BEN SHOULDERS THE BURDEN
Skipper stars to keep England’s hopes alive
BEN STOKES took the captain’s lead to keep his team in the hunt as the Windies tightened their grip on the game.
The stand-in skipper top-scored with the bat on day two and was the top wicket taker with the ball on day three as he claimed 4-49, the best figures by an England captain since Bob Willis in 1984.
The Windies were still in control of things though with a first innings total of 318 and a lead of 114 thanks to half-centuries from Kraigg Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich.
Stokes accounted for both of them, as well as his opposite number Jason Holder, to make sure that the visitors did not quite disappear over the horizon.
With the sun shining it was a day of toil for England’s bowlers, but using his aggression he suckered Holder into a top-edged hook that Jofra Archer did not dare drop at long leg.
It was the sort of intervention that Stokes regularly makes, but with even more responsibility on his shoulders he stood tall to top 150 Test wickets and make up for the disappointments of his express pace merchants. When Mark Wood removed Shannon
Gabriel’s middle stump to finish the innings, it was the first bit of joy for either him or Archer.
For most of the day their firepower went unrewarded as the Windies set about building a strong total in the best batting conditions, leaving Stokes, James Anderson and Dom Bess to use other talents for success.
Wood topped 95 miles per hour in the first session of the day, while Archer found getting over 90 on a regular basis a little bit more of a struggle.
The accuracy and skill to move the ball sideways from Anderson, left, proved to be more effective as he found the edge of the classy Shamarh Brooks’ bat.
Brathwaite had already been adjudged lbw for a well made 65 a little unluckily by the umpires, while Roston Chase dug in his heels, reaching 47 from 142 balls.
But it was the 61-run flourish from wicketkeeper Dowrich that took the Windies to a total that they can really work with.
Three years ago the diminutive keeper had a shocker scoring just 24 runs across the entire series, but since then he has been a revelation.
With a century in the win over England in Barbados last year, the 28-yearold continued his upward trend with his ninth Test 50 as the Windies continued to pull away into the afternoon.
There is flare in this Windies team, with Shai Hope and Brooks playing a selection of eye-catching expansive shots during their innings of 16 and 39 respectively.
And when the second new ball came along Dowrich and Chase rattled along at five runs an over for a time.
But this Windies side is not built on flamboyance. They are a workmanlike outfit who combine discipline with the odd moment of magic.
Holder and Kemar Roach are their world class performers, with others capable of chipping in too, and right now, with everyone a little ring rusty, it has got them their noses in front and they intend to stay there.