Kavem Hodge scored his maiden Take a look at hundred as West Indies made life powerful for England in Nottingham on Friday throughout its first day within the subject since James Anderson’s worldwide retirement.
West Indies had been 351-5 in reply to England’s first-innings 416 at stumps on the second day of the second Take a look at at Trent Bridge, a deficit of 65 runs.
Hodge, dropped on 16, made 120 in what was simply the 31-year-old’s seventh innings at this stage.
He shared a partnership of 175 with fellow Windward Islands batsman Alick Athanaze (82), who fell in sight of what would have been his first Take a look at century after the fourth-wicket duo, exhibiting the form of talent and dedication many pundits feared the West Indies had been missing, batted all through the entire of the second session.
The pair got here collectively shortly earlier than lunch with West Indies in bother at 84-3 regardless of a great pitch and sunny skies, allied to a lightning fast outfield, which means situations had been in favour of the batsmen.
It was the kind of scenario through which England would have referred to as upon veteran paceman Anderson for a lot of the previous 21 years.
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However the 41-year-old had bowed out of Take a look at cricket with 704 wickets — probably the most by any quick bowler — after England’s crushing innings and 114-run thrashing of the West Indies within the collection opener at Lord’s, with workforce chiefs seeking to refresh the aspect forward of the 2025/26 Ashes in Australia.
That is additionally England’s first dwelling Take a look at since 2012 with out both Anderson or his longtime new-ball accomplice Stuart Broad, who retired after final yr’s Ashes.
Between them, the pair took 1,308 Take a look at wickets and their absence was all the time sure to create a spot regardless of Anderson’s new function of England fast-bowling mentor.
As an alternative it was Chris Woakes and quick bowler Gus Atkinson, contemporary from a shocking 12-wicket haul on Take a look at debut at Lord’s as England went 1-0 up in a three-match collection, who shared the brand new ball on Friday.
Bashir’s double strike
England captain Ben Stokes’s determination to deliver on off-spinner Shoaib Bashir moderately than himself as second change was quickly rewarded with Mikyle Louis and Kirk McKenzie each out to rash pictures because the 20-year-old took his first Take a look at wickets on dwelling soil.
In between, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell for 48 when the opener fended a rising Atkinson supply straight to Ollie Pope at quick leg.
However simply as England had benefitted from a number of dropped catches on Thursday, with Pope missed twice on his approach to 121, so too was Hodge given a reprieve when he edged categorical fast Mark Wooden — recalled rather than Anderson — to first slip, just for Joe Root to ground a regulation two-handed probability.
Athanaze had made 48 when he was struck flush on the helmet by a speedy Wooden bouncer.
However he recovered to finish a maiden Take a look at fifty, with Hodge — whose earlier highest Take a look at rating was the 71 he made in the course of the West Indies’ thrilling eight-run win over Australia in Brisbane in January — following go well with.
However the pair had been finally separated when Stokes, who didn’t come on till the fiftieth over, had Athanaze slapping a large ball to Harry Brook at gully to finish a 99-ball keep together with 10 fours and a six.
Hodge, nonetheless, pulled Stokes for 4 to go to 97 earlier than driving the all-rounder straight down the bottom for a seventeenth boundary in 143 balls confronted to finish his century, with the diminutive batsman joyfully leaping into the arms of towering non-striker Jason Holder.
He finally fell lbw to Woakes, the dismissal upheld on assessment by umpire’s name.
However at 305-5 the West Indies had already made excess of the 257 runs mixed they managed in two innings at Lord’s.
Woakes completed the day with 1-59 from 18 overs however Wooden, who repeatedly each topped speeds of 93 mph (150 km/h) and beat the skin edge, had no reward in a return of 0-51 in 14.1 overs earlier than pulling up and leaving the sphere.