Roach triggers Eng collapse with four scalps in a session
GROS-ISLET, SAINT LUCIA: England’s batsmen collapsed to West Indian pace yet again as they lost six wickets for 45 runs to be dismissed for 277 in their first innings just before lunch on the second day of the third and final Test at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Sunday.
Having already reclaimed the Wisden Trophy with comprehensive victories in the first two Tests, and seeking a first clean sweep of their opponents for 33 years, the home side will resume their reply at two without loss after the interval.
Wicketless on the first day when an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 124 between Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes lifted the tourists to 231 for four, Kemar Roach stole the spotlight in scything through the middle and lower order to finish with figures of four for 48. He now has 17 wickets in series. It was Shannon Gabriel though who made the first strike of the morning by bowling Buttler on his overnight score of 67 with just one run added to the total. That was the trigger for the slide and a reinvigorated Roach quickly got involved by dismissing Stokes for the innings top score of 79 when the left-hander miscued an attempted pull.
Lunch) England 277 all out (B Stokes 79, J Buttler 67, K Roach 4/48, S Gabriel 2/49) vs West Indies 2/0.
Kemar Roach’s 17 wkts at 12.05 in five innings is his second best performance in a series so far.
James Anderson’s 27 ducks is second most by an Englishman behind Stuart Broad’s 31 ducks.
Buttler-stokes’s 125-run stand is England’s first century stand of this series.
England lost 6 wickets for 45 runs in their first innings on the second day, another mini- collapse this series.