the ascendancy by stumps on day three, sitting 248 for three and leading by 207 runs. But under a blanket of grey cloud and with the floodlights at full beam, they were pushed hard by West Indies. Not least after a maddening 10th-wicket stand of 71 runs between Joshua Da Silva (an unbeaten 82) and Shamar Joseph (33) in the morning that handed the tourists a precious 41-run advantage by lunch.
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By the same token, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will draw huge satisfaction from the response that followed. All the talk from the pair after the 3-1 defeat to India earlier this year was of “refining” so-called Bazball and while that first innings of 416 was a slightly wasteful affair given the sunny conditions and some of the dismissals, the pushback here – even factoring in a run-rate of 4.8 – hinted at a growing maturity.
If there was one blot on the copy book it was probably Zak Crawley’s dismissal in the second over. After a third-ball duck on the first morning, the opener was slow to ground his bat at the non-striker’s end and run out when Jayden Seales brushed a return drive from Ben Duckett on to the stumps in his follow-through. Batters call these dismissals unlucky – and the shot was hit hard, in fairness – but it was a bit dozy also.
Otherwise, the latest capacity crowd was witness to intelligent, assertive batting from England, something first set in motion by fluent half-centuries from Duckett, 76 from 92 balls, and Ollie Pope, 51 from 67. Harry Brook then upped the ante before the close, sending eight fours racing across this snooker table outfield for an unbeaten 71. With Joe Root bedding in for 37 not out at the other end, it made for a second century stand.
Brook, who signed off for the day by guiding the part-time spin of Kraigg Brathwaite to the third man boundary, will now be targeting his first Test hundred on home soil. He will face a refreshed West Indies attack, the pick of which was Alzarri Joseph with figures of two for 58. Both strikes came after the latest ball change, Pope driving the first delivery with it to gully and Duckett trapped lbw to a wonderful inswinging yorker from the Antiguan.
So-called moving day always felt like a bowling day as the spectators snaked their way down from the city centre first thing. While this was a boon for England’s initial task – five cheap wickets to prevent West Indies from overturning their 65-run overnight deficit – it also pointed to the potential for third-innings jeopardy. As such, credit was due.
Chris Woakes certainly welcomed the overheads and hit his straps early on, tickling an edge from Jason Holder for his 1,000th senior wicket across all formats. Gus Atkinson soon sent Kevin Sinclair on his way thanks to a sharp catch from Brook at gully, before Woakes wiped out Alzarri Joseph and Seales in the space of two balls to leave West Indies 386 for nine and still 30 behind.
Shamar Joseph impishly danced down the pitch to snuff out the hat-trick ball while at the other end was a relieved Da Silva on 44 not out. The Richards-Botham trophy is in West Indian hands thanks to the wicketkeeper’s unbeaten century in Grenada two years ago – a knock in which he shepherded the tail with gusto and brought a sorry end to Joe Root’s captaincy – and so it was not as if England were not warned.
What followed from both teams did not always make sense – Da Silva turning down singles late in overs, Stokes showing little interest in the senior man’s wicket – but there was little doubt as to which one profited. The pair led England a merry dance (71 runs) and put a small dent in Nottinghamshire’s coffers with it, Shamar Joseph smashing a few roof tiles on the Larwood & Voce Stand with a mighty six.
That terracotta-shattering blow from the Beracara Lara – as he shall now be known – had the spectators below ducking for cover underneath and, in a 16-run over off Atkinson, took West Indies into the lead. Just as damaging for Stokes was Da Silva ransacking an over of shod from Root for 18 more, sweeping three successive fours to the short square boundary and then clearing the rope with a muscular heave over deep midwicket.
It took the return of Mark Wood to snuff out the fun, a leading edge off Shamar Joseph finally rewarding the fast bowler’s wicketless efforts the previous day. Stokes would have preferred to keep his human catapult rested for the fourth innings and given this ground is where his side chased down 299 two years ago – and five wickets down – the England captain and players will start the fourth day with work still to do.
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