Brathwaite holds firm for West Indies

Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite struck a defiant unbeaten fifty after James Anderson moved to within sight of becoming the first England bowler to take 500 Test wickets at Headingley on Saturday.

The West Indies were 109 for three in reply to England’s first innings 258, a deficit of 149 runs, at lunch on the second day of the second Test in Leeds.

Brathwaite was 63 not out and Shai Hope 33 not out, with their unbroken partnership so far worth 74 runs.

Anderson removed both nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo and Kyle Hope in Saturday’s first session on his way to brilliant lunch figures of three wickets for 10 runs in 12 overs, having dismissed Kieran Powell on Friday.

That left him on 495 Test wickets and just five away from becoming only the sixth bowler in history to take 500 in this format.

The West Indies found runs hard to come by while Anderson was bowling under grey skies, with the floodlights switched on to combat the gloom.

But they hit back when the swing specialist was given a rest by England captain Joe Root.

The visitors resumed on their overnight 19 for one, having restricted England to under 300 with a much-improved bowling display following a humiliating innings and 209-run defeat in the inaugural day/night Test in Britain at Edgbaston last week that left them 1-0 down in the threematch series.