Follow UsEngland started day three of the second Test at Trent Bridge on a superb note, with Chris Woakes taking three wickets and reducing West Indies to 386/9. The visitors were still trailing by 30 runs but that’s when Joshua Da Silva and Shamar Joseph put on 71 runs for the final wicket and gave their team a lead of 41 runs.
England captain Ben Stokes opened the field for Da Silva to bowl more to No.11 Joseph. That allowed Da Silva to pick up easy runs and the wicketkeeper-batter eventually ended up scoring 82* off 122 deliveries. Joseph too smashed five fours and two maximums in his 27-ball 33. Former England captain Michael Vaughan wasn’t too pleased with Stokes’s plan but Woakes defended his skipper.
"It's a period that can cause problems. You just have to commit to the plan you're going with. It's not always going to be perfect. When the field goes out, as a bowler it's easy to think you're not trying to get the set batter out and just think of the number 11. At the same time, you don't want to give away easy boundaries.
"You don't always expect the number 11 to hit a couple into the stands. Fair play to them, they played it pretty well. We committed to it for long enough and eventually got the reward."
Meanwhile, Da Silva said: "I'm not really sure what their plan was. It worked in my favour. Whatever happens in the morning will set up the rest of the Test."
England managed to bounce back in the second innings and now have a lead of 207, with still seven wickets remaining. Ben Duckett (76) and Ollie Pope (51) got out after scoring fifties but Joe Root (37*) and Harry Brook (71*) have added 108 runs since then.
"I never like to say we're in front in a Test, because half an hour can go against us and we're behind the game again. The fourth morning will be huge. If that partnership is extended to 150 or 200 then we're taking the game away. If West Indies take quick wickets they will feel ahead again,” said Woakes.
"We have to kick on again on Sunday to take the game away from West Indies. Naturally, we want as many runs as possible and there's still two days to play. We want to be bowling at them as much as possible on day five, when the pitch could wear a little. Sunday is a big day for us, to build the lead up to 250 and 300, then hopefully we can make it really big."
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