RECAP
Follow UsWest Indies’ costly blunder gives Joe Root a life
Shamar Joseph struck in the third over of the day to remove Ollie Pope, but Jayden Seales should have had Joe Root LBW in the second over itself.
On 9.4, Seales had a fidgety Root trapped in front of his crease. But after the on-field umpire ruled it not out, Windies did not go for the review. Replays showed it would have been three reds.
Root was on three at that point. He went on to score 87.
A record-filled, fruitful day for Root
With the 87 runs, Root went past Brian Lara to become the seventh-highest run-getter in Test history. He also then breached the 12,000 runs barrier.
Root became the second-youngest man to the landmark, behind Alastair Cook.
Stokes shows glimpses of his best
At 54/5, England were in deep trouble in the morning. But this was when skipper Stokes stepped up with the bat. He looked close to his best as he hammered 54 off 69 balls. The 115-run partnership he stitched with Root deflated the visitors.
The touch Stokes showed today will undoubtedly please England ahead of the Sri Lanka Tests.
Jamie Smith continues to be ultra impressive
Jamie Smith fell five short of becoming the youngest England wicketkeeper to post a Test ton, but despite missing the milestone, the youngster kept growing from strength to strength.
At 231/7, West Indies eyed a slender lead. But Smith’s knock of 95 (109) helped the Three Lions take a 94-run lead.
His 106-run stand with Chris Woakes pretty much helped England bat West Indies out of the game.
Windies stung by double strike late in the day
After conceding a 94-run lead, West Indies needed to get through the remainder of the day unscathed to salvage the day. However, the visitors instead ended up enduring a double strike, with both Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk McKenzie departing.
Young McKenzie has had a series to forget. The left-hander’s scores in this tour read 8, 12, 1, 11, 0, 1.
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