Second Test, Day 3: England 416 and 248-3 (Duckett 76, Brook 71 | Joseph 2-58) lead West Indies 457 (Hodge 120 |Woakes 4-84) by 207 runs with 7 wickets remaining
TRENT BRIDGE — Ben Duckett underlined his value to England yet again despite the father-to-be failing to score what probably should have been a “daddy hundred” on the third day of this second Test in Nottingham.
Duckett’s partner is scheduled to give birth any day and it’s likely this match will creep into what would be its fifth day on Monday after England fought back to wrest back control of an undulating contest.
By stumps they were 248 for three, leading by 207, with Joe Root and Harry Brook well set to further enhance that advantage when they resume their 108-run partnership on the fourth morning.
It came after the West Indies established a 41-run first-innings lead thanks to their total of 457 – the first time they had managed to breach the 450-barrier anywhere in Test cricket in a decade.
Unlike day two, when Trent Bridge was bathed in glorious batter-friendly sunshine, this cloud-dominated day that saw the floodlights switched on in the morning was one for the bowlers.
England had started off well, snaring four of the five remaining Windies wickets they needed before a 71-run 10th-wicket stand between Joshua Da Silva and Shamar Joseph sucked the life out of early home optimism when they started their second innings immediately after lunch.
That pressure was ratcheted up when Zak Crawley was run out in the second over backing up at the non-striker’s end – a piece of dopey cricket that got exactly what it deserved.
However, Duckett, accompanied by a fluent Ollie Pope, counterattacked superbly and ensured all the scrutiny was reapplied back on a West Indies team who are hunting a series-levelling win that would rank alongside their shock success against Australia at Brisbane back in January.
Duckett’s knock of 76 in 92 balls was more measured than his blistering 71 in 59 deliveries in the first innings. He will be annoyed he was dismissed 24 short of a fourth Test hundred when Alzarri Joseph trapped him lbw with a fine yorker.
England know this flat pitch is the perfect surface to go big on once set and come the next Ashes series in Australia in 16 months’ time they will need their frontline batters to cash in and get what Graham Gooch once termed “daddy hundreds” if they are to finally regain the urn after a decade of disappointment.
Duckett failed on that metric here twice. Yet it should not be forgotten what he has achieved since captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum brought him in for the tour of Pakistan in late 2022. In 18 Tests since, the 29-year-old is averaging 47. That’s some return for anyone, let alone an opener.
But it’s also the speed in which Duckett accumulates his runs which is such a powerful weapon for England. He is an agent of chaos who causes panic amongst opposition bowling attacks when he really lets loose at the start of innings.
Of Test openers who have scored at least 1,000 runs, nobody in history has a better strike rate than Duckett’s 86.97. He sits just above India’s former aggressor-in-chief Virender Sehwag (83.10) and is way ahead of the likes of David Warner (70.42), Shikhar Dhawan (66.94) and Sanath Jayasuriya (65.93).
It’s not all about strike rates of course. But Duckett’s modus operandi means it is particularly pertinent for him and for England’s whole method.
Indeed, he is leading the charge for Bazball.
Another beacon of Bazball is Brook, who reached his ninth Test half-century when punching Alzarri Joseph down the ground for four before finishing the day unbeaten on 71.
England will hope he can go on and convert this into a fifth Test hundred. If he does, there’s every chance it will swing the balance of this Test inexorably in his team’s favour.
Moments of the day
Woakes on a hat-trick
England were bang on it in the first hour, Chris Woakes nibbling Jason Holder out in the third over of the day before Gus Atkinson had Kevin Sinclair well caught at gully by Harry Brook.
But it was Woakes who came to the fore by dismissing Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales in successive balls to leave the West Indies nine down and himself on a hat-trick. He was denied when Shamar Joseph just about got some bat on the next delivery.
Shamar tiles on the pressure
England’s lead was 30 when the Windies’ final-wicket partnership began. But a stand of 71 gave the tourists a lead. Joshua Da Silva took centre stage as England, setting ultra-negative fields, basically gave up on trying to get him out.
But once Joseph got in and some of the strike he hit out spectacularly, pulling Atkinson for six to draw the score level. But his best shot came next, swivelling to hoick Atkinson again for another monster hit that dislodged tiles in the roof of the Larwood and Voce stands and caused spectators below to duck for cover.
Zak poorly
Out for a third-ball duck first innings and run out at the non-striker’s end for three in the second. It’s not been a great Test for Zak Crawley, who was left stranded when Seales deflected a Ben Duckett drive onto the stumps. Crawley was backing up too far and just couldn’t get his bat down in time once he saw the danger. It was dopey, not unlucky.
Ollie’s balls-up
The West Indies managed to get the ball changed after 25 overs – the fact it had gone out of shape was the reason but it had also steadfastly refused to swing. So, what happens with the first delivery with the new rock? You guessed it, Ollie Pope edges Alzarri Joseph to gully, with the ball swinging away to deceive him to end a 119-run stand. England were 127 for two and leading by 86 at this stage.
Duckett all out
The replacement ball did for Duckett, too. Set on 76 he was trapped lbw from an Alzarri yorker that beat him for pace. The opener reviewed the decision in vain and England were three wickets down with a lead of 99. This was the second time Duckett had been out in the seventies in this match and the eighth time overall this year for all England batters.
Quote of the day
“It’s been an interesting few days, I’ve had to deal with the emotions of Lord’s and then coming straight here and into a new job. I’ve loved it. I’ve known most of the bowlers for many years, nice to just relax and not try to bowl the tail out on a flat one.”
James Anderson, England’s new bowling mentor
Stat of the day
This is West Indies’ highest total in England since 1995, when Brian Lara and Carl Hooper made hundreds as part of 692-8 declared at The Oval.
Bazball-o-meter: 7
Derring do with the bat from England was cancelled out by negative tactics in the field from captain Ben Stokes when trying to bore out the Windies’ 10th-wicket pair. Still, if this team’s mission is to entertain then they didn’t disappoint here as this fascinating Test came to the boil.