North Sound – West Indies were 271 for five, replying to England’s first innings total of 311, at lunch on the third day of the first Test on Thursday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.
At the interval, Nkrumah Bonner was not out on 68 and Joshua da Silva was not out on 29 and defied the second new ball to put on 65 – unbroken – for the sixth wicket.
Starting the day on 202 for four, the Windies lost only one wicket before lunch when Jason Holder was caught behind off Ben Stokes for 45, adding only two to his overnight score, before nibbling at a delivery outside the off-stump in the fourth over of the day.
Da Silva came to the crease and put his head down with the stoic Bonner to take the Caribbean side to within 40 runs of a first innings lead with the England bowlers extracting little from an unresponsive pitch.
Bonner reached his 50 from 147 balls when he pushed pacer Craig Overton into the covers for a single, but there was a nervous moment for da Silva on 16, when umpire Joel Wilson adjudged him lbw to the same bowler.
The West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman immediately reviewed and ball-tracking technology suggested that the delivery was clearly heading down the leg-side and missing the stumps.
Ben Stokes has been the most successful bowler taking 2-33 from 16 overs.
Summarised scores:
ENGLAND 311 (Jonny Bairstow 140, Ben Foakes 42, Ben Stokes 36, Chris Woakes 28, Dan Lawerence 20, Joe Root 13; Jayden Seales 4-79, Jason Holder 2-24, Alzarri Joseph 2-70, Kemar Roach 2-6).
WEST INDIES 271 for five (Nkrumah Bonner 67 not out, Kraigg Brathwaite 55, Jason Holder 45, John Campbell 35, Joshua da Silva 2 not out, Shamarh Brooks 18, Jermaine Blackwood 11; Ben Stokes 2-33).
(AR)