Birmingham, England – Late strikes by West Indies bowlers, particularly Jayden Seales, gave the tourists an upper hand against England at Edgbaston on the first day of the third Test of the Richards-Botham Trophy Series.
Seales removed opener Zak Crawley and nightwatchman Mark Wood, while Alzarri Joseph dismissed Ben Duckett, leaving England struggling at 38 for three in reply to West Indies’ first-innings total of 282.
The West Indies’ batting line-up saw a mix of resilience and collapse. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and former captain Jason Holder each scored vital half-centuries to anchor the innings after winning the toss and electing to bat. Brathwaite top-scored with 61, while Holder added 59, forging crucial partnerships with Mikyle Louis and Joshua Da Silva to bolster the visitors’ total before being bowled out 15 minutes before the scheduled close.
Seales capitalized on the brief period of play before stumps
Seales capitalized on the brief period of play before stumps, dismissing Crawley and Wood, both caught at second slip by Holder for 18 and a duck, respectively. Joseph, despite dropping Duckett in his second over, bowled him for three off an inside edge in his third over. Seales ended the day with figures of two for 19 from four overs, while Ollie Pope and Joe Root, not out on six and two respectively, batted out the remaining 10 minutes. Root is just 14 runs away from surpassing former West Indies captain Brian Lara on the all-time list of Test run-scorers.
Earlier in the day, Brathwaite and Louis provided a solid start with a 76-run opening partnership. However, a flurry of wickets around the lunch break saw the Caribbean side slump to 115 for five. Louis contributed 26, while Da Silva played a crucial supporting role with 49. Despite their efforts, no other batsman managed to reach 20 runs.
England’s bowlers had a productive day, led by Gus Atkinson who took four for 67 from 20 overs. Chris Woakes and Mark Wood also contributed significantly, with Woakes claiming three for 69 from 18 overs and Wood securing two for 52 from 16 overs.
Brathwaite’s determination
Brathwaite’s determination was evident as he battled through several blows to his body from the England pacers, reaching his first half-century in nine Test innings. Unfortunately, the visitors’ promising start was undermined by careless batting, with Louis, McKenzie, and Athanaze falling cheaply to the England bowlers.
Post-lunch, Holder and Da Silva provided much-needed stability, weathering the pressure and conditions to guide West Indies to 194 for five at the break. Holder reached his fifty with a boundary off Woakes, marking a century partnership with Da Silva. However, Da Silva’s restless approach cost him his wicket at 49, edging a delivery from Woakes to the keeper.
As the day progressed, Holder and Joseph inched closer to 250 before the West Indies vice-captain was dismissed for 59, playing an ill-advised shot. The lower order folded quickly, losing the last four wickets for just 38 runs in 44 balls, bringing the innings to a close at 282.
