England given testing Ashes audition by resurgent West Indies on flat track

It could so easily have been Adelaide in December rather than Nottingham in July because day two of this Test match was a very useful dress rehearsal for what awaits in Australia next year.

A hot day, a flat surface that resembled the deadness of Adelaide Oval pre-drop in pitches, and some obdurate batting forced England to think hard and made James Anderson, with his feet up on the dressing room balcony railings, glad it was someone else’s turn to sweat.

This is what Ben Stokes wants – pitches and conditions that replicate the kind of situations overseas that blunt England. It is why he moved on Anderson, picked Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson, attacked with the bouncer and bowled Shoaib Bashir for a long spell from the Radcliffe Road End.

West Indies held their own for long periods but England will learn far more from getting in a scrap with their opponents than romping to victory like they did at Lord’s. Kevam Hodge showed the West Indies fortitude and talent that lurked beneath the Lord’s humbling, his century, his first in Test cricket at the age of 31, and a stand of 175 with fellow Dominican Alick Athanaze for the fourth wicket, was a spirited riposte to the bouncer barrage from Atkinson and Wood.

Another handy stand of 46 unbroken between Jason Holder, 23 off 67, and Josh da Silva, a more aggressive 32 from 35, was a frustrating bookend to the day, England leading by just 65 at the close, West Indies 351 for five and in the game.

The worry for England is that while West Indies created 14 chances on day one, they struggled to make breakthroughs for long periods and were wicketless in the afternoon session, Joe Root dropping Hodge on 16 as the contest evened out.

Wood bowled with such heart – his knees red raw form flinging himself to the ground – and pace that it was cruel he went wicketless. He beat the bat 18 times only to finish nought for 51, going off after one ball of his 15th over with a sore hamstring that England hope is just cramp.

There was a buzz, an electricity, coursing around Trent Bridge whenever Wood bowled and oohs and aahs when the big screen flashed up his pace in his first spell. His opening over and third over set new records for average pace in England (Hawkeye data only goes back as far as 2006), clocking in at 94 and 97 mph, and he was still going at over 90 when he went off.

Despite the reworked attack, England again failed to break through with the new ball. It was later, once the lacquer had worn off they looked more dangerous, and with Wood flinging it down, West Indies started to buckle under the duress. Stokes brought Bashir on early and he was tidy, bowled few bad balls and turned it more once he slowed down his bowling. But it was Wood he owed for his wickets, Bashir benefitting from two West Indians buckling – Mikyle Louis caught by Harry Brook running back from mid on and Kirk McKenzie trying to hit over the top just five minutes before lunch.

Atkinson had already worked over Kraigg Brathwaite with a bit of leg theory at the home of Harold Larwood; a bouncer was plopped to Ollie Pope at short leg for 48. So far, so easy for England. At lunch West Indies were 86 for three, their ticker under scrutiny again and England coasting to a nice first innings lead. With Holder at six, the tail is long and West Indies felt one wicket away from sinking fast.

Athanaze is regarded as the most naturally gifted of the next generation while the more experienced Hodge is a grafter, a player who relishes making runs in tough situations. He bumped into Michael Vaughan in Australia last year and emailed him before this tour asking for advice about how to bat in English conditions. Well, these were not English conditions but Hodge’s hunger for knowledge was matched by his attitude at the crease.

Both are from Dominica and for the tiny island to produce two Test batsmen at the same time is a massive source of national pride as well as a sign of how the bigger islands no longer dominate the first-class scene.

With the pitch offering nothing, Stokes unleashed his pace. He summoned Wood and positioned a leg slip, short leg, midwicket, fine leg, deep backward square leg and asked his bowler to bang it in.

This was a test of mettle and skill. Hodge looked to be wobbling, occasionally taking on the boundary, flapping a little at the bouncer but the ball landing safe. Hodge then nicked to Root, who grassed a sitter, and Wood dropped to his haunches. Somehow he managed the energy to get up again.

Atkinson was brought on as Stokes went with pace from both ends. He was no balled for bowling too many short balls while Wood struck Athanaze on the helmet on 48 with a 92 mph bouncer. But Hodge and Athanaze survived, both passed fifty and at tea it was now a contest – West Indies scoring at a nice rate in adding 123 in the session.

Stokes bowled a 10-over spell from the Stuart Broad End, the kind of flogging his knee could do without frankly. Preserving his health for Australia paramount but there is nobody to tell him otherwise and he did pick up the wicket, Athanaze caught in the gully for 82.

Hodge drove Stokes down the ground for his hundred, squealing in delight and running with one fist in the air before jumping into the arms of Holder. It was a well deserved moment of personal joy and appreciated by a full house. When he was leg before to Woakes, he was slapped on the back in appreciation by Root. Hodge should have thanked him in return for the lifeline.

Woakes bowled better with a replacement ball. It did not hoop like the one against Australia at the Oval but there was enough movement for Woakes who plugged away to contribute something to the cause but it was handy stand at the end between Holder, somehow hanging on, and Da Silva, who scored a hundred the last time West Indies beat England in Grenada. Suddenly, the second Test is a contest.

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Second Test, day two: as it happened

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06:52 PM BST

Kavem Hodge speaks to Sky Sports

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06:39 PM BST

CLOSE: West Indies 351/5

A good day’s Test cricket on a belter of a pitch, An excellent fourth wicket partnership of 175 between the two Dominicans Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge rescued a wobbling West Indies and, though Mark Wood bowled like the wind, helped them to their highest first-innings score in England since Headingley 2017.

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06:34 PM BST

OVER 84: West Indies 351/5 (Holder 23 Da Silva 32)

Holder pulls off the splice over the bowler. What a charmed life he has led today. They jog a single. Da Silva pulls a waist-height delivery for four having steered the previous ball down to gully on the bounce. He chisels out Atkinson’s yorker and off come the bails.

