Brook leads England into strong position

NOTTINGHAM:

Harry Brook’s unbeaten fifty guided England into a strong position at stumps on a see-saw third day of the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge.

England were 248-3 in their second innings at Saturday’s close, already a lead of 207 runs.

Brook was 71 not out and star batsman Joe Root unbeaten on 37, with the pair having shared an unbroken stand of 108 in 23.4 overs.

England had been in control against a wayward West Indies attack as Ben Duckett made 76, his second dashing fifty of the match, and Ollie Pope added 51 to his first-innings 121.

But a change of ball led to a change of luck for the West Indies, with paceman Alzarri Joseph removing both batsmen as England’s 127-1 was soon transformed into 140-3.

Root and Brook, however, restored England’s grip as they scored briskly against a tiring West Indies pace attack.

England opened their second innings 41 runs behind after an aggressive last-wicket stand of 71 between Joshua Da Silva (82 not out) and Shamar Joseph (33) that took the West Indies to 457.

It was the first time the West Indies had made 450 in a Test innings for nearly a decade.

Zak Crawley, dismissed for a duck in England’s first innings, was then unluckily run out for three after Jayden Seales deflected a Duckett drive onto the stumps at the bowler’s end.

But Pope wrestled back the momentum with three fours off successive Seales deliveries.

Left-hander Duckett was also in fine touch, sweeping off-spinner Kevin Sinclair for three fours in a row on his way to a 55-ball 50.

But the first delivery following the change of ball ended a second-wicket partnership of 119 when Pope edged Alzarri Joseph to Sinclair in the gully. The bowler’s excellent inswinging yorker then had Duckett lbw.

Brook, however, counter-attacked and completed the third fifty of the innings by stylishly check-driving Alzarri Joseph to the long-off rope for a fifth four in 62 balls faced.

Even so, the West Indies could take heart from a batting performance all the more creditable given they had been dismissed for just 121 and 136 during an innings and 114-run defeat by England at Lord’s.

That left them 1-0 down in this three-match series.

West Indies resumed on 351-5, 65 runs behind, after Kavem Hodge (120) and Alick Athanaze (82) shared a stand of 175 that revived them from 84-3.

England, in their first home Test since 2012 without either of the retired duo James Anderson or Stuart Broad -- who between them took 1,308 Test wickets -- had struggled on Friday.

Chris Woakes removed Jason Holder on an overcast morning and then dismissed Alzarri Joseph and Seales with successive deliveries before Shamar Joseph survived the hat-trick ball, with the seamer taking 4-84.

“I haven’t got Jimmy or Stuart Broad at the other end any more but I haven’t felt more pressure because of that,” Woakes told reporters.

“I try to stay in the moment and at this stage of my career, playing my 50th Test, I’ve got enough experience behind me to know what works for me.”

Da Silva, however, completed an 87-ball 50 when he launched fast bowler Mark Wood high over extra-cover for a spectacular six.

And the wicketkeeper then took West Indies past 400 with an extravagant uppercut six off Wood.

“It was pretty much what I expected,” said Da Silva.

“I thought I’d get a few more short balls from Mark Wood but it was nice.”

Boundaries came at both ends, Shamar Joseph pulling fast bowler Gus Atkinson -- fresh from 12 wickets on debut at Lord’s -- for six to level the scores.

Two balls later, Atkinson again dropped short as Shamar Joseph hoisted him for another six that knocked tiles off the Larwood and Voce Tavern roof.

“He backs himself with the bat, he played some terrific shots,” said Da Silva.

England captain Ben Stokes turned to Root to break the stand but Da Silva clubbed the part-time spinner for three fours and a six off successive balls.

Wood eventually had Shamar Joseph chipping to mid-on, his only wicket of an innings where he topped 97 mph (156 kmh) and beat the outside edge.