Rain washes away precious time as England chase win
As rain washed out the entirety of day three at Emirates Old Trafford, England’s task to square the series with victory in this second Test got that little bit tougher.
They lead West Indies by 437 runs, who lost opener John Campbell to Sam Curran in the first 14 overs of their first innings on Friday evening. The host’s healthy 469 for nine declared opened up the potential of bowling out the visitors twice for an innings win. Now, that looks to be the only option available to them if they are to return to level terms after West Indies’ four-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl in the first Test. First
England must bowl Jason Holder's side out for 269 or lower to get them following on.
Conversely, West Indies hopes of saving this Test got that little bit easier. They were run ragged by centurions Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes on day two, out in the field for all of 162 overs. But what energy that may have been depleted by that grazing will have return to them over the course of a day that was eventually put out of its misery just after 4pm.
The only news of worth came through at 1pm with confirmation that Jofra Archer was to be fined and warned following his breaking of bio-secure protocols after an unsanctioned trip home between travelling from the Ageas Bowl to hear. He remains available for selection for the third Test if he successfully passes two Covid-19 tests.
Whether that will be for the series depends how this pitch plays when it eventually re-emerges from the covers that shielded it on Saturday. There have been signs of developing uneven bounce. Even turn: Roston Chase, England’s nemesis, pocketed five wickets, though he had 44 overs to do so and conceded in the process. Dom Bess, who had a solid if unspectacular game last week, could come to the fore, especially on day five. He will be aided by the footmarks left-armer Curran leaves outside the off stump of the righthanders, of which West Indies have 10.
But it will not be a typically worn pitch for this stage of the game given only 176 overs have gone into it across the first three days. Should West Indies replicate their 102-over stay in the first innings of the first Test, a draw and the ruling out of a series defeat will see them retain the Wisden Trophy.
In the short term, all eyes will be on Stuart Broad. He was a vocal omission from the first Test, stating he would remind the world of his powers when he got his chance. Sunday will be it. A man who has taken a proportion of his 485 Test wickets through blitzing batting line-ups in short spaces of time needs to do exactly that if England are going to be victorious.