WI trail by 65 with five wickets in hand.

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06:30 PM BST

OVER 83: West Indies 346/5 (Holder 22 Da Silva 28)

Stokes starts what should be the last over of the day with a no-ball and then Da Silva squeezes a cover drive off the first legitimate ball for four. Five dot balls follow and Stokes hurries through them to ensure there’s another one. Da Silva delays things further by asking for a new pair of gloves.

England take the new ball – that was why Stokes rushed through to make time for one last dart.

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06:25 PM BST

OVER 82: West Indies 341/5 (Holder 22 Da Silva 24)

Atkinson, who bounced Holder out with the last ball of day two at Lord’s, tries another bumper and the batsman top edges his pull, the ball falling short of fine leg for a single.

The next bouncer is pat-a-cake stuff and Holder swats it through midwicket for four.

WI trail by 75 runs.

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06:21 PM BST

OVER 81: West Indies 335/5 (Holder 17 Da Silva 23)

Stokes retains the old ball and swings in a yorker that Da Silva chisels out. The England captain berates himself when he goes too full and wide with his outswinger and Da Silva climbs into it, belting a drive for four.

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06:17 PM BST

OVER 80: West Indies 329/5 (Holder 16 Da Silva 18)

Holder plays and misses (ctrlC ctrlV). Atkinson is fast enough but is getting nothing from the pitch and Holder’s charmed life continues with a whisk off his pads for a single.

Stokes goes very wide at mid-off to try to encourage the drive and Da Silva takes the bait but the ball comes off the inside edge and is dragged into the onside.

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06:13 PM BST

OVER 79: West Indies 327/5 (Holder 15 Da Silva 17)

Now Da Silva climbs into an outswinger and carves Woakes behind point for four. The ’keeper batsman looks in good nick. Amazing what a platform can do for a middle-order batsman.

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06:10 PM BST

OVER 78: West Indies 323/5 (Holder 15 Da Silva 13)

Perhaps that was too hasty, saying Holder had come through the storm because he chases Atkinson’s outswinger and almost nicks it. A very loose shot. Earlier in the over he had squirted the away swinger down to third man for a single but that was too wide to chase.

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06:05 PM BST

OVER 77: West Indies 321/5 (Holder 14 Da Silva 12)

Woakes pins Holder on the left knee with successive deliveries both, sadly for him, sliding down. The West Indies all-rounder uses his feet and flicks two to long leg on the walk and farms the strike with a single off his slower ball into the legside. As Mark Butcher says, Jason Holder has had a torrid time but is beginning to emerge from the storm.

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05:59 PM BST

OVER 76: West Indies 318/5 (Holder 11 Da Silva 12)

Wood’s day is done. He manages one ball of his 15th over and seems to be struck by cramp. He stretches out his right leg, thigh and calf but Stokes and Woakes tell him to go off and the captain calls up Atkinson to finish the over.

Da Silva drives and thick edges Atkinson wide of Brook at gully for four and follows that with a chunky pull for four more.

Deficit drops below a hundred. Now at 98.

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05:56 PM BST

OVER 75: West Indies 309/5 (Holder 10 Da Silva 4)

Woakes finds Holder’s splice as he pushes forward and the ball pops towards cover, falling short of the fielder. Holder uses his feet to work a single into the offside and then Woakes finally gets his reward for his best spell of the series.

Da Silva gets off the mark by spanking a half-volley for four through cover as Woakes went full, looking for outswing.

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05:51 PM BST

Wicket!

Hodge lbw b Woakes 120  Tight one but he goes on umpire’s call. Woakes angles one into the pads from wide of the crease, pins him on the top flap as he played back and up goes the finger. He was trying to whip it away but he could not free his bat.  FOW 305/5

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05:49 PM BST

WI review

Hodge lbw b Woakes  High?

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05:47 PM BST

OVER 74: West Indies 303/4 (Hodge 119 Holder 9)

Full-throated appeal from Stuart Broad in the Sky box when Hodge tries to pull Wood’s bouncer which jumps over his hands. ‘Glove,’ he says confidently. Wood wasn’t interested and he was right not to be. It missed them by a distance. The next short one is wide of off-stump and Hodge cleaves it for four behind point.

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05:43 PM BST

OVER 73: West Indies 298/4 (Hodge 114 Holder 9)

This has been by far Woakes’ best spell of the match as he finds the rhythm that was lost during a spring disrupted by the death of his father in May. Hodge jabs two through cover and works the inswinger for a single. Holder’s edge is found but for no reward.

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05:37 PM BST

OVER 72: West Indies 295/4 (Hodge 111 Holder 9)

If it was not for bad luck, Mark Wood would have none at all. First Holder nicks a defensive push short of first slip and is then beaten by a ripper than angle sin and snakes past edge and off-stump. Two outswingers follow, the 16th and 17th times today he has beaten the bat. Make that 18 when the final ball of the over mirrors the preceding two. His is still smiling, though and the crowd gives him a rapturous reception.

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05:33 PM BST

OVER 71: West Indies 295/4 (Hodge 111 Holder 9)

Woakes comes wider on the crease and pins Hodge on the thighpad with an inswinger that was heading down. Now, had that been the outswinger …

When the outswinger does come, Hodge has a big waft at it but misses. Gone fishing. Woakes’ first maiden.

WI trail by 121.

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05:27 PM BST

OVER 70: West Indies 295/4 (Hodge 111 Holder 9)

Maiden for Wood to Holder who plays it out with more confidence than he has hitherto demonstrated. An hour or 20 overs still to go.

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05:24 PM BST

OVER 69: West Indies 295/4 (Hodge 111 Holder 9)

Still swinging for Woakes. Holder is living a charmed life, beaten repeatedly outside off by Woakes and then top-edging a pull on the charge wide of midwicket. Woakes saw him coming and banged it in.

