England are on the verge of winning the first Test against the West Indies, who trail by 171 runs with four second-innings wickets remaining
After just two days England are on the verge of claiming a convincing victory in the opening Test of the summer, having reduced West Indies to 79 for six in their second innings, still 171 behind.
England were dismissed just before tea for 371, having amassed a lead of precisely 250, and the tourists’ hopes of a positive response were stymied by a classic opening spell from the retiring Jimmy Anderson, whose first five overs brought just two runs and the wicket of the West Indies captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, who lost his middle stump to one that seamed in.
But there has so far been a gulf between the two sides’ achievements with the bat. The day started with both Joe Root and Harry Brook, 15 and 25 respectively overnight, completing half-centuries – a mark reached by four of England’s top five. Brook eventually skied a catch to the wicketkeeper, Joshua Da Silva, off Alzarri Joseph for 50 while Root scored 68 before he too was bowled by Motie.
But after Gus Atkinson’s remarkable seven-wicket haul on Wednesday it was England’s other debutant, Surrey’s Jamie Smith, who was the day’s outstanding batter. Smith took some time to play himself in – he took 98 balls to reach his own half-century – but there was a marked acceleration once Motie had bewitched Stokes to leave him batting with the tail and he hit two sixes, one flying over the Tavern Stand and out of the ground, before he was caught in the deep attempting a third.
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