England and the West Indies will resume their tussle for management of the primary Take a look at, with the sport up for grabs on day three in Antigua.
Responding to England’s first-innings rating of 311, the hosts will start on 202 for 4 due to a wicketless closing session that noticed Nkrumah Bonner and Jason Holder blunt the visiting assault.
The pair placed on an unbroken 75 after tea, as England followers at house and within the stands on the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium started to think about absent seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
The alternative new-ball pairing of Chris Woakes and Craig Overton laboured by way of their work, taking a wicket every however conceding 112 runs from a mixed 28 overs.
Participant to observe – Jason Holder
He could not be the captain of his facet, however Holder stays the important thing to their line-up. He balances the bowling unit and presents a diligent hand within the center order. The 30-year-old additionally has a selected penchant for taking part in England on house soil. His maiden Take a look at century got here at this floor again in 2015 and he adopted up with an unbeaten double ton in Bridgetown 4 years later. Sitting on an in a single day rating of 43no and looking out usually assured alongside the best way, he’ll fancy his probabilities of including a 3rd memorable knock to his document.
View from the dressing room
Numbers recreation
Brathwaite breaks the mould
When England devised their pre-series plans, they’d have had clear expectations for house skipper Kraigg Brathwaite. Properly established as one of many recreation’s most studious batters, he normally engages in a ready recreation with opposition bowlers. However he reinvented himself right here – racing to 50 in simply 62 balls, the quickest of his 33 Take a look at half-centuries. Is the beginning of a chapter for the Bajan blocker or merely a mirrored image on some less-than-stellar new ball bowling?
Stokes is difficult to cease
When Ben Stokes pulled up with a facet pressure whereas bowling within the penultimate Ashes Take a look at in January, and additional aggravated it whereas batting, the prognosis from those that had skilled related accidents was unified. He wouldn’t have ball in hand once more for at the very least two months, perhaps extra. As lately as final week, the sensation was that he would play in Antigua as a specialist batter. And but there he was, seven weeks on from the unique incident, taking the twenty third over of the innings. He bowled a six-over spell, took the wicket of Shamarh Brooks and returned for an additional burst within the night. Stokes is an irrepressible character who finds it laborious to take a again seat, however Joe Root should be cautious to not irritate the ache and threat dropping one among his star performers.
Kaynak: briturkish.com