Wood will replace Stokes after his 10-over spell.

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05:16 PM BST

OVER 68: West Indies 293/4 (Hodge 111 Holder 8)

Stokes is running in for the 10th over a spell that began with two before tea. His pace is good, mid-eighties, but the pitch is too flat for his bouncer and Hodge pulls it brutally for four. A pair of deuces off Stokes’ induckers, flicked through the legside, herald a break.

On come the drinks.

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05:13 PM BST

OVER 67: West Indies 285/4 (Hodge 103 Holder 8)

Woakes replaces Wood after two overs to try to exploit this swinging ball. And he pins Holder with a booming, inswinging yorker that almost knocked him off his feet. Did far too much to send upstairs after their half-hearted appeal was turned down.

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05:07 PM BST

The best news of the day

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05:06 PM BST

OVER 66: West Indies 284/4 (Hodge 102 Holder 8)

Stokes drags his inswinger down and Hodge pulls it over leg slip for four. Stokes gets the next one right, a hooping inswinger that Hodge manages to keep out by jabbing his bat down into the blockhole.

Kavem Hodge makes his maiden Test century with a lovely off drive for four off an inswinger. Off comes the helmet. There is a roar of jubilation and a wonderful smile. In fact he shouted ‘Oneyeaaaaaaaaah!’ as the ball passed mid-off’s right hand. He also punches the air, while leaping midair, with his left hand.

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05:01 PM BST

OVER 65: West Indies 275/4 (Hodge 93 Holder 8)

Wood is swinging it too and is left to curse his misfortune when he goes full to Hodge and the ball beats the bat and off-stump by a gnat’s whisker. Stuart Broad says if he were standing at mid-off, he would say to Wood: “Smile Woody, it;s coming.”

Hodge scratches a single off his toes and Wood beats Holder with successive, brutes, the ball angling in at great pace and swinging away as Holder gropes for the ball with tentative front-foot pokes.

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04:56 PM BST

OVER 64: West Indies 274/4 (Hodge 92 Holder 8)

Stokes has Holder on toast as he finds some swing. He beats him outside off twice and almost finds the edge off a no-ball, the supreme effort ball that broke the strap on his boot.

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04:54 PM BST

OVER 63: West Indies 272/4 (Hodge 91 Holder 8)

Cracking cut from Hodge off Wood, carving it behind point for four, and he moves to 91 by chiselling a very full ball Sciver fashion to square leg.

Wood beats Holder all ends up but groans as the ball whistles past off stump with Holder almost in an S-shape.

WI trail by 144.

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04:50 PM BST

OVER 62: West Indies 267/4 (Hodge 86 Holder 8)

Jason Holder can bat but he’s not a Test No6. He shows his chops with a deliberate thick edge through the slips for four but then his vulnerability by splicing an edge just short of slip and then spooning a cut just over Duckett at cover, again off the splice. The ball runs away for four. Stokes thinks Duckett should have caught it but he would have needed to stand on a box and anyway, he didn’t see it until it was too late.

Stokes smells blood and brings back Wood.

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04:40 PM BST

Wicket!

Athanaze c Brook b Stokes 82  Shame for the lad who looked nailed on for the century he deserved but it’s a reward for the England captain’s willingness to take risks and tempt the batsmen. He angled it across the left-hander from over the wicket, inviting the drive. Athanaze gave it everything but the kitchen sink and Brook took a smart catch at gully.  FOW 259/4

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04:38 PM BST

OVER 61: West Indies 255/3 (Athanaze 82 Hodge 86)

Athanaze works two from outside off through the onside with slick wrists then twists a single off his pads. Hodge fences a short ball away for a single and, when he gets the strike back, tucks another off his hip.

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04:33 PM BST

OVER 60: West Indies 249/3 (Athanaze 75 Hodge 83)

Bashir twice beats Athanaze with flight and overspin which leaves him groping after drives. He is so raw but has such promise it makes perfect sense to persevere with him at Leach’s expense, I think. His greenness is evident when he starts too straight and the left-hander works him for a single through midwicket and then too short and Hodge clatters a pull, hard and flat for four.

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04:30 PM BST

OVER 59: West Indies 244/3 (Athanaze 74 Hodge 79)

Stokes summons some life out of the ball/pitch with a jaffa that angles in to Hodge, hits the deck, climbs and whistles past the edge. He encourages his charges at the end of an over that yielded three singles with a ‘C’mon, boys!’ Bless him. He thinks the game’s always afoot.

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04:27 PM BST

OVER 58: West Indies 241/3 (Athanaze 72 Hodge 78)

Now Hodge also makes his Test best score with a late cut off Bashir for four. He made 71 in his second Test at the Gabba in January. He also overtakes Athanaze and ends the over with another boundary, a scything square cut behind point for four more.

The Barmies are trying to raise spirits with a variety of Ollie Pope songs, one to the chorus of Chicory Tip’s Son of My Father. Ask, your parentsgrandparents.

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04:22 PM BST

OVER 57: West Indies 233/3 (Athanaze 72 Hodge 70)

Stokes suffers a dose of no-ballitis, serving up a couple to turn this over old school Australian with eight balls. Apart from the ‘sundries’, to keep with the Australian theme, Athanaze drives for a single and Hodge pulls for another.

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04:18 PM BST

OVER 56: West Indies 229/3 (Athanaze 71 Hodge 69)

Hodge smashes the ball out of shape by cantering down to Bashir and bludgeoning a drive over mid-off for four. This will be the third ball change of the innings. Hodge hares a single off an on-drive, Athanaze takes a couple of singles through the covers and Hodge ends the over by swivelling on the spot to cuff a pull for four more. The partnership is now 145*.

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04:12 PM BST

OVER 55: West Indies 218/3 (Athanaze 69 Hodge 60)

These two Dominican batsmen have shown great patience. They have accumulated and not worried when runs have dried up. Hodge works the ball off his legs for a single, Athanaze slaps one through cover and Hodge ends the over by defending stokes twice and letting two through to the keeper.

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04:07 PM BST

OVER 54: West Indies 216/3 (Athanaze 65 Hodge 59)

Bashir starts the evening session with 37 overs to fit in  by 6.30pm. He comes round the wicker to Athanaze and pitches on the left-hander’s middle and leg, too full. Athanaze flicks it fine for three. He errs too straight to Hodge who works four successive deliveries through the onside, finally finding a gap off the last ball to run a single.

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03:51 PM BST

Tea verdict

A tough session of Test cricket won by West Indies. The character and skill shown by Dominicans Alick Athanaze and Kevam Hodge to survive the afternoon and build a stand for the fourth wicket thwarted England who threw everything at the pair.

It was absorbing cricket as Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson combined for a half-hour spell of bouncers to a leg theory field, relying on raw pace and intimidation on a flat pitch and hot day to fashion a breakthrough. Had Joe Root held on to an edge off Hodge on 16 off Wood it would have worked and with a long tail, broken open the West Indies innings.

Athanaze was hit on the head by a skiddy bouncer from Wood but shook off the blow to chalk up a maiden Test fifty. West Indies played some shots too, it was not all about survival, with Athanaze hitting Shoaib Bashir for six and Hodge steering Atkinson for four for his fifty. England should have made more in their first innings, and if West Indies can continue this fightback, we may have a proper Test match on our hands.

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03:45 PM BST

TEA: West Indies 212/3

Terrific partnership of 128* sees West Indies through the session unscathed. Root’s drop at first slip reprieved Hodge when he had made only 16 and he has gone on to make the most of it. Ollie Pope was dropped three times yesterday, too. Woakes and Atkinson toiled a bit in the heat. Shoaib Bashir was tidy and Mark Wood like the wind … and unlucky to boot.

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03:42 PM BST

OVER 53: West Indies 212/3 (Athanaze 65 Hodge 58)

Last over before tea and Stokes ends it with a strangled appeal for leg-before. Looked like an inside edge as it crashed into the thigh pad. And it was too high. And angling down. Two balls earlier Hodge, who was given a life by Root, had tickled an angled, good length ball off his pads for four.

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03:38 PM BST

OVER 52: West Indies 208/3 (Athanaze 65 Hodge 54)

Bashir returns for a pre-tea spell from the Radcliffe Road End. Hodge works a dart off his toes square for a single and Athanaze, who has been diligent throughout, suddenly shakes out his pony tail, removes the specs and slog sweeps Bashir over wide long-on for the first six of the innings!

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03:34 PM BST

OVER 51: West Indies 201/3 (Athanaze 59 Hodge 53)

Ben Stokes brings himself on for the first time, replacing his Durham oppo Mark Wood. No one else has swung the ball, can he? Not yet. Hodge whips a single off his pads and Athanaze drives for three to the cover boundary which brings up the 200.

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03:32 PM BST

OVER 50: West Indies 196/3 (Athanaze 56 Hodge 52)

Fifty for Hodge by virtue of two fours off Atkinson, a thumping pull off Atkinson’s bouncer followed by a choppy back-cut down through third man. Atkinson hasn’t quite got this barrage right. His bouncers are either too legside or too high.

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03:27 PM BST

OVER 49: West Indies 185/3 (Athanaze 55 Hodge 43)

Wood stays on for a fifth over and continues round the wicket ti left- and right-hander alike. A well-disguised yorker catches Hodge by surprise and arrows into his shin. Big shout but it must have pitched outside leg from round the wicket. Yes, it did.

Hodge pulls a bouncer over his shoulder for a single then Athanaze raises the hundred partnership, West Indies’ first of the series, with a cracking square cut off what turned out to be a no-ball for four.

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03:20 PM BST

OVER 48: West Indies 178/3 (Athanaze 50 Hodge 42)

Hodge takes on Atkinson’s bouncer and slaps it on the pull behind square for four. Atkinson goes shorter still, too short, and the ball balloons over the Drummer’s head for a wide. Hodge tucks a single off his ribs and Athanaze flap-hooks off his hip down to deep backward square for the two that takes him to a maiden Test half-century

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03:20 PM BST

OVER 48: West Indies 178/3 (Athanaze 50 Hodge 42)

Hodge takes on Atkinson’s bouncer and slaps it on the pull behind square for four. Atkinson goes shorter still, too short, and the ball balloons over the Drummer’s head for a wide. Hodge tucks a single off his ribs and Athanaze flap-hooks off his hip down to deep backward square for the two that takes him to a maiden Test half-century

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03:13 PM BST

Athanaze’s OK (but needs a new helmet)

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03:11 PM BST

OVER 46: West Indies 170/3 (Athanaze 48 Hodge 37)

Wood carries on for a fourth over, still in the nineties. Athanaze leans inside a bouncer that again seemed to follow him, breezing past his adam’s apple. A back of a length delivery doesn’t get up and Athanaze fiddles it off his pads for a single. That takes him to a Test best 48.

Hodge ducks under a bouncer then pulls another fine, Brook making an athletic stop at long leg that keeps it down to a single.

The last ball is a horrible bouncer that skids through and thumps the ducking Athanaze on the badge of his helmet. That was a clonking blow. England immediately rally round the batsman, Wood pats him on the back. Athanaze is smiling but will need a concussion test to continue.

On comes the physio and doctor.

