West Indies v England, first Test, Barbados
No glory for Rory but he’s getting there
Dean Wilson
RORY BURNS narrowly missed out on a maiden Test hundred on another perplexing day for England’s opening puzzle.
The Surrey left-hander collected a good-looking and positive 84 as England set about trying to pull off an extraordinary rescue act at the Kensington Oval.
Playing the sort of confident drives and cuts that have brought him such success in the county game, Burns again looked every inch a Test match opener.
As you would expect from a man brought up on the other Oval in Kennington, Burns coped confidently with Windies’ pace threat, including a searching spell from the talentedalzarri Joseph.
And yet with that first elusive hundred at his mercy, the 28-year-old found a way to fall to an innocuous ball from offspinner Roston Chase.
Desperate
The ball barely moved off the straight after pitching, but Burns played for the spin that wasn’t there and left a big enough gap between bat and pad for the ball to slip through on to his stumps.
There were enough signs though that Burns will get those three figures soon and give England the consistent foundation they are desperate for at the top of the order.
Whether he will get to do that with Keaton Jennings for much longer is another matter entirely, with the Lancashire man falling for just 14 from 84 balls.
Jen Jennings (left) might have tw two Test hundreds to his n name, both scored on the s subcontinent against spinheavy attacks, but when it comes to playing pace and seam he looks in all sorts o of bother, which is hardly id ideal when England is your hom home.
Her Here, despite his attempted self-lfd self-discipline, he threw his han hands at a wide one from Jo Joseph (left) and edged to s second slip in a manner that raises questions about what is to come in the
Ashes this summer.
Right now that series lo looks a heck of a long way awa away for him.