Tea and Biscuits in the West Indies
Day 3: Antigua. Root misses a trick as Bonner compiles a magnificent century for the hosts.
Day 3: Antigua. Root misses a trick as Bonner compiles a magnificent century for the hosts.
MORNING SESSION: West Indies 271–5 (Bonner 68 not out).
I concluded yesterday’s article on the day’s play with the perennial cliché of this morning’s session being crucially important for both teams: The hosts needed to cash in on the soft old ball and close the gap on the visitors lead of 109 runs. Their English visitors needed early wickets with a cricket ball brilliantly described by ex England opening batsman Mark Butcher as akin to a “rolled up pair of socks” and on a wicket your humble cricketing correspondent described yesterday as a “blancmange”.
I also concluded yesterday by stating that by the end of the first hour’s play and first drinks break of the day that England would’ve bowled their minimum amount of overs with that wonderfully described rolled up pair of old socks and would thankfully for the game be given a brand new cricket ball, and a new and exciting phase of play would begin. And boy was it needed! And boy was I right, and I also humbly posit immediately that England, and their Skipper Joe Root, missed a huge trick in the process.
At the first hour’s drinks break the West Indies had added just a paltry 25 runs in the hour’s play hence far and for the loss of one wicket and that of their ex Captain Jason Holder for a very well played 45. Holder neither played an attacking stroke or defensively to a swinging ball from Ben Stokes that he tamely edged through to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes for a comfortable catch behind the stumps. Holder’s dismissal followed that of his teammates Brathwaite and Campbell of yesterday: all three batsmen had “gotten in” in cricketing parlance before tamely getting themselves out and Holder’s wicket was another gift for an England bowling attack who Ben Stokes and Mark Wood aside, look ragged and directionless.
Mark Wood Watch: The trick England missed within the first hour of play was that the affectionately known and permanently smiling madcap fast bowler “Woody” bowled 4 overs with that pudding of a soft ball and not saved for the brand new harder ball after the drinks break. Wood barely gave away a run with 3 of his 4 overs but his last over went for 9 runs and considering the West Indies only scored a total of 16 other runs in the hour’s play, these statistics alone are damning. I am but a 50 year old ex fast bowler who hasn’t donned his cricketing whites in nearly a decade and who am I to criticise the England Captain? But Root missed a trick this morning and I’d hazard a guess that Woody would’ve rather preferred to steam in fresh with the harder brand new ball after a refreshing drink, rather than the rolled up pair of old socks he hurled instead!
Woody bowled one over with that brand new ball, was top edged for 6 and didn’t bowl any more before the lunch break. Root definitely missed a trick this morning, and this was further compounded as the West Indies added a total of 69 runs in the session to finish just 40 behind England’s first innings total and with a score of 271–5 at the lunch break have definitely edged their way further into the lead as we approach the mid-way point of this intriguing Test Match. Nkrumah Bonner has doubled his overnight tally of 34 to be 68 not out at lunch and in a partnership of 65 with Joshua Da Silva who will be enjoying his lunchtime sandwiches sat on 29 not out. He was given a cricketing “life” when on 16, adjudged out LBW (Leg Before Wicket) to a delivery from Craig Overton that he immediately reviewed and was right in doing so as the replay showed the ball missing the stumps by quite a distance. I gave it out immediately in real time and was convinced it would hit Da Silva’s leg stump even on the replay, but then again, what do I know!
What I do know for certain is Ben Stokes aside (and now including Mark Wood), England’s bowlers look ragged and bowling without any seeming control. If the West Indies climb past England’s first innings total it could look rather ugly for the visitors come the third and final session of play today.
England need quick wickets after the lunch break and they need Mark Wood’s fire and energy.
AFTERNOON SESSION: West Indies 322–7 (Bonner 98 not out).
Mark Wood Watch: I further concluded last evening’s match report by stating that I would keep a special eye on the cricketing fortunes today of both Woody and the England opening batsman Zak Crawley. This session would see contrasting fortunes for both players as firstly Mark Wood didn’t take to the field at all and is presumably suffering from a slight or returning injury and whilst I was expecting to see Crawley opening the batting for England, he had an afternoon to forget in the field.
With Wood off the field and England a bowler down, the “Mad Professor” in the shape of off spinner Jack Leach bowled virtually unchanged all afternoon and was England’s star performer. The recently departed (and incredibly missed) Shane Warne would constantly urge himself when bowling to “spin it up” thereby ensuring the ball would spin out of the eyeline of the batsman and allow for natural drift before the spinning effect off the wicket. It’s incredibly unfair to compare Leach with Warne and I’m not, rather using the oft used phrase of a cricketing King to reinforce how well the self nicknamed “Nutter” bowled this afternoon. He thoroughly deserved his only wicket as he trapped Joshua Da Silva in front of his stumps LBW for 32 valuable West Indian runs. As you’ll read shortly, Leach deserved far more this afternoon, but this wicket was perfectly in keeping with the probing and pressing style of bowling this afternoon and at 279–6 the West Indies still trailed by 33 runs.
3 runs later…….Alzarri Joseph tried to hook a short ball from Craig Overton and only looped a high easy catch for the substitute fielder Ollie Pope to snaffle and England had been gifted yet another soft wicket and at 282–7 the Test Match was evenly split 50/50 in terms of dominance. Substitute fielder Pope had been virtually ever present all day as well as incredibly busy to boot as he chased down several well played shots to the boundary edge saving crucial runs in the process for bowlers Overton and Leach who had bowled unchanged for the first 40 minutes of the session. Pope would also be the central character in a run out later in the day but
6 balls later…….
Zak Crawley Watch:
With the West Indies stuck on 282–7, barely scoring a run and having lost 2 quick wickets, Nkrumah Bonner was on 73 when he edged a delicious spinning delivery into the hands of Zak Crawley at slip and remarkably the usual safe hands of this young man failed him and the chance was dropped. Bonner had received a cricketing “life” and on a pudding of a wicket that was now showing more and more uneven and unpredictable bounce, the West Indies limped to just 17 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in the opening hour of the afternoon session. With the absence of Mark Wood, England rotated their bowlers around the axis of Jack Leach throughout the remainder of the session and he was to figure again as the West Indian score had progressed to exactly 300.
Zak Crawley watch: (Again)
With Leach continuing with his probing, spinning deliveries Kemar Roach had struggled to just 2 runs from 50 overall deliveries when he slashed a fast edge passed the despairing hands of Crawley at first slip. It would be uncharitable to say it was a genuine chance of a catch but needs must and England are struggling to contain their now slender lead. “The Mad Professor” deserved better this afternoon and could’ve had 2/3 wickets but he hadn’t, and England’s lead now stood at just 7 runs.
Nkrumah Bonner may have had that cricketing life on 73 runs but he had batted soundly and solidly all day and by the tea break he had scored a further relatively carefree 25 more runs to be 98 not out at the break. In partnership with Kemar Roach he had taken his side to 322–7 at this final session break of the day, and into a lead of 11 precious runs.
Stumps Day 3: West Indies 373–9 and a lead of 62 runs.
The Windies started the day 109 runs behind, finished it 62 runs in front and with 1 wicket still to fall. They had a tiring England bowling attack to thank for their uninspiring and man down failure to bowl them out and thus reducing the first innings deficit. But far more importantly, far more importantly, will be the thanks given to their gallant and elegant centurion, Nkrumah Bonner and his brilliantly made 123. In total, the young batsman from Jamaica had 4 (FOUR!) cricketing “lives” today, weathered them all, and recorded his highest Test Match score in the process. Regardless of second chances or a tired and directionless England bowling attack, Bonner played magnificently and has truly batted his team into a strong position at the end of the third day’s play, ably assisted throughout the day with strong partnerships and even 46 valuable runs toward the end of the day’s play for the 9th wicket with Veerasammy Permaul who was obstinate and doggedly determined on his way to a day ending score of 26 not out.
When Bonner had run out of lives it fell to the very occasional off spin of Dan Lawrence to snag his wicket at the end of the day’s play and after Bonner had seen off a now injured Wood, poor bowling displays from Chris Woakes and Craig Overton and the very best that both Jack Leach and Ben Stokes could bowl at him. On a day when only 171 runs in total were scored and for the fall of only 5 wickets, the England honours fall to Leach and Stokes who toiled away, took a combined 3 wickets and bowled a staggering 27 maiden overs in total between them. Jack Leach was England’s real guiding light in the gloom and could’ve had 3/4/5 wickets on another day, but this was today and, as I stated at the denouement of yesterday’s article, their leading wicket takers of all time are both sat at home at the back end of a cold English winter. Their front line bowling replacements toiled and tried but I can’t see how this attack can bowl out the West Indies a second time to force a win, so I see that result now off the table. But continuing on a theme, what do I know?
I do know that Nkrumah Bonner had several cricketing lives, batted magnificently and to conclude on yet another central theme, he rather gifted his wicket to a poor delivery from a part-time bowler. The West Indies have truly gifted a large number of their 9 wickets to fall and without these sunshine wrapped gifts, I fear for the state of this Test Match and am rather thankful the hosts only have a lead of 62 with 2 days to go.
The X factor is the wicket. It’s slow, getting lower and a real pudding. If it gets lower and with more exaggerated vagaries of bounce it could make for a batting collapse or two, and England aren’t the only team in recent years to be renowned for the very occasional (and personally trademarked by your humble cricket correspondent) “Calypso Collapso”.
Time will tell. It always does.
See you tomorrow.
Tea and Biscuits in the West Indies
Day 1: Antigua. Jonny Bairstow the centurion yet again as England take the honours on the opening day.medium.com
Tea and Biscuits in the West Indies
Day 2: Antigua. The hosts hold a slender advantage going into day 3 of this first Test Matchmedium.com