Bonner puts West Indies in control as England dealt Wood injury blow
England lost Mark Wood to injury and control of the first Test to a marathon century from Nkrumah Bonner as the West Indies moved ahead in Antigua.
Wood was cast as the spearhead of the attack for this tour but instead played the role of bystander on day three, with an elbow problem reducing him to just five overs in heavy strapping during the morning session.
He did not re-emerge after lunch, instead receiving treatment from medical staff as his team-mates toiled away for meagre rewards on a sleepy pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Bonner took full advantage of Wood's absence and the collective struggles of those who remained, compiling an old-fashioned 123 that ground England down in painstaking increments.thejamaicanheld court for well over nine hours and soaked up 355 balls along the way.
By the time he was dismissed by part-time spinner Dan Lawrence at the death his bloodyminded display had guided the West Indies to 373 for nine, and aleadof62.
Bonner had a couple of slices ofgoodfortune,top-edgingben Stokesagonisinglyshortofmidwicket with just 40 to his name and then being dropped by Zak Crawley on 73 after offering a bat-pad chance at slip.
But they were isolated moments in a knock that was defined by purpose and perseverance
from a 33-year-old whose late arrival on the Test scenehasaddedsomewelcome grit to the West Indies middle order.
Aided by a stubborn lower order he condemned England to an energy-sapping 157 overs in the field, ensuring the names of the absent James Anderson and Stuart Broad would not be disappearing from the conversation in the near future.
Chriswoakesandcraigoverton continued to underwhelm,
failing to get the best out of the new ball for the second time in as many days and causing precious few scares. Instead, England relied more heavily than theywouldhavelikedonstokes, who has only just recovered from a side strain dating back to the Ashes.
By the close he had sent down 28 overs in total and was his side's best bowler by a distance with figures of two for 42.
It was Stokes who gave England a brilliant start to the day,
taking the edge of fellow allrounderjasonholderafterjust fourrunshadbeenaddedtothe overnight score of 202 for four.
But Bonner put on 73 with wicketkeeper Josh Da Silva as Woakes and Overton failed to threaten.
England gave themselves a chance with a double breakthrough after lunch, Da Silva lbw to Jack Leach and Overton bouncing out Alzarri Joseph, but to end the resistance they needed Bonner. Leach almost
got him, but Crawley parried the deflected chance.
Bonner reached tea on 98 and received a gift from Leach toreachthreefigures,sweeping roundthecornerafter257deliveriesofworkforhissecondtest hundred.
On 102 and 112 he survived English reviews for close lbw shouts by Leach, but the technology finally ruled against himwhenitdetectedthetiniest of edges off a Lawrence drag down.