Windies hold firm against England

LEEDS: First-innings century heroes Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope kept England at bay as the West Indies remained with a chance of an improbable win in the Second Test at Headingley yesterday.

The West Indies were 86 for two at lunch on the fifth day, still needing a further 236 runs in a minimum of 67 overs to reach an imposing victory target of 322.

Braithwaite, dropped on four, was 49 not out and Shai Hope 11 not out.

Stuart Broad may have been unfortunate in having Brathwaite dropped in the slips but, after removing Kieran Powell, his luck evened out with the paceman’s freak run out of Kyle Hope, Shai’s older brother.

At lunch, the odds were still against the West Indies levelling this three-match series at 1-1 given only Australia, with 404 for three back in 1948, have made more in the fourth innings to win a Test at Headingley than 322.

But the first innings of this match saw Shai Hope, whose 147 was his maiden Test century, and Brathwaite (134) put on 246 in a total of 427.

After rain delayed yesterday’s scheduled start by 15 minutes, West Indies resumed on five without loss.

England, who had been 169 runs behind on first innings, were helped considerably by several West Indies dropped catches, with the tourists’ misses this match amounting to a total of 238 runs. AFP