Holder takes honours with a career-best

WEST Indies captain Jason Holder landed the first significant blow in the battle of the star all-rounders, claiming career-best figures of six for 42 to put Ben Stokes’ England under pressure on day two of the first Test.

With regular captain Joe Root watching from home with his new baby, Isabella, the home side were bowled out for 204 in tricky conditions that must have made Stokes question the wisdom of his decision to bat first at the Ageas Bowl.

While the heavy grey clouds and permanent floodlights did not help, Holder and Shannon Gabriel, who took four for 62, exploited them wonderfully before the tourists reached 57 for one when bad light stopped play.

Stokes top-scored with 43 but even that effort required two drops in the outfield. England are still in the game, but now boast a fragile lead of 147.

A rain-affected start to the series meant England resumed on 35 for one and they never managed to get their noses in front as their first innings was wrapped up in 67.3 overs.

Gabriel, who claimed the only success of day one, gave the Windies a perfect start with two more early breakthroughs in the morning session. His first was Joe Denly, who spent 27 minutes searching for his first runs of the day and was clean bowled between bat and pad from the very next ball.

His knock of 18 from 58 will do little to ease the scrutiny over his place, but his struggles were hardly out of place. Gabriel followed up by seeing off Rory Burns, who had looked solid for 30 before playing across a fast yorker that was destined for leg stump. Umpire Richard Kettleborough rejected the initial appeal but DRS settled the matter in Gabriel’s favour. It was the first of five decisions overturned by the West Indies.

From there on it was all about Holder. He has been managing an ankle injury since arriving from the Caribbean, but was fit enough to turn in his sixth five-for in the past 10 Tests.