BIRMINGHAM, July 26: England kept chipping away at West Indies’ early good work, but an unbroken 79-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva limited the damage.
Two early wickets in the afternoon session kept the hosts on top but by tea on the opening day of their third and final Test at Edgbaston, West Indies had recovered from 97 for 3 to 194 for 5.
Half-centurion Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis had combined for a 76-run opening stand on the first morning before wickets to Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood sent them to lunch in trouble.
Brathwaite had added just five runs after lunch before he was caught behind down the leg side by Jamie Smith attempting a pull shot off a Wood short ball for 61. Adding to West Indies’ woes, replays suggested that the catch had come off Brathwaite’s right glove, which was off the bat handle at the time.
Just two balls later, Kavem Hodge left a Chris Woakes delivery to his demise, the ball angling in towards middle and off stumps and clattering into the top of off.
The tourists could take some encouragement, however, from the fact that Da Silva remained unbeaten on 35 at tea, having made a doughty half-century at Trent Bridge that had helped his side edge into a slender first-innings lead in that match. Not to mention that he was joined by Holder, who struck Shoaib Bashir for four over mid-on, then six over long-on in consecutive deliveries and was 42 not out at the interval.
By that time, Wood had 2 for 36 and Atkinson 2 for 49.
Earlier, Louis had faced 22 balls to get off the mark, striking Atkinson through cover point and running two. But, after the first hour, West Indies were 49 without loss, having won the toss.
Louis struck two fours in as many Atkinson overs after the drinks break, one a firm punch through mid-on and the second top-edging a short ball somewhat fortuitously over the slips from a half-hearted pull.
Meanwhile, Brathwaite moved to 49 guiding a full Ben Stokes delivery past point and brought up his half-century next ball. It was his first fifty in nine Test innings since July last year.
Atkinson made the initial breakthrough, drawing an edge with a short ball that was moving away as Louis prodded behind to Smith. For the fifth time in as many Tests innings in his fledgling career, Louis reached double figures but he is yet to pass the 27 he made on debut in the first match of this series at Lord’s.
Wood’s pace wasn’t quite what it was at Trent Bridge but it caused West Indies enough problems.
Brathwaite was left doubled up after a nasty knock to the box by a short ball then, after Kirk McKenzie had struck three boundaries in four Atkinson deliveries, Wood removed him for 12 in his next over, flattening middle stump with a 91mph yorker.
Atkinson grabbed his second wicket on the stroke of lunch as Alick Athanaze bottom-edged a short ball which stayed low onto his off stump. (Agencies)
