WEST INDIES FIGHT HARD BUT FALL SHORT TO TRENT BRIDGE

LESSONS LEARNED IN THE TOUGH SECOND TEST

Second Rothesay Test (day four of five), Trent Bridge

England 416 (Pope 121; A Joseph 3-98) & 425 (Carrot 122, Brook 109; Seales 4-97)

West Indies 457 (Hodge 120; Woakes 4-84) & 143 (Bashir 5-41)

England won by 241 runs

West Indies wondered what would have happened after the harsh lesson on the fourth day at Trent Bridge.

Three and a half days of competitive, hard-fought and at times astonishing Test cricket from the Men in Maroon was overshadowed by a magnificent final session in which England won the match by 241 runs.

After dispatching England for the third time in three innings, they set themselves a target of 385. West Indies began full of confidence.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis created a second opening stand of over fifty runs, but once Chris Woakes broke the partnership, England stormed through the series.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir tore through the engine room that had batted so brilliantly in the first innings, leaving Kavem Hodge and Alick Athanaze with distinctly different emotions the second time around.

Jason Holder’s 37 and Joshua Da Silva’s 14 briefly kept England at bay, but the momentum was with the home side and when Shamar Joseph became the last wicket to fall with the score on 143, the match was decided.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for a West Indies team that had played with such character and recovered so well from the first Test match.

Earlier on the fourth day, Jayden Seales had again shown his undiminished talent and dedication by ending England’s second innings with 4-97, including the wicket of Harry Brook for 109.

Brathwaite admitted it was an experience his players had to learn from as they continued to develop as a Test team.

He said: