Root and Brook build England lead over West Indies

Second Rothesay Test (day 3 of five), Trent Bridge

England 416 (Pope 121; A Joseph 3-98) & 248-3 (Duckett 76, Brook 71*)

West Indies 457 (Hodge 120, Athanaze 82, Da Silva 82*; Woakes 4-84)

England lead by 207 runs

Scorecard

England recovered from a chaotic greeting to build a patient lead complete West Indies connected nan 3rd time of nan 2nd Test astatine Trent Bridge.

The hosts ended nan time connected 248-3, taken to an advantage of 207 by a prestigious unbroken business of 108 betwixt Joe Root and Harry Brook.

England ended nan time connected top, yet were thing but erstwhile Joshua da Silva and Shamar Joseph were adding 71 for nan past West Indies wicket.

Efficient pinch nan 2nd caller ball, England reduced nan visitors to 386-9, still 30 behind, only for Ben Stokes’ broadside to employment immoderate baffling strategies and surrender nan initiative.

England dispersed nan section for Da Silva successful nan dream of exposing Joseph and alternatively released nan pressure.

Da Silva clobbered 3 sixes and Joseph 2 of his own, 1 that showered spectators pinch surgery tile tiles.

When Joseph was yet retired for 33, Da Silva was stranded connected 82 not retired and West Indies had reached 457, their largest full successful this state since 1995.

England’s shortage of 41 was wiped retired by 76 from Ben Duckett and 51 by Ollie Pope, only for nan lucifer to plaything again erstwhile some were dismissed successful nan abstraction of 8 Alzarri Joseph deliveries.

But Brook moved to 71* and Root 37* to time off England favourites to triumph nan Test and nan series.

This was different engrossing time successful a fabulous Test, 1 that could yet nutrient a grandstand finish.

That England are not already retired of show is down to their ain failings. They should person sewage much runs successful nan first innings, dropped Kavem Hodge successful his 120, past took time off of their tactical senses during nan business betwixt Da Silva and Shamar Joseph.

West Indies merit tremendous in installments for their response to being hammered successful nan first Test and their fighting tone was again connected show arsenic they scrapped a first-innings lead and pegged backmost England erstwhile Duckett and Pope were successful afloat flow.

The hostility was palpable arsenic Root and Brook rebuilt successful challenging conditions precocious successful nan day, nan umpires astatine 1 shape successful chat complete nan light.

The pitch, a contributing facet successful nan value of nan contest, remains bully for batting and seems improbable to supply immoderate concerns for West Indies successful their eventual tally chase.

England are connected people for a match-winning position and West Indies will person excessively overmuch to do if they cannot return early wickets connected Sunday. Still, their remains capable uncertainty complete nan eventual outcome.

Behind connected nan scoreboard and successful position of momentum aft nan shambolic extremity to nan West Indies innings, England suffered a further setback erstwhile nan fingertips of Jayden Seales accounted for Zak Crawley, who followed a duck connected Thursday pinch being run-out backing up.

Duckett and Pope counter-punched to guarantee England were level aft 41 balls. Pope played cleanable screen drives, Duckett punished immoderate miniscule magnitude of width and swept off-spinner Kevin Sinclair for 3 successive fours. The second-wicket paid added 119.

Crucially, nan shot was changed connected 25 overs and Alzarri Joseph sewage nan replacement to move successful nan air. The adjacent delivery, Pope gave a heavy separator to gully and, successful Joseph’s pursuing over, Duckett was trapped by an in-swinging yorker.

The entity was dark, nan floodlights connected and England’s lead 99 erstwhile Brook joined his Yorkshire team-mate Root.

Brook started assertively, clubbing Jason Holder down nan crushed for four, past gradually tailored his tempo to nan situation. Root was measured, arsenic 2 men who played atrocious shots successful nan first innings dug successful for their team.

The shot went past nan bat regularly, England hung in. Brook’s handsome thrust disconnected Alzarri Joseph took him to 50 and, by nan end, nan hint of bluish entity was symbolic of England’s progress.

West Indies reached 351-5 connected a long 2nd time successful nan ungraded for England, who returned refreshed connected Saturday greeting and were fantabulous for overmuch of nan first session.

As 4 wickets fell for 31 runs, Chris Woakes claimed 3-25 including 2 successful 2 balls successful a 10-over spell, while Gus Atkinson had Sinclair good held by gully Brook, progressively showing himself to beryllium England’s champion fielder.

But erstwhile past man Shamar Joseph joined Da Silva, astatine that constituent connected 44, England inexplicably mislaid nan plot. The section was dispersed for Da Silva successful nan dream of keeping nan established batter quiet and exposing Joseph to much of nan strike. It is simply a protect maneuver astatine likelihood pinch England’s affirmative philosophy, has grounded erstwhile England captains and did not activity again here.

Da Silva played an bonzer loft complete nan disconnected broadside for six disconnected Mark Wood, fresh to vessel aft suffering cramp connected Friday, and top-edged nan aforesaid bowler for different maximum.

Joseph grew successful assurance and pulled Atkinson for successive sixes, including 1 that shattered nan tile tiles successful nan Larwood and Voce Stand. West Indies moved ahead, Root was asked to vessel immoderate off-spin dross into nan pads of Da Silva, who swept 3 fours and deed a six complete long-on.

Stokes did not bowl, England were bereft and Da Silva eyed a hundred. Joseph, though, sewage carried distant and miscued Wood to mid-on, ending West Indies’ fun.