Second Test, Day 2: West Indies 351-5 (Hodge 120, Athanaze 82 | Bashir 2-100) trail England 416 (Pope 121, Duckett 71, Stokes 69 | A Joseph 3-98) by 65 runs with 5 wickets remaining
TRENT BRIDGE — Not even the electrifying pace of Mark Wood could sugar coat a frustrating day for England as the West Indies fought back with the bat to put this second Test, and the series, back in the balance.
After a meek surrender in the series opener at Lord’s last week, not much was expected of the tourists when they started this second day replying to England’s first-innings 416.
They had, after all, batted for the grand total of just 88.4 overs in that first Test, making 257 runs in total, as they were swept aside by an innings in little over two days.
Yet a defiant 120 from Kavem Hodge, the West Indies No 5 who had made just 28 runs at Lord’s, proved the foundation for a battling first-innings response that saw his team end this second day just 65 runs behind on 351 for 5.
Another Bazball beat-up was widely expected after a frenetic opening day that had seen the hosts post a 400-plus total in just 88.3 overs.
But things were never going to be as simple as that given the conditions – bright sunshine, a ball that refused to offer consistent swing and a pitch the West Indies proved was as flat as we had all suspected it was on day one.
These are the kind of conditions England will encounter when they next land in Australia in 16 months’ time. And it’s why they cherish Wood so much.
At 34, Wood is not getting any younger. But he’s not slowing down either, his opening spell here on this second day the fastest by an England bowler in a home Test since records began in 2006.
The highlight was a 97.1 miles per hour short ball that forced Mikyle Louis to take evasive action shortly before lunch.
Alick Athanaze also showed considerable bravery to continue unflustered after ducking into a 91mph delivery during the afternoon session.
That Wood finished the day wicketless just goes to prove the ridiculousness of this sport.
That he had Hodge dropped on 16 by Joe Root at slip was not his fault. Neither were the countless balls that just evaded the outside edges of a succession of batters.
On another day, Wood could easily have finished with figures of 5 for 34. That’s exactly what he got when he was parachuted into last summer’s Ashes in the third Test at Headingley, rattling the Aussies to the core and turning the tide of the series.
It’s what England will need Down Under next year and despite his lack of wickets here, they will love that their fastest bowler is still turning on the afterburners. They’ll also be happy the issue he went off the field with at the end of the day is, according to Wood, just cramp.
At a ground that has immortalised Harold Larwood and Bill Voce by naming a stand after the Nottinghamshire fast bowlers who delivered Bodyline on the 1932-33 Ashes tour, there was plenty of appreciation for what Wood produced here.
The performance of some of England’s other bowlers was less encouraging. Gus Atkinson, despite his dismissal of Kraigg Brathwaite in the morning, does not look comfortable with the new ball just yet.
Chris Woakes, now leader of the attack after the retirement of James Anderson last week, had a tough day, too, despite dismissing Hodge lbw late on for what proved his only wicket.
Then there’s Shoaib Bashir, the young off-spinner England have chosen to groom for that Ashes tour the winter after next.
After failing to get a bowl at Lord’s, he was on for most of the day here. His two wickets were cheap, his 100 runs conceded from 23 overs less so. The extra experience and guile of Jack Leach would have been welcome.
But England are looking at the bigger picture – which in case you have forgotten is always the next Ashes.
Shortly after tea a well-lubricated Barmy Army contingent started up the chant for England’s retired hero. “Oh Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Anderson!” they roared.
What England would have given for some inspiration from their greatest bowler who bowed out at Lord’s last week. Anderson, sitting on the home balcony in his new role of bowling mentor, made Trent Bridge his personal fiefdom, taking 73 wickets at 19.23 in 12 Tests here.
But what they must do now is find the successors who can take on the new ball because at 35, Woakes isn’t the answer beyond this summer. It’s a tough ask, too, for Atkinson in his second Test.
Matthew Potts, Dillon Pennington and Sam Cook are other options, as is Ollie Robinson if he can get back in favour after a poor winter.
For now, that debate can wait. England have got a Test to win. And they will have to up their game if they are to get the better of a West Indies team who have reminded them that success in the here and now cannot be taken for granted.
Moments of the day
Wood lightning
Mark Wood lit up the morning session with a sensational first spell. Starting off with a “loosener” clocked at 93.9 miles per hour, Wood cranked his speed up to 96.1mph and then 96.5mph. With an average speed of 94.5mph this was the fastest over by an England bowler at home since records began in 2006. But he beat that in his third over – average speed 95mph – that saw him bowl a bouncer to Mikyle Louis that registered at 97.1mph. Wood’s fastest over for England in Test cricket came in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in the 2021-22 Ashes when his average speed was 96.3mph. His quickest delivery – 97.7mph – came the over before that.
Bash street kid
Wood can probably claim an assist on the first wicket of the day from Shoaib Bashir, who benefited from Louis’ desperation to cash in against slower bowling when the West Indies opener was caught by Harry Brook at mid-wicket attempting to slog sweep the young off-spinner. After a positive tour of India last winter, this was Bashir’s first home Test and his first wicket in England.
Kraigg caught short
England opted for a short-ball plan as Kraigg Brathwaite approached