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03:05 PM BST

OVER 45: West Indies 168/3 (Athanaze 47 Hodge 36)

Gustavo Atkinson replaces Shoaib Bashir from the Radcliffe Road End and tries some of the Wood medicine. Being 8mph slower, though, makes it easier for Hodge and he wallops a pull for four. That was the third short ball in succession and when he tries another he is no-balled. Hodge pulls another single and Athanaze clips one off his pads when Atkinson eventually pitches it up.

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03:01 PM BST

OVER 44: West Indies 161/3 (Athanaze 46 Hodge 31)

‘Woo, hoo, hoo,’ says a smiling Hodge when he ducks under a vicious Wood bouncer that seemed to follow him and then next ball gloves another rib-tickler wide of a diving Jamie Smith down the legside for four.

Hodge short-arm pulls a waist-high short ball fine of square leg for a single.

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02:55 PM BST

OVER 43: West Indies 154/3 (Athanaze 45 Hodge 25)

Athanaze takes to the dancefloor, chassés down to Bashir and lofts a drive over mid-on for four. Not middled but hit hard enough. The left-hander cuffs a single off the spinner round the corner and watches on as Hodge pulls a drag down for four more. They’re clearly enjoying batting together these two compatriots and gleefully steal a single with tip and run to cover point.

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02:51 PM BST

OVER 42: West Indies 144/3 (Athanaze 40 Hodge 20)

Root drops Hodge off Wood. Atherton, a good first slipper himself, says ‘that’s a bad miss by Root’. Hodge was hanging back for the short one and pushed his hands at it when he realised it was pitched up, nicking off to Root’s left. Root dives, gets his hands to it but it bursts through and hits him on the knee. It flew at him but still should have been taken.

Hodge defends off the back foot, sways out of the road of a perfume ball angling in towards his nose then pulls off his midriff in front of square for four.

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02:46 PM BST

OVER 41: West Indies 137/3 (Athanaze 40 Hodge 16)

Athanaze takes two singles off Bashir and Hodge one after a lengthy delay to change the ball.

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02:38 PM BST

OVER 40: West Indies 137/3 (Athanaze 39 Hodge 14)

He starts at 90mph with an inswinger that Hodge defends and then the right-hander takes on the bouncer and top-edges a pull short of fine leg for a single. Athanaze thumps a cover drive for four with glorious timing but is cramped from round the wicket by the short ball and pops it round the corner. Ungainly.

The final ball is supposed to be the yorker but it pitches three inches too short and Athanaze flays it through midwicket with a ‘leg drive’ for four that raises the 50 partnership.

Time for drinks – and a ball change as it returns from the rope and won’t go through the handcuffs.

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02:34 PM BST

OVER 39: West Indies 128/3 (Athanaze 31 Hodge 13)

Bashir is penalised for overstepping and Hodge flicks the no-ball for a single to double the return. Athanaze also adds a single to his score with a back-foot clip through the offside.

Here comes Mark Wood. He needs a better nickname than ‘Woody’. ‘Typhoon’, ‘Fiery Fred’, ‘The Demon’, ‘Whispering Death’ are proper nicknames for quicks.

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02:29 PM BST

OVER 38: West Indies 125/3 (Athanaze 30 Hodge 12)

Did you learn Drummer Hodge by Thomas Hardy at school? Can’t get it out of my head watching this lad bat. Woakes is given another over – to allow him to find some rhythm, says Nasser Hussain – but again it’s a Bertie Bassett over. An overpitched outswinger sits up as a half-volley and Hodge square drives it for four. Speaking of Nasser, that was his shot.

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02:25 PM BST

OVER 37: West Indies 121/3 (Athanaze 30 Hodge 8)

Stokes gives Bashir a short mid-on for Athanaze. It’s Ben Duckett standing there and Athanaze decides to have a go, clouting an on drive, clawing at the ball as he closed his left writs too soon. It bypassed Duckett but no’ but just and ran down for four. Had Zak Crawley been stationed there, it may well have been out. The next ball is tossed further up and Athanaze times the pants off an elegant off-drive for four more.

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02:21 PM BST

OVER 36: West Indies 112/3 (Athanaze 22 Hodge 7)

Hodge lets a couple of outswingers through to the keeper, defends the inswinger and the one angled into his toes but tickles the one that Woakes spears on to leg stump for a single fine.

Wood has been off for an over to apply his bowling strappings and should be coming on soon.

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02:16 PM BST

OVER 35: West Indies 111/3 (Athanaze 22 Hodge 6)

Bashir is obviously a work in progress. It’s his fifth Test but only his 15th first-class match. Generally, when bowling a fourth-stump line to the right-hander he has looked dangerous but occasionally drifts too straight and here allows Hodge to whip it away off middle for a single.

His line to Athanaze has been more consistent from round the wicket. He needs to bowl straight to the left-hander and turn it away and does so, Athanaze defending cautiously.

Nelson!

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02:13 PM BST

OVER 34: West Indies 110/3 (Athanaze 22 Hodge 5)

Fine shot from Athanaze, smeared on the up just in front of cover point for four. Woakes wants him playing that shot having seen him nick off twice at Lord’s but that was too wide.

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02:10 PM BST

OVER 33: West Indies 106/3 (Athanaze 18 Hodge 5)

Hodge hacks at a cut shot, knocks the ball off the bottom edge into the grass whence it trampolines over Root’s head at slip. They run a single. Stokes gives Bashir a short leg and leg slip for Athanaze because, I presume, his bat sometimes comes down late into the front pad. He does, indeed, defend a couple to short leg but picks off the fuller one with a flick off the toes for a single.

Trent Bridge’s afternoon session is always notable for its air of peaceful contentment. Edgbaston, Headingley and Old Trafford it is not.

