Photoline | England vs West Indies
Surging forward: Ben Stokes’ match haul of 254 runs and three wickets formed the cornerstone of England’s 113run victory at Emirates Old Traord. His vital wicket of West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood on the stroke of tea on the nal day changed the whole complexion of the game. The 29yearold’s exploits with bat and ball have seen him move to the top of the ICC Test allrounder rankings for the rst time.
Dropping anchor: Dom Sibley’s 372ball 120 coupled with Ben Stokes’ 176 from 356 deliveries, put England in a commanding position after the West Indies won the toss and sent the host in to bat. Sibley was eventually dismissed by Roston Chase, but not before he had added 260 runs with Stokes o 568 balls, England’s secondlongest partnership this century.
Chasing wickets: Roston Chase’s gentle ospin had the English toporder tied up in knots, getting rid of Rory Burns and Zak Crawley in a rstinnings spell where he took ve for 172.
The tall, ospinbowling allrounder had surprised England in 2019 with a matchwinning eightwicket haul in the rst Test in Barbados. Chase has been preferred over Rakheem Cornwall when it comes to spin bowling duties on this tour so far.
So near, yet so far: Shamarh Brooks’ ourishing partnership with Jermaine Blackwood in the second session on the nal day of the second Test ignited hopes of a West Indies ghtback after the top order surrendered meekly. Their 100run alliance for the fth wicket kept the England bowlers on their toes, but Blackwood’s dismissal on the stroke of tea undid their hard work. Brooks fell soon after for 62 o 136, and with it the host took the Test match by the scru of the neck.
The Stuart show: Stuart Broad backed up his words with a superior bowling performance at Old Traord, eectively paving the way for a serieslevelling win. Late on day four, Broad snared three wickets for just one run, triggering a rstinnings collapse that saw the West Indies lose the nal six wickets for 45.
All hail the Pope: Ollie Pope’s brilliant juggled catch at shortleg o the bowling of Dom Bess accounted for Kemar Roach and sealed
England’s win in the second Test.