Suspenseful Final Day For Windies

England were 37-2 in its second innings at stumps, a lead of 219 runs, with Windies pacer Kemar Roach (2-14) bowling promoted opener Jos Buttler (0) and Zak Crawley (11).

Ben Stokes, who opened in a Test match for the first time as England sought quick runs, is on 16, and Joe Root is on 8.

Although not without any danger, an early declaration is expected on Monday for England to have any chance of winning the three-Test series.

Windies took the opener by four wickets in Southampton, the first cricket Test to be played since the global coronavirus outbreak.

Half-centuries by Kraigg Brathwaite (75) and Shamarh Brooks (68) had kept England at bay until the evening session. The game moved England’s way when Stuart Broad trapped Brooks leg before wicket (lbw), bowled Jermaine Blackwood (0), and claimed Shane Dowrich (0) in another lbw dismissal as part of a fiery new-ball spell.

Chris Woakes claimed the last three wickets, starting with Windies captain Jason Holder (2). He was caught by his England counterpart, Root, as the Windies slumped to 260-8 in its first innings, still needing 10 runs to avoid the follow-on after England’s 469-9 declared.

But Roston Chase (51) hit Sam Curran (2-70) for a couple of boundaries to avoid the follow-on target before he was out, lbw, to Woakes.

Brooks said that it had been crucial for the West Indies to avoid the follow-on.

“Yes, it is a runs game and trying to save it was important, but the more time we (batted) today, the harder it makes it for England to come and get a result in this game,” Brooks said. He’s anticipating an exciting last day, depending on England’s approach to a declaration.

“Well, I personally think (England) would probably like to (set) us 260, 270, but it all depends on the time that they spend to get those runs, and I think we just need to make it as difficult for them as possible and make them spend as much time on their batting so they don’t get the opportunity to get a second new ball.”

Broad, who was left out of the first Test, claimed three wickets for one run in 14 deliveries to energise the hosts and returned 3-66.

“I genuinely didn’t feel like I had to prove anyone wrong. I’ve done all that talking on the field, but I felt quietly – or maybe not that quietly – that when I got the chance again, I needed to be in the best place to perform,” Broad said.

Broad said England needed a lead of least 270 to avoid defeat.

“We should be able to defend 270 on this pitch, but they are dangerous players,” he said. “We want to make this series 1-1 as quick as we can, and with the time that has gone out of the game because of weather, we might have to take a risk.”

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st innings 469 for nine decl.

WINDIES 1st Innings

(overnight 32 for one)

K Brathwaite c and b Stokes 75

J Campbell lbw b Curran 12

A Joseph c Pope b Curran 32

S Hope c wkp Buttler b Curran 25

S Brooks lbw b Broad 68

R Chase lbw b Woakes 51

J Blackwood b Broad 0

+S Dowrich lbw b Broad 0

*J Holder c Root b Woakes 2

K Roach not out 5

S Gabriel b Woakes 0

Extras (b1, lb12, w2, nb2) 17

TOTAL (all out, 99 overs) 287

Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Campbell), 2-70 (Joseph), 3-123 (Hope), 4-199 (Brathwaite), 5-242 (Brooks), 6-248 (Blackwood), 7-252 (Dowrich), 8-260 (Holder), 9-287 (Chase), 10-287 (Gabriel)

Bowling: Broad 23-7-66-3 (w1), Woakes 21-10-42-3, Curran 20-4-70-2, Bess 21-3-67-1, Root 1-0-0-0, Stokes 13-3-29-1 (nb2).

ENGLAND 2nd innings

B Stokes not out 16

+J Buttler b Roach 0

Z Crawley b Roach 11

*J Root not out 8

Extras (lb1, nb1) 2

TOTAL (2 wkts, 8 overs) 37

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Buttler), 2-17 (Crawley)

Bowling: Roach 4-0-14-2, Gabriel 4-0-22-0.

Position: England lead by 219 runs with eight second innings wickets intact.

Toss: Windies.

Umpires: Michael Gough, Richard Illingworth; TV – Richard Kettleborough.