Jermaine Blackwood and Jason Holder helped give the West Indies a sizeable first-inning lead in the second Test against England at Headingley after James Anderson struck twice at the start of Sunday’s third day.
West Indies were bowled out for 427, a lead of 169 runs, in reply to England’s 258, after lunch had been delayed by 30 minutes with the tourists nine wickets down.
It was a remarkable turnaround given that the West Indies had lost 19 wickets inside a day while being dismissed for just 168 and 137 during last week’s innings and 209-run defeat at Edgbaston in the first of a three-Test series.
After Anderson’s double strike, Blackwood (49) and West Indies captain Holder (43) put on 75 for the eighth wicket. Anderson, now three away from becoming the first England bowler to take 500 Test wickets, led the attack with five for 76 in 29 overs.
West Indies resumed on 329 for five, a lead of 71. Shai Hope was 147 not out. Together with opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who made 134, he shared a stand of 246 for the fourth wicket on Saturday.
Their partnership was the West Indies’ highest for any wicket in a Test in England since Gordon Greenidge (214 not out) and Larry Gomes (92 not out) added an unbeaten 287 for the second wicket at Lord’s in 1984.
But thoughts of Hope going on to 150 ended when, without adding to his overnight score, he was caught behind off the opening ball of the morning from Anderson.
Hope, a 23-year-old Barbadian, batted for more than five hours and faced 253 balls including 23 fours in what was his maiden Test hundred. Next ball Shane Dowrich nicked Anderson to England captain Joe Root at second slip and West Indies were 329 for seven.
But Holder survived Anderson’s hat-trick ball with a solid forward defensive shot. The next over saw Blackwood, still on his overnight 21, mistime a drive off Stuart Broad only for Moeen Ali to drop a routine catch at mid-on.
The diminutive Blackwood and the towering Holder bolstered their side’s position with several excellent shots. Holder pulled Broad resoundingly for four to extend the lead beyond 100.
It was the first of the all-rounder’s three fours in as many balls off the paceman, Holder following up with a well-timed shot through point before unfurling a textbook front-foot drive between cover and mid-off.
Holder eventually fell when he miscued a lofted drive off Chris Woakes and Ali, running back at mid-off, took a well-judged catch over his shoulder – a far harder chance than the one he had dropped.
Blackwood, who in common with Holder hit seven fours, was then run out by Ben Stokes’s throw to wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow. That left the West Indies 406 for nine.
Last man Shannon Gabriel should have gone for nought but Mark Stoneman dropped a routine short-leg catch off Ali. Gabriel then got off the mark with a straight driven six off Ali.
Stokes, reprimanded by the International Cricket Council for swearing on Saturday, had his patience tested when Gabriel successfully reviewed an appeal for a catch at gully.
But, two balls later, Stokes ended the innings when Gabriel was lbw, with the review going in England’s favour this time.
