First blood goes to the Windies
BLACKWOOD: SURVIVES LET-OFF’S TO SCORE A DEFIANT 95
Jermaine Blackwood made a superb 95 as the West Indies beat England by four wickets in the first Test at Southampton yesterday. The 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 mid-off, 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 behindclosed-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 the coronavirus during the pandemic.
But it might have been a different story for England yesterday had they not given Blackwood several reprieves.
The 28-year-old 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 one-handed chance down the legside off Stokes.
England then squandered a possible run-out chance when Zak Crawley fumbled.
But Blackwood pressed on, cover-driving both Bess and Anderson, for two of his dozen boundaries in a 154-ball innings.