Eng takes control of second test against WI

NIETTINGHAM:

England defeated West Indies 89-3 at lunchtime on the second day of the second Test match, trailing the home side by 327 runs at a sunny Trent Bridge on Friday.

In response to England’s total of 416 runs, the touring team lost Mikyle Louis for 21, captain Kraigg Brathwaite for 48 and Kirk McKenzie for 11, while the batting was good.

Louis tried to hit spinner Shoaib Bashir over the top and was well caught by Harry Brook running back on mid on. Brathwaite was unsettled by a short pitch from fast bowler Gus Atkinson and threw a simple catch to Ollie Pope at short leg.

McKenzie suffered a bloody blow shortly before half-time when he tried to hit Bashir over mid-off and threw the ball into the hands of England captain Ben Stokes. Earlier, Mark Wood had produced a rapid spell on his return to the side, including a 97.1 mph delivery in the fastest over ever bowled by an England player. England won the first match of the three-Test series by an innings and 114 runs at Lord’s.

Earlier, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite and co-opener Mikyle Louis survived a gruelling first hour of the second day at Trent Bridge.

But Louis and Kirk McKenzie then gave their wickets away to Bashir with poor hitting, with both sides of Brathwaite scoring a fine 48 from fast bowler Gus Atkinson.

West Indies were 89-3 after England had made 416 first-innings runs at lunch on Friday, falling 327 runs behind. Bashir had taken 2-30 in eight overs.

This is England’s first Test match since the retirement of veteran James Anderson, who took 704 Test match wickets, the most by any fast bowler. The match was won by the home side with a magnificent innings and a 114-run victory in last week’s first Test match at Lord’s.

Chris Woakes took the new ball with Atkinson after a spectacular 12-wicket knock on his Test debut at Lord’s.

Brathwaite soon got into his stride and smashed Woakes’ fifth ball in for a four-runer.

But the real speed boost came when Mark Wood, recalled after Anderson’s departure, came on and hit 96 mph (154 km/h) in his first over.

West Indies were 48-0 up after 14 overs, but England captain Ben Stokes’ decision to bring in Bashir (who had not bowled at all at Lord’s) instead of himself was soon rewarded.

Louis, on 21, made a superb sweep with Harry Brook making a superb running catch, putting the West Indians on 53-1.

England were completely out on Thursday after Pope, who lost twice, top-scored with 121 in an innings, with Ben Duckett’s quickfire 71 and Stokes’ 69.