Blackwood resists as West Indies crumble

Play 02:46

Cook’s easiest double-ton?

West Indies 145 for 8 (Blackwood 60*, Joseph 2*) trail England 514 for 8 dec (Cook 243, Root 136, Malan 65) by 369 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

West Indies’ batsmen stuttered with grim predictability on the third day at Edgbaston, losing seven wickets in a wasteful morning session before Jermaine Blackwood, with a spirited 49-ball half-century, dredged up enough resistance to see them through to the lunchbreak on 145 for 8.

By the break, West Indies still trailed England by a massive 369 runs, and the only question is whether England will enforce the follow-on when the last of the resistance is mopped up after lunch.

After the loss of much of last night’s evening session to rain, play resumed half an hour early at 1.30pm … but only for a solitary delivery, as an untimely shower swept across the ground. Half an hour later, the clouds had cleared and the match got properly back underway, but the gloom endured for West Indies as James Anderson wasted little time in getting back in the wickets.

Kyle Hope was the first man in his sights, blasted from the crease with the sixth ball of the morning, and his third, as Anderson found wicked lift from a good length, for Ben Stokes in the gully to snaffle the edge off the splice. Hope, who had hung around with intent on the second afternoon, was gone without addition.

One ball later, Stuart Broad thought he had bagged the other overnight incumbent, Kieron Powell, but replays upheld the umpire’s call for a leg-stump lbw appeal. It made little difference, as Powell was gone later in the same over, pinged out by a direct hit from James Anderson at mid-off, as he charged through for a suicidal single.

A string of dot-balls gave way to Anderson’s third, two overs later, as Roston Chase was beaten by the nipbacker and bowled off the inside edge for an 11-ball duck. Blackwood and Shai Hope came out swinging, clubbing a smattering of boundaries to get the scoreboard moving, but Hope in particular never looked like enduring. Toby Roland-Jones took advantage of his determination to hit his team out of trouble, and a fat-inside edge smashed his stumps for 15.

Roland-Jones bagged his second when Shane Dowrich – one edge through the cordon to his name already – played a shockingly ill-advised clip through the leg-side that missed his bat by a mile and pinned him dead in front of middle.

Jason Holder lingered for a while, but having found some success against the seamers, he was all at sea when the spin of Moeen Ali entered the attack. After a terrible over of loose drives outside off, Holder had another swing in Moeen’s second over, and feathered the slenderest of edges through to Jonny Bairstow, who correctly called for the review after the initial appeal had been refused.

West Indies’ ignominious session was completed when Kemar Roach missed a drive at Stuart Broad to lose his off stump for 5. It was abject and dispiriting, but at least Blackwood could hold his head high, as signed off for the session by crunching Moeen for a sweet straight six to reach the break on 60 not out.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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