Joe hits back with ton

JOE ROOT finally put his stamp on an otherwise horror tour as England’s skipper edged his side towards a Caribbean consolation.

Root’s 111 not out, together with half-centuries for Joe Denly and Jos Buttler, took England to their highest total of the series at the last attempt.

England closed on 325-4, a lead of

448. And for Denly his maiden Test

50 was a valiant last-ditch attempt to be considered as one of the top order men for the Ashes summer.

With Root reaching his 16th Test hundred and Buttler scoring a ninth fifty since his recall last year, it meant that three, four and five all made 56 or more, which is the sort of scorecard you would expect from a well-oiled Test team.

Store

But the truth is that England took advantage of a day when things were very much in their favour.

And how much store will be put in Denly’s 69 in a dead rubber with the Windies bowling attack depleted and after enjoying a charmed life, remains to be seen.

He was out throwing his hands at a wide one from Shannon Gabriel to fall in exactly the same way he did in his first Test innings in Antigua.

Denly should have gone when he had made 12 after a Gabriel thunderbolt took the shoulder of the bat to third slip, but the simple catch was put down by Shimron from DEAN WILSON in St Lucia

Hetmyer. Earlier in the over Denly drove a ball to the cover ropes and while chasing Keemo Paul tore his right quad and was stretchered off.

It left him unable to stand much less bowl, and the Windies had to turn to their ineffective spinners. Denly though did produce some classy strokeplay during his 99-ball innings, crunching 11 fours.

Keaton Jennings made 23 before being bowled by Alzarri Joseph with a ball that was missing leg stump only to flick his trousers.

It was a rotten bit of luck for another man playing for his career but fundamentally his contribution of 62 runs at an average of just 15 is patently not good enough.

Buttler played pretty well for his second fifty of the match, but with the second new ball in his hands Kemar Roach knocked back his off stump much to his obvious joy.

Gabriel did his best to engage in a verbal confrontation with Ben Stokes, who finished 29 not out, but the England all-rounder prefers to smile rather than talk back these days.