Anderson on fire as wickets tumble in West Indies

James Anderson claimed 6-42 as he helped England to bowl West Indies out for 189 in Bridgetown with 18 wickets falling on the second day of the third test.

England were then reduced 39/5 as conditions continued to deteriorate, but with a lead of 107 runs England are still in with a reasonable chance of winning this Test. Jermaine Blackwood struck a superb 85 as he played an aggressive innings to counter the limited runs available, but his efforts were in vain as England claimed a first-innings lead of 68 runs, a margin which will certainly count for much more in such a low-scoring affair.

Anderson’s 17th fifth-wicket haul in Test cricket increased his margin over Ian Botham, as the fast bowler took his tally to 396 wickets in the longest format of the game. England started the day on what was deemed by many critics to be a sub-par total of 240/7, but given the prodigious turn and swing on the first day of the test match, what seemed to be an inadequate total proved to be exactly the opposite.

The tourists went on to lost their last four wickets for 17 runs including captain Alastair Cook who made his first century in two years before falling late in the day yesterday evening. Jerome Taylor (3-36) had gone the entire first day without a wicket, but he accounted for all three of England’s wickets to fall in the morning session as they were all out for 257.

Chris Jordan (3) strangled an edge down the leg side through to Denesh Ramdin at 247/8 before Stuart Broad (10) and James Anderson (0) were both bowled by the West-Indian fast bowler, leaving overnight batsman Jos Buttler stranded on 3 not out.

Although England had suffered a minor collapse, West Indies proved just how difficult batting was; a task made that much harder when the man steaming in had recently become England’s all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.

Anderson claimed his first two wickets without affording the hosts a single run, removing 

Kriagg Braithwaite with the second ball of the innings when he edged to Jordan at second slip. The Lancashire fast bowler struck again when debutant Shai Hope (5) edged to Cook at first slip, although there was degree of deliberation about whether or not the ball had carried.

This wicket gave Anderson figures of two wickets for no runs and he eventually conceded his first run of the innings after 20 deliveries, as he continued to swing the ball both ways on a pitch which offered assistance to the fast bowlers, particularly with the new ball.

England’s record-breaker then claimed his third wicket with a delivery which nipped back off the seam and struck Marlon Samuels on the pads in front of middle stump. Not only did Samuels leave the ball, but he then had the audacity to review the decision, with replays confirming just how audacious his decision was as West Indies slumped to 21/3.

Spin played a big part on the first day and when Joe Root and Moeen Ali were bowling in tandem after just 12 overs it was clear that England were playing on a pitch unlikely to last the full five days.

Ali (1-56) struck an early breakthrough to remove Darren Bravo (9) who edged to Jordan. The Sussex all-rounder then took a superb one-handed catch at first slip to dismiss the dangerous Shivnarine Chanderpaul (25) as Root also collected a wicket with his part-time off-spin.

Ramdin (13) gave Stuart Broad his first and only wicket after the Nottinghamshire bowler had seen an earlier chance put down by Jordan, as Buttler held on to a routine catch with the score at 107/6.

Blackwood, aware that time was limited with West Indies’ lower-order likely to suffer the same fate as those who came before, decided to play an aggressive innings and was rewarded for his bravery when he reached his fourth Test fifty in just 61 deliveries.

Ben Stokes (1-17) accounted for Jason Holder (5) as Buttler was once again called into action behind the stumps before Veerasammy Permaul and Blackwood added 38 runs for the eighth-wicket.

Blackwood was the main enforcer but tail-ender Permaul contributed 18 before he became Anderson’s fourth victim as substitute fielder Adam Lyth was called into action at short-leg after Gary Ballance took a nasty blow, forcing him to leave the field in order to receive treatment.

Anderson made it five when he bowled Taylor (15) and he then wrapped-up the innings when Blackwood was caught well in the deep by Ali to give England a first-innings lead of 68 runs and Anderson his sixth wicket.

Jonathan Trott avoided a fourth duck in six innings but, when he was out lbw for just nine to Taylor, his future as an England opener - and player for that matter -was put in further jeopardy. A return of 72 runs in six innings on tour of the Caribbean, with 59 of these runs coming in one innings, will surely see Yorkshire batsman Lyth given a chance at the top of the order at the next available opportunity.

Trott's England career could be over after his poor form in this series.

 

Despite taking a blow while fielding, Ballance came out to bat in his usual spot at number three, but he had only been at the crease a short while before first-innings centurion Cook (4) edged to Braithwaite at second slip off Gabriel as England fell to 13/2 in the sixth over.

England’s first-innings lead became a necessity when Ian Bell was out lbw, as he reviewed the decision despite being hit in front of middle stump, although, in fairness, at least he offered a shot. Nevertheless Bell was out for ducks in both innings and Taylor’s second wicket of the innings resigned England to 18/3, the sixteenth wicket to fall on the second day in Bridgetown.

Joe Root (1) edged Holder to Bravo at first slip and Ali played-on late in the day to Permaul to a delivery which kept low, as England slumped to 39/5 on a pitch which is simply not conducive to good or entertaining Test cricket. Ballance (12*) and Stokes were not out at the end of the second day as England look to build on their slender lead and recover from yet another top-order collapse.