Stuart Broad revived England’s hopes of a series-levelling victory in the second Test with a trio of new-ball wickets even as the West Indies avoided the follow-on at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The veteran paceman marked his England return with a spell of three wickets for one run in 14 balls as the West Indies were dismissed for 287 on the fourth day in reply to England’s first innings 469/9 declared.
England, looking to draw level in the three-match series despite Saturday’s total washout, were 37/2 at stumps – an overall lead of 219.
“It’s going to be a good day tomorrow (Monday),” Broad, controversially rested from the West Indies’ four-wicket win in the first Test at Southampton last week, told Sky Sports.
“We need to set it up in the first 45 minutes, an hour,” added Broad, who reckoned England would want a lead of at least 270. In a dream world we get two new balls tomorrow. We’ve given ourselves a chance of winning this game, which is a great position.”
Buttler plan fails
England opened their second innings with Ben Stokes, 16 not out after top-scoring with 176 on Friday, and Jos Buttler in the hope of quick runs rather than regular first-wicket duo Dom Sibley and Rory Burns.
Sibley made 120 in the first innings but took nearly eight hours to reach three figures. Buttler, however, fell for a three-ball nought when he played on to Kemar Roach.
Zak Crawley, in on a king pair, was then bowled by Roach for 11, with England captain Joe Root eight not out at stumps.
Earlier, West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite made 75 and Shamarh Brooks 68 in the second match of a campaign that marks world cricket’s return from the coronavirus lockdown.
Roston Chase’s 51, which followed the off-spinning all-rounder’s 5/172 in England’s first innings, then took the West Indies to the 270 they needed to avoid the follow-on.
Play resumed Sunday in bright sunshine with Wisden Trophy holders West Indies looking for their first series win in England since 1988.
Brathwaite and Brooks shared an attractive fourth-wicket stand of 76. But Braithwaite’s hopes of following his 134 against England at Headingley three years ago with another hundred ended when he was caught and bowled by Stokes.
It had taken Root until the 51st over of the innings to bowl his star all-rounder. Stokes kept pounding the ball in before the paceman was rewarded with Brathwaite’s wicket in his 10th successive over.
The West Indies, who had been 242/4, lost their last six wickets for 45 runs in 16.4 overs.
Broad deals with pressure
Broad did the bulk of the damage even without the adrenaline rush of a crowd roaring him on in this behind closed doors series. He had Brooks plumb lbw before bowling Jermaine Blackwood, who made a match-clinching 95 in the first Test, for a duck with one that kept low.
Shane Dowrich also fell for nought, lbw to Broad, who finished with 3/66 in 23 overs while fellow seamer Chris Woakes wrapped up the innings on his way to 3/42 from 21.
“I felt under a bit of pressure,” said Broad, who had revealed his frustration and anger at being left out at Southampton during a mid-match interview.
“You do feel an added mental pressure to hit your straps and it’s different to bowling in a net,” added Broad, second only to James Anderson in England’s all-time list of leading Test wicket-takers.
England are fielding a revamped attack this match. Having already rested Anderson and Mark Wood, they had to omit Jofra Archer after the fast bowler admitted making an unauthorised trip home following the first Test that breached this series’ bio-secure health regulations.
But Archer was in the nets on Sunday after the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Saturday that, following a disciplinary hearing, he would be available for the third Test at Old Trafford starting on July 24.
You can watch highlights from day four of the match below:
