Wed | Apr 24, 2024

Momentum dropped

Published:Saturday | July 25, 2020 | 12:00 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
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England captain Joe Root (right) plays a shot during the first day of the third cricket Test against the Windies at Old Trafford in Manchester, England yesterday.
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Windies pacer Kemar Roach celebrates the dismissal of England’s Dom Sibley during the first day of the third cricket Test match against England at Old Trafford in Manchester, England yesterday.
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England’s Ollie Pope steadies himself for a shot during the first day of the third cricket Test match between against the Windies at Old Trafford in Manchester, England yesterday.
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The Windies squandered a good opportunity to capitalise on a decent start with the ball, as England dug themselves out of trouble to seize the initiative in Day One action of the third and final Test at Old Trafford.

The hosts recovered from 122/4, to go into today’s second day in a handsome position of 258/4, thanks largely to a 136-run fifth-wicket stand between Ollie Pope and wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler.

Pope is just nine runs away from what would be a well-deserved century while Butler has been resolute at the other end, unbeaten on 56.

Vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite believes the regional side is far from out of the game so early in the match. However, he was adamant that the use of the second new ball will be crucial today, weather permitting.

“I thought we started well,” he said. “Obviously, Buttler and Pope had a good partnership and batted well, but we have some work to do. We have to start well, but that doesn’t mean we have to rush wickets. If we build pressure by a lot of dot balls and no boundary balls, we will create pressure that will bring wickets.”

Things were looking good early for the Windies as captain Jason Holder called correctly once again at the toss. His decision to put England in on a pitch that had some moisture looked good when Kemar Roach sent back opener Dom Sibley for a duck in the first over.

A brilliant run-out of England captain Joe Root by Roston Chase for 17 sent the visitors into a rapture, but the big wicket of Ben Stokes, bowled by Roach for 20 at 92/3, meant the Windies were right on top and looking to press home the advantage.

Rahkeem Cornwall, who was brought into the side as the front-line spinner at the expense of Alzarri Joseph, played a part in the fourth wicket. It was his reflex catch at slip off Chase that accounted for the wicket of Rory Burns for 57.

After that passage of good play, it was then time for the Pope and Buttler show to take centre stage as the pair dominated a jaded looking Windies attack which suffered especially when Shannon Gabriel had to leave the field early because of stiffness.

Pope has so far hit 11 fours in his unbeaten 91 while Buttler, who hit two big sixes off Cornwall, has struck five fours to go with his two maximums. Roach has so far taken 2/56 while Chase has 1/24. Cornwall went wicketless in his 21 overs which cost 71 runs.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st Innings

R Burns c Cornwall b Chase 57

D Sibley lbw b Roach 0

*J Root run out 17

B Stokes b Roach 20

O Pope not out 91

+J Buttler not out 56

Extras (b12, lb3, nb2) 17

TOTAL (4 wkts, 85.4 overs) 258

 

To bat: C Woakes, D Bess, J Archer, S Broad, J Anderson

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Sibley), 2-47 (Root), 3-92 (Stokes), 4-122 (Burns)

Bowling: Roach 18.4-2-56-2, Gabriel 18-4-47-0 (nb1), Holder 20-5-45-0 (nb1), Cornwall 21-4-71-0, Chase 8-2-24-1.

 

WINDIES – K Brathwaite, J Campbell, S Hope, S Brooks, R Chase, J Blackwood, *J Holder, +S Dowrich, R Cornwall, K Roach, S Gabriel.

 

Toss: Windies

Umpires: Michael Gough, Richard Kettleborough; TV umpire: Richard Illingworth.