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02:05 PM BST

OVER 32: West Indies 104/3 (Athanaze 17 Hodge 4)

Jason Holder got a couple of balls to spit up off a good length yesterday and now Woakes does the same, his inswinger ramping into Athanaze’s gloves as he took late, evasive action. Woakes’ pitch map suggests 50 per cent of his deliveries have been back of a length today and Ian Bishop implores him to pitch it 12 inches fuller more consistently.

Woakes, who stays over the wicket to left-handers, drifts on to Athanaze’s pads and he skelps it through square leg for two.

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02:01 PM BST

OVER 31: West Indies 102/3 (Athanaze 15 Hodge 4)

Athanaze drills a drive through mid-on for a single and Bashir ties Hodge up with five dot balls, tossing the ball higher and getting it to dip menacingly with Lyonesque overspin.

Bashir is bowling very well on a day two pitch.

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01:59 PM BST

OVER 30: West Indies 101/3 (Athanaze 14 Hodge 4)

Hodge was caught at point at Lord’s by Pope and he is placed there again, 15 yards from the bat. Woakes drifts on to his pads, however and the young Dominican right-hander whips it away for a well-run two to bring up West Indies’ hundred. Athanaze is also Dominican.

The only previous Dominicans I can recall playing Tests are the three Shillingfords. And Phil De Freitas, who was born there in 1966.

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01:54 PM BST

OVER 29: West Indies 99/3 (Athanaze 14 Hodge 2)

It’s starting to turn for Bashir, particularly noticeable when Hodge plays off the back foot with soft wrists. He misses out on a short one, eyes lighting up and completing the stroke greedily before the ball had got there but takes a single off the last ball with a flick off his toes.

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01:50 PM BST

OVER 28: West Indies 98/3 (Athanaze 14 Hodge 1)

Back of a length from Woakes and the ball sits up invitingly for Athanaze to punch it through extra-cover for four. They know he likes a fish outside off but that length is all wrong.

Two balls later and Woakes gets it spot on, kissing the edge as the left-hander thrusts his hands at a defensive but the ball falls well short of slip. Woakes tries pitching it up even further, errs too far and Athanaze creams a cover drive off a half-volley for another boundary.

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01:46 PM BST

OVER 27: West Indies 90/3 (Athanaze 6 Hodge 1)

Bashir resumes after lunch, round the wicket to the left-handed Athanaze. He has impressed with his control, variations in pace, drop and bounce. No significant turn, though. Maybe on Sunday if the Test lasts that long

Athanaze pushes a single to cover off the second ball and Hodge plays the next four, mostly off the back foot, but cannot work the ball into the onside past a fielder.

Woakes will return for a second spell, this time from the PavStuart Broad End. No swing on a belter of a day that reminds one of Cardus’ “Trent Bridge is a lotus land for batsmen, a place where it was always afternoon and 360 for two wickets”.

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01:39 PM BST

Good afternoon

Rob Bagchi here, taking over from Mr Smyth. Here’s another pic of the Bashir wicket-taking possible no-ball with his foot grounded before delivery. Looks over to me but accept that the angle is not ideal.

Law 21.5.2 states: The bowler’s front foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded or raised behind the popping crease.

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01:15 PM BST

Lunchtime verdict

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01:11 PM BST

This Ashes 2023 documentary looks really good

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01:04 PM BST

Watch: McKenzie falls to Bashir

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01:03 PM BST

Lunch

That was a really enjoyable morning session, in which England did very well to take three wickets on a flat pitch. Two of them were partially gifted to Shoaib Bashir, but Gus Atkinson bounced out Kraigg Brathwaite and Mark Wood bowled possibly the fastest spell ever by an England bowler.

Pace, rough stuff and quality spin: it’s the future.

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01:02 PM BST

OVER 26: West Indies 89/3 (Athanaze 5 Hodge 1)

Hodge survives an over of short stuff from Atkinson, over and around the wicket, and that’s lunch.

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12:57 PM BST

OVER 25: West Indies 89/3 (Athanaze 5 Hodge 1)

Athanaze cuts Bashir crisply for his first boundary.

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12:54 PM BST

Wicket!

McKenzie c Stokes b Bashir Yum yum yum: Shoaib Bashir has struck again! It was a horrible and slightly odd shot from McKenzie, who dragged Bashir straight to Stokes at mid-on. Not sure what he was trying to do there.

It was very close to being a no-ball from Bashir. In fact, looking at replays I think Bashir is a bit fortunate. FOW: 84/3

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12:52 PM BST

OVER 24: West Indies 83/2 (McKenzie 11 Athanaze 0)

Now it’s McKenzie’s turn to be roughed up by Atkinson. After avoiding a few short balls, he belts the surprise full delivery to the cover boundary.

England have done pretty well to get two wickets this morning; a third before lunch would make the chicken, leek & chanterelles taste a whole lot better. Should be time for two more overs, three at a push.

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12:46 PM BST

OVER 23: West Indies 79/2 (McKenzie 7 Athanaze 0)

Two left-handers in now for Bashir, who beats McKenzie with a delivery that skids on. The commentators think Stokes is saving himself for when/if the ball reverse swings. There’s every chance on a day like today. Good luck facing Mark Wood if it does.

Bashir has bowled quite nicely: 7-0-24-1.

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12:43 PM BST

Echoes of Larwood

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12:42 PM BST

OVER 22: West Indies 78/2 (Brathwaite 46 McKenzie 5)

Atkinson almost bowls Athanaze first ball! It was an excellent yorker that Athanaze jammed into the ground, with the ball almost rolling back onto the stumps.

“They call it the ‘getaway-from-me’ shot in the West Indies – the one that Kraigg Brathwaite involuntarily played against Gus Atkinson,” writes Scyld Berry. “The captain would have been better off ducking the issue as Atkinson angled it in nicely.”

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12:40 PM BST

Wicket!

