An all-round show from Ben Stokes helped England square the three-match Test series against West Indies with a 113-run victory in the second Test in Manchester. Stokes, who scored a patient 176 in the first innings, belted an unbeaten 78 off 57 in the second essay to help England set West Indies a steep target of 312, with the hosts scoring 92 in 11 overs on the fifth morning. He broke an important partnership with the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood and finished two wickets in the innings, while he also remained on the field till the end of the game despite not completing an over possibly due to an injury.
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Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes also played pivotal roles in England’s victory on Monday (July 20). Having picked up three wickets each in the first innings, they got five wickets between them in the second, with their timely strikes ensuring that England did not let the advantage slip. Dom Bess provided the finishing touches with two wickets as West Indies were bowled out for 198.
England tasted success in the first over with the ball as Broad accounted for John Campbell’s wicket. The left-hander got a faint nick through to Buttler, who wasn’t convinced but Broad was as he coaxed Root to opt for the review and was proved right. Brathwaite and Shai Hope were a lot more selective with their batting and were beginning to build a partnership when Woakes trapped the right-handed opener in front. Hope fell soon after, bowled by Broad with a delivery that nipped back in, and the experienced pacer bagged his third by dismissing Chase, who offered no shot and was out leg-before after Lunch.
Blackwood and Brooks did a good job of rebuilding the innings, with the former leading a counter-attack with regular boundaries. England missed an opportunity to send back Brooks, who appeared to have gloved a Woakes delivery that rose from back of a length. Root decided against reviewing the decision, with replays revealing a spike when the ball passed the glove. Brooks capitalised on the miss, took the attack to Bess, and built a steady partnership with Blackwood as both batsmen scored half-centuries. However, a persistent Stokes kept targeting the ribs from round the wicket and was eventually rewarded with the wicket of Blackwood at the stroke of Tea.
Woakes struck immediately after Tea, sending back Shane Dowrich for a duck to bag his 100th wicket in Test cricket. A 23-run partnership between Brooks and Jason Holder that lasted more than 70 deliveries, kept England waiting, with the combination of Stokes, Woakes and Broad being kept at bay. But Sam Curran managed to end the seventh-wicket resistance by getting Brooks out leg-before with a ball that hurried on to the batsman.
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Holder and Roach then led a fight, which was ended by Bess when he got one to sneak through the gap between West Indies skipper’s bat and pad. Alzarri Joseph had a couple of nervous moments against Bess, with the DRS coming into play. He survived, only to fall to Stokes. The Durham all-rounder, who appeared to be struggling with an injury, cut short an over he was bowling and wasn’t able to complete it, but remained on the field to partake in the celebrations that took place once Bess accounted for Roach.
Earlier, Stokes struck a quick-fire half-century as England declared their second innings having managed 129 for 3 in only 19 overs. He managed four fours and three sixes during his knock, having been reprieved early when he was put down by Campbell at deep extra cover, leaving the bowler Shannon Gabriel howling in anger. The left-hander brought up a 36-ball fifty, his second fastest half-century — in complete contrast to his knock in the first innings when he registered his slowest hundred — showcasing his range with the bat.
Brief Scores
England 469/9 decl. (Ben Stokes 176, Dom Sibley 120; Roston Chase 5-172) & 129/3 decl. (Ben Stokes 78*; Kemar Roach 2-37) beat
West Indies 287 (Kraigg Brathwaite 75, Shamarh Brooks 68; Chris Woakes 3-42, Stuart Broad 3-66) & 198 (Shamarh Brooks 62, Jermaine Blackwood 55; Stuart Broad 3-42, Ben Stokes 2-30) by 113 runs.
