WIN FOR WINDIES IN FIRST ENGLISH TEST
CAPTAIN HOLDER, BLACKWOOD PROPEL VISITORS TO VICTORY
SOUTHAMPTON: Jermaine Blackwood made a superb 95 as West Indies beat England by four wickets in the first Test at Southampton on Sunday. West Indies, set 200 to win on the last day, were reeling at 27-3 after England fast bowler Jofra Archer’s early double strike.
Blackwood, however, held firm until, in sight of just his second Test century, he drove England stand-in captain Ben Stokes to James Anderson at midoff, with the visitors needing just 11 more runs to win. But John Campbell, forced to retire hurt on one after being struck on the toe by Archer, returned to hit the winning runs. West Indies captain Jason Holder, the world’s top-ranked Test all-rounder ahead of Stokes, was 14 not out.
The match was a personal and tactical triumph for Holder, who took a Test-best 6-42 in England’s lowly first innings 204 after Stokes, leading the side in the absence of Joe Root, won the toss and batted.
Although they hold the Wisden Trophy, the West Indies have not won a Test series in England for 32 years. But this victory put them 1-0 up with two to play in a behind closed doors series ahead of next week’s second Test at Old Trafford.
It was a thoroughly deserved success for the West Indies, who went ahead with their tour despite more than 44,000 deaths in Britain from Covid-19 during the pandemic.
But it might have been a different story for England on Sunday had they not given Blackwood several reprieves. The 28-yearold Jamaican had made just five when he edged off-spinner Dom Bess only for Stokes, moving at slip, to drop the chance. And he had moved on to 20 when wicketkeeper Jos Buttler floored a onehanded chance down the legside off Stokes. Leg-byes were signalled but Blackwood would have been out on review had Buttler held on. England then squandered a possible run-out chance when Zak Crawley fumbled.
But with West Indies needing exactly 100 more for victory, Barbados-born quick Archer defied a docile pitch to produce a rearing 90mph delivery that Roston Chase, on 37, could only divert to Buttler via his glove and helmet.
It was the end of a valuable stand of 73.
The diminutive Blackwood
pressed on, cover-driving both Bess and Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wickettaker, for two of his dozen boundaries in a 154-ball innings.
Archer had earlier made a useful 23 before he was last man out in England’s second innings 313.
West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel took 5-75 in 21.2 overs —his sixth five-wicket haul in his 46 Tests. Archer then reduced West Indies to 7-2, having gone wicketless in the first innings after being selected ahead of dropped veteran Stuart Broad.
He got Kraigg Brathwaite to play on and had Shamarh Brooks lbw for a duck. Shai Hope, whose two Test hundreds came in a win over England at Headingley three years ago, was then bowled for nine by Mark Wood. But it was England’s loss of five wickets for just 30 runs late Saturday, a collapse sparked by Holder’s dismissal of Stokes, that proved more important at the finish.
Just before the start of Day 5, former England captain Michael Vaughan said out of form Joe Denly should be the one making way for skipper Joe Root in the second Test instead of young Zak Crawley. In the second Test, scheduled to begin on Thursday in Manchester, either Denly or Crawley is expected to be replaced by Root, who missed the series-opener to be with his wife for the delivery of their second child. “England have a decision to make on Denly. Crawley surely has to stay in the side,” Vaughan told ‘BBC Sport’. “Denly played the way he has played in all of his 15 Tests. It’s been the same story. He did the hard yards then made a mistake,” Vaughan added.
Denly, who plays at No 3, struggled with the bat in the opener, scoring 18 and 29 in the first and second innings respectively. The 34-year-old has failed to breach the 40-run mark in eight innings. Denly, who made his debut last year, averages 29.53 in 15 Tests and has failed to capitalise on good starts. His highest score of 94 came against Australia in 2019.
On the other hand, 22-year-old Crawley scored his second halfcentury in five Tests with a superb 76-run knock on Saturday. “It’s not even a conversation. You could argue that Denly was very lucky to have played 15 Test matches. There are a lot of players who have played only eight Tests and got hundreds,” said Vaughan, who led England in 51 of his 82 Tests.