Brathwaite c Pope b Atkinson 48 Gus Atkinson has bounced out Kraigg Brathwaite superbly! After a couple of bumpers – one perfect, one too short – Atkinson dug in another that Brathwaite flapped to Pope short leg. That’s terrific flat-wicket bowling; the line was spot on. FOW: 78/2

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12:35 PM BST

OVER 21: West Indies 77/1 (Brathwaite 48 McKenzie 7)

Stokes is still on the attack, with a slip and short leg for Bashir. Three singles from the over; it might be time for Stokes or Woakes at this end to see if it’s swinging now the lacquer has come off the ball.

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12:32 PM BST

OVER 20: West Indies 74/1 (Brathwaite 46 McKenzie 5)

Apparently McKenzie’s middle names are Sanjay and Alexander, his father’s tribute to Sanjay Manjrekar and Alec Stewart. He must have been gutted when he realised Kirk was left-handed.

Another fairly harmless over from Atkinson, who is clipped firmly for four by Brathwaite. After that fantasy debut at Lord’s, he’s experienced his first bit of hard yakka in a Test match.

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12:28 PM BST

OVER 19: West Indies 69/1 (Brathwaite 42 McKenzie 5)

A rare loose delivery from Bashir is pulled for four by Brathwaite, his seventh boundary of the morning. He has set an admirable example for his team this morning, particularly in his shot selection.

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12:25 PM BST

OVER 18: West Indies 64/1 (Brathwaite 36 McKenzie 5)

Atkinson replaces Wood, whose figures of 4-1-11-0 tell almost nothing of the story, and is punched confidently down the ground for four by McKenzie. Batting still looks very comfortable against anything under 93mph; England will hope a replacement ball – the old one is out of shape – changes that.

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12:17 PM BST

OVER 17: West Indies 60/1 (Brathwaite 36 McKenzie 1)

The new batter Kirk McKenzie gives Bashir a left-hander to play with. He starts round the wicket and has an optimistic LBW appeal turned down second ball. Looked high and might have missed leg, though it wasn’t a great shot.

Edit: McKenzie would have been out had England reviewed! The ball was hitting the top of leg stump, but England barely discussed going upstairs.

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12:14 PM BST

OVER 16: West Indies 59/1 (Brathwaite 36 McKenzie 0)

This will probably be Wood’s last over. He digs one into the ribs of Brathwaite, who rides the bounce and works it fine for four. It’s Wood’s least threatening over to date, though that isn’t really a criticism given how he started.

These were the speeds in Wood’s first three overs.

1st over
93.3
95.7
95.1
92.1
96.4
94.8

2nd over
94.4
94.1
94.8
94.5
94.
95.1

3rd over
95
93
95
96
97.1
94

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12:12 PM BST

Brook fast improving in the field

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12:11 PM BST

OVER 15: West Indies 53/1 (Brathwaite 30 McKenzie 0)

That was the last ball of the over. No idea what happened to Mikyle Louis there; he was totally solid and then he went mad.

“No better illustration of bowling being all about partnerships,” writes Scyld Berry at Trent Bridge. “Mikyle Louis, surely, would never have gone for two successive yahoos against Shoaib Bashir if Mark Wood had not been rattling his beans at the other end. Express pace and real spin: it is always the ideal way to go in Test cricket, especially overseas.”

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12:10 PM BST

Wicket!

Louis c Brook b Bashir 21

Out of nothing, the hitherto watchful Louis has a wild hack at Bashir, dragging the ball through square leg for four. Louis appears to have malfunctioned, because he has another go next ball and is superbly caught by Harry Brook. He blasted the ball miles in the air and Brook ran back from mid-on to take a beautifully judged catch over his shoulder. FOW: 51/1

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12:04 PM BST

Danger! High voltage

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12:02 PM BST

OVER 14: West Indies 48/0 (Brathwaite 29 Louis 17)

Wood’s third over is even faster than the first two, including a sizzling bouncer that is clocked at 97.1mph. Louis sways out of the way and handles the rest of the over with admirable assurance. It’s a maiden, and that’s drinks. There was a big gasp from the crowd when 97.1mph appeared on the big screen.

West Indies have won the first hour, though history will probably recall it for a volcanic start from Mark Wood.

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11:56 AM BST

OVER 13: West Indies 48/0 (Brathwaite 29 Louis 17)

Brathwaite, who is scoring very quickly by his standards, sweeps Bashir firmly for four. No real turn or bounce yet for Bashir.

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11:54 AM BST

The human catapult

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11:52 AM BST

OVER 12: West Indies 39/0 (Brathwaite 24 Louis 15)

Wood’s first over was the fastest by an England bowler in a home Test since ball-tracking records began in 2006. His second is equally hot, at least to the naked eye: Brathwaite is beaten twice outside off stump and fends away a nasty short ball. Wood looks well and truly on it, just as he did in his first outing last summer.

Update: Wood’s second over was officially even quicker than the first.

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11:50 AM BST

Thinking fast and slow

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11:50 AM BST

England left some runs out there

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11:47 AM BST

OVER 11: West Indies 38/0 (Brathwaite 24 Louis 14)

Shoaib Bashir comes on after just 10 overs, a nice attacking move from Ben Stokes with nothing happening for the seamers. Brathwaite has a bit of fortune when the ball deflects off the back of the bat and flies over Smith’s shoulder.

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11:44 AM BST

OVER 10: West Indies 36/0 (Brathwaite 22 Louis 14)

Mark Wood makes something happen straight away. His first ball, 93.9 mph, draws a thick outside edge from Louis that runs away for two. That’s just about his first false stroke all morning.

His second ball is 96mph – I say! – and roars past the outside edge. Louis then digs out a very sharp yorker and gets down the other end. Top stuff from Wood.

“England are not that big on listening to outside noise, but these are not exactly the conditions they’d have craved for their first go post Anderson and Broad,” writes Will Macpherson at Trent Bridge. “Decent pitch, perfect blue skies, and little threat from Chris Woakes or Gus Atkinson, neither of whom are quite on it. Anyway, Mark Wood has turned up and flung it down at 96mph second ball.”

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11:39 AM BST

OVER 9: West Indies 32/0 (Brathwaite 21 Louis 11)

Woakes pitches one up to Brathwaite, who drives excellently for four. The consensus is that England have been slightly short this morning, but the ball isn’t moving so you can understand their reluctance to go full.

It’s been a serene first 40 minutes for West Indies. Now it’s time for Mark Wood.

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11:37 AM BST

OVER 8: West Indies 25/0 (Brathwaite 17 Louis 8)

Louis gets his first boundary with a crisp off-drive off the bowling of Atkinson. West Indies look very comfortable in excellent batting conditions; it might be time for a bit of mayhem from Mark Wood.

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11:29 AM BST

OVER 7: West Indies 20/0 (Brathwaite 17 Louis 3)

A poor ball from Woakes, short and wide, is clattered to the cover boundary by Brathwaite. Later in the over Brathwaite is surprised by a bit of extra bounce and pulls his hand off the bat handle.

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11:25 AM BST

OVER 6: West Indies 16/0 (Brathwaite 13 Louis 3)

Atkinson bowls a sharp bouncer to Brathwaite, who sways outside the line of the ball. Two balls later he bowls a lovely delivery that beats Brathwaite’s cautious defensive push.

Brathwaite, who looks in a bed-and-breakfast kinda mood, responds with a back-foot square drive for four.

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11:22 AM BST

OVER 5: West Indies 11/0 (Brathwaite 8 Louis 3)

According to CricViz this is the least new-ball movement there has been in a decade. Woakes bowls another accurate over, but there’s still no real sign of swing or seam.

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11:17 AM BST

OVER 4: West Indies 10/0 (Brathwaite 7 Louis 3)

Ben Stokes clearly reads The Telegraph as he has just put in a short leg for Atkinson. The early signs are that Stokes will need to be at his most imaginative today.

A quiet over from Atkinson; West Indies look happy to see off the new ball and go from there. And why not.

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11:13 AM BST

OVER 3: West Indies 10/0 (Brathwaite 7 Louis 3)

Mikyle Louis played pretty well at Lord’s in difficult circumstances. He only made 27 and 14 but he looked solid defensively and very calm for a debutant.

He has started confidently here, as has Brathwaite, who rolls the wrists to flick Woakes through square leg for two. Nothing happening for England so far.

“My initial thoughts are that you’ll need catchers in front of the wicket today,” says Stuart Broad. “You can then bowl a few cutters.”

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11:10 AM BST

Don’t wait till the horse has bolted

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11:09 AM BST

OVER 2: West Indies 7/0 (Brathwaite 5 Louis 2)

Gus Atkinson is given the new ball ahead of Mark Wood. He doesn’t do it often for Surrey – this is just the eighth time in his career apparently – but you can understand why England want to explore his potential at every stage of the innings.

Atkinson, bowling stump to stump and back of a length, is worked into the leg side for a few singles. An accurate first over – but there’s been no movement so far, which is really encouraging for West Indies.

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11:04 AM BST

OVER 1: West Indies 4/0 (Brathwaite 4 Louis 0)

“This is a perfect day for batting,” says Stuart Broad on commentary. “If you’re out of form, this is what you dream of.”

Kraigg Brathwaite gets West Indies going with a crisp square drive for four. That was the only delivery that Woakes pitched up; the rest was on a length, mostly very straight.

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11:01 AM BST

Time for business

For only the second time in a home Test, and the first since 2016, Chris Woakes will bowl the first over.

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10:54 AM BST

Scorchio!

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10:48 AM BST

England’s warm-up

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10:27 AM BST

And now for something completely different

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10:25 AM BST

Ben Duckett talks to Sky Sports

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10:15 AM BST

Stokes offers tantalising allround hope

Read more…

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10:12 AM BST

Watch: Sinclair performs somersault celebration

One of the highlights of yesterday’s play was the signature backflip from Kevin Sinclair, the spinner who came into the side at the last minute when Gudakesh Motie felt unwell.

Read more…

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10:08 AM BST

Good morning

In their last Test match of the 20th century, England won the toss and batted first against South Africa at Durban. They batted the entirety of the first two days before declaring on 366/9. Yep, 366/9 in 166.4 overs. The world has changed a helluva lot since then, and yesterday nobody batted an eyelid at England scoring over 400 on the first day of a Test match.

They were eventually bowled out for 416, and it’s harder than usual to know whether they over or underachieved. There were some Poundland dismissals, yet there was also some dodgy catching and desperate bowling from West Indies. You can only judge a pitch when both teams have batted on it, and today will reveal all.

Despite their reputation as no-hopers in English conditions, West Indies have won a live Test on each of their last two tours. If they are to make it three, they need to be batting at the close – and not after following on.

The pitch looks true and the sun is out, so there’s nothing for West Indies to fear except the fear that apparently drove them to bat first yesterday. Kraigg Brathwaite was widely criticised for that decision; by bedding in for one his marathon innings today, he can shut us all up.

Ollie Pope silenced a few doubters yesterday, top-scoring with a lively 121 to end a poor run of form for club and country. “I’m happy with the way I went about my stuff and obviously there was a nice couple of drops, which always helps,” he said. “The luck wasn’t with me in my county stint. I wouldn’t say I had doubts but sometimes you think, ‘Why’s everyone else in the country scoring runs in county cricket but England’s number three isn’t going out and averaging 50 this summer?’”

Read Nick Hoult’s day one report