ST GEORGE’S – England were 114 for eight in their first innings at tea on the first day of the deciding third Test against West Indies on Thursday at the National Cricket Stadium in the Spice Isle of Grenada.
At the break, Chris Woakes was not out on 25 and left-hander Jack Leach was not out on 10, after the Windies won the toss and sent England in to bat.
West Indies bowled consistently and with purpose, claiming five wickets – including two apiece to pacers Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach – between lunch and tea, and England wobbled to the break after they resumed from their lunch total of 46 for three.
Joseph started the shake down in the fourth over after the interval when Ben Stokes miscued a pull and gave him a return catch for two.
The lanly Windies pacer followed up with the scalp of Jonny Bairstow two overs later when the ginger-haired batsman edged a delivery outside the off-stump and was caught behind for a third-ball duck.
In between, Roach got left-handed opener Alex Lees caught behind, playing defensively forward, for the top score so far of 31, and England sunk to 53 for five after losing those three wickets without going anywhere in the span of 10 balls.
Pacer Jayden Seales bowled Ben Foakes for seven and Roach bowled Craig Overton for 14 to inflict further agony on the English and they plunged to 90 for eight in the final hour before the break.
The hosts failed to make further headway, and Leach joined Woakes to stem the fall of wickets and carry the visitors past the 100 mark.
Both sides made one change to their line-ups from the previous match, with the Windies replacing left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul with Mayers, and the English bringing back Craig Overton for fellow pacer Matthew Fisher after overcoming the illness that sidelined him in Barbados.
The three-Test series for the Vivian Richards and Ian Botham Trophy is level at 0-0 after the first two Tests in the series – ending two Saturdays ago at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, and last Sunday at Kensington Oval in Barbados – were drawn.
Summarised scores:
ENGLAND 114 for eight (Alex Lees 31, Chris Woakes 25 not out, Craig Overton 14, Jack Leach 10 not out; Kyle Mayers 2-0, Alzarri Joseph 2-22, Jayden Seales 2-28, Kemar Roach 2-29) vs WEST INDIES.
(AR)