Ollie Pope closing on century as partnership with Jos Buttler puts England on top in West Indies decider
A superb, unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership between Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler gave England the edge on an eventful first day of their series decider against West Indies at Old Trafford.
The pair put on 136 runs as England recovered from 112/4 to reach stumps on 258 without further loss, Pope walking off as bad light stopped play just nine runs short of his first home Test century, with Buttler not-out on 56, a much-needed score.
England had sprung a surprise with their team selection for the third of the three match series, opting for an extra bowler in their line-up as Zak Crawley was sacrificed to make way for the returns of Jofra Archer and James Anderson, with Sam Curran the other man to miss out.
West Indies, too, shifted the balance of their side, bringing in spinner Rahkeem Cornwall in place of quick Alzarri Joseph, but despite that alteration still opted to bowl first under cloudy skies. That change left Jason Holder with just three seam options, which looked to have become two when Shannon Gabriel pulled up and left the field inside the first hour of play, though he later returned and bowled a total of 18 overs.
By then England were a man down, Dom Sibley, who hit a dogged century in the first innings here a week ago, trapped lbw for nought by Kemar Roach as Windies plan came together.
Joe Root moved up the order to No.3 and was beginning to find his groove when he was run out for 20 by a terrific piece of fielding from Roston Chase, caught on his heels at the non-striker’s end as Rory Burns looked to poach a risky single.
Ben Stokes, the match-winner from the second Test, came and went for 20, bowled through the gate by Roach, and while Burns had anchored the top order with his seventh Test fifty, he too fell after lunch as Cornwall took a magnificent reflex grab in the slips off Chase.
That left England with their final pair of recognised batsman in a weakened line-up at the crease but Pope in particular played with great freedom, though he was fortunate that a skied top-edge into the leg side fell short of Chase’s full-length dive.
The Surrey man brought up his half-century off just 77 balls with a cracking drive through cover and then cashed in with a series of boundaries off the tiring Gabriel.
Buttler joined the fun, firing Cornwall over midwicket for a pair of sixes, the second of them huge, and eventually reached his fifty off a patient 104 balls as West Indies took the new ball.
The wicketkeeper had a couple of lucky escapes late in the day, edging wide of slip before almost chopping on, but Pope looked assured, moving into the nineties with a sweet straight drive.
It looked a matter of time before he reached three figures but conditions intervened and looking at the forecast that may well be the story of the next few days.