North Sound (Antigua and Barbuda): West Indies enjoyed a productive second morning in the first Test against England, dismissing the tourists for 399 in their first innings and beginning their reply on five without loss by lunch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach led the improved effort for the home side with the ball, taking the wickets of Jos Buttler and Stuart Broad to finish with the best figures of four for 94.
Resuming overnight position on 341 for five, England crashed to 361 for nine, losing four wickets for just four runs, before all-rounder Chris Jordan and last man James Anderson briefly frustrated the home side with a 38-run partnership.
It necessitated the introduction of part-time spinner Marlon Samuels to end the innings with the wicket of Anderson.
Playing his 100th Test, Anderson opened the bowling with Broad but the West Indies opening pair of Kraigg Brathwaite and Devon Smith negotiated the three overs delivered before the break without any real alarm.
English aspirations of a first innings total well beyond the 400-run mark evaporated in the early minutes of the day’s play when the hard-hitting Ben Stokes guided a catch to Jason Holder at gully off Jerome Taylor after adding only another eight runs to his overnight score of 71.
His departure was the trigger for the slide with Holder removing nightwatchman James Tredwell via Darren Bravo’s third catch of the innings in the specialist first slip position.
Roach then joined in the rout as Buttler and Broad both failed to score, the usually-attacking wicketkeeper-batsman being restrained for 21 deliveries before edging a delivery to his West Indies counterpart Ramdin, while the fast bowler slashed a wide delivery unerringly to Jermaine Blackwood at backward point.
Barbados-born Jordan lived up his all-rounder reputation in stroking four fours but was actually upstaged by Anderson for shot-making as the tailender’s 20 came off five founrs, prompting the introduction of Samuels which brought instant reward with a simple catch to Holder at short extra cover. (AFP)
