England closed the day at 38/3

2024.07.27

West Indies staged a late fightback against England on Day 1 of the 3rd Test.

West Indies faced a difficult start on the first day of the third Test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, after being bowled out for 282 runs. Kraigg Brathwaite, who reached his half-century off 70 balls and smashed eight fours, put up a strong 61-run performance, but West Indies could not keep up with England’s methodical bowling assault. Gus Atkinson was especially good, taking four wickets, and Chris Woakes finished with three. Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis managed to navigate the first few overs, giving the West Indies the appearance of strength, but as England’s bowlers tightened their hold, their innings began to unravel.
England’s ability to bowl well was put to use as they bowled out the West Indies for just 282 runs. Brathwaite and Louis gave the West Indies a strong start, but their innings soon fell apart. Atkinson and Woakes spearheaded England’s bowling attack that destroyed the middle and lower order. The West Indies fell from 76/0 to 115/5 after Brathwaite was out for 61, with wickets falling quickly after lunch. West Indies lost five wickets in short succession, restricting their first-innings total, and Woakes and Atkinson were key players in this collapse.

The West Indies were in dire need of a rescue operation, and Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva delivered with an important unbroken stand of 79 runs for the sixth wicket. Holder scored 59 and Da Silva added 49, both players displaying tenacity and maturity. Through their efforts, West Indies managed to climb from a hazardous 97/3 position to a more reasonable 194/5 by tea. Their cooperation was essential to keeping the innings steady and guaranteeing that the West Indies scored a respectable total. But when both hitters were out of the game, the visitors were bowled out for less than 300, thus the tailenders could not do anything.

In an attempt to match the West Indies’ score, England lost three wickets early on in their reply. Ben Duckett was dismissed by an inside edge onto his own stumps, while Zak Crawley was dismissed by Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph. Seales discovered Mark Wood, who had been promoted to nightwatchman, in the slips. With Ollie Pope and Joe Root having to navigate a challenging phase prior to stumps, England finished the day at 38/3, leaving the match in a precarious position.

@charith rajapaksha