England vs West Indies: Hosts cannot expect a straightforward finish after day four at Old Trafford
It was never going to be straightforward. It never is with this England team.
They lead by 219 runs going into the fifth day at Emirates Old Trafford, needing to fashion a last-gasp win to keep alive their hopes of winning back the Wisden Trophy. A draw and the West Indies’ 1-0 lead becomes insurmountable with just one Test left and, thus, confirmation they retain the trophy they earned at the start of 2019.
What a year that ended up being. Specifically for England, specifically that summer, and even more so that July Sunday just over a year go when they triumphed in such dramatic fashion at Lord’s. Granted, it’s already a memory that even the pub bore is tired of. But here, its evocation was merited. West Indies had been bowled out for 287, trailing by 182, and with quick runs were on the agenda, out strode Super Over superheroes Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to turbo-charge the start of the second innings.
The magic was not quite the same: 37 for two at the close, just a single boundary off the bat and Buttler, bless him, out for a duck – playing onto his own stumps. Ben Stokes (16 not out) remains with Joe Root (8*) with the capacity to keep the hurry up going.
They had begun day four on 32 for one in response to England’s 469 amid talk of a 270 target to ensure they could not be asked to follow on. But whatever was to happen needed to happen quickly. And there was a point at tea, with just three wickets taken in the day, when it did not look like happening at all. And then Stuart Broad happened.
Three wickets for one run across 14 deliveries. Maybe not quite enough to chuck into the bracket of “one of those spells” with Headingley 2012, Trent Bridge 2015 and Johannesburg 2016. But certainly enough to turn the game England’s way, contributing as it did to a final six-wicket capitulation for just 45. It was typical Broad in other ways, too.
“When I get that opportunity again you can bet I’ll be on the money,” he said last week during his non-playing speaking role in the first Test, which West Indies won by four wickets. England might have been hovering over the “cashout” button for most of the day as the odd delivery did much but little to suggest the selectors and Stokes were wrong to put him in the corner at the Ageas Bowl.
Cue a seven over spell of three for seven, contributing to an overall three for 66 and what would be a dramatic win even by this erratic England team’s standards. More will be needed from him tomorrow.
The morning had all the requisite hallmarks of a frustrating session: a dropped catch, a tailender scoring freely, a speculative review and just the one of the 19 wickets England needed. Alzarri Joseph was the protagonist in three of those four: biffing and scuffing his way to 32 after being dropped by Stokes off Chris Woakes on 19.
Joseph would eventually go to Dom Bess’ second ball of the day, middling a catch straight to Ollie Pope at bat-pad. But the man at the other end, Kraigg Brathwaite, was the one they craved before lunch. The desperation of a review for caught down the leg side showed as much.
Still, here was time for some novelty as the umpires had to take out an alcohol wipe to disinfect the ball after Dom Sibley absent-mindedly used saliva to polish it, a measure now prohibited by the ICC to prevent the spread of Covid-19. It was Sibley who alerted the umpires to his error and, as such, there was no official warning (three are required before a five-run penalty is enforced). And anyway – in the hands of England’s bowlers that morning – it looked very innocuous.
The second session was not too different, with two parts frustration to each part Brathwaite. A ninth Test half-century – and second in three innings this series – was pocketed in his typical manner, with little regard for anyone’s time but his, like a particularly vindictive postman.
It would take a herculean effort from Stokes to see him off: an 11 over spell of short-pitch bowling seeing reward eventually come with the first ball of the 10th. Shamarh Brooks looked the most uncomfortable, but a misjudged turning of the wrists at his chest saw Brathwaite give the allrounder a return catch.
But that was one of only two middle session wickets – Shai Hope caught behind off Sam Curran – with West Indies trailing by 242 at tea, with six wickets to go.
The ineffectiveness was compounded by the sight of Jofra Archer bowling on his own in outdoor nets. With the blessing of Cricket West Indies, Archer was allowed a break from isolating in his room to do some running at 7am in the morning and then turn his arm over on his own. The impact he would have made with the older ball on this pitch was starting to become another blemish against his ill-advised trip home. His and England’s blushes were saved by the man with 485 wickets in the bank.
After two overs after the break he was given the new ball and let off the leash. Brooks, who had dazzled with his stroke play to notch a third Test score of 50 or more was dazed by a delivery that thudded into him so in front that he walked. Last week’s match-winner Jerome Blackwood was bowled for a six-ball duck, then Shane Dowrich followed him for similar off five. The follow-on was just 17 runs and three wickets away.
The former was taken out of the question by another accomplished 51 from Roston Chase, following up his scores of 47 and 37 in the first Test. His last contribution was to be the second of the final three wickets to fall, all to Woakes who worked hard for his figures of three for 42.
Monday’s consideration is now a toss-up between runs and overs. And perhaps the biggest cues should come from the post-tea spell. There are 98 overs to be bowled and England will want two cracks with a new ball (available after 80). Factoring in the loss of two overs for the change of innings, that means surely no more than 10 overs of batting to try and bat West Indies out of the game and then afford them at least 86 to force the win.
They came within four wickets of defending a target of 200 at the Ageas Bowl. They cannot afford to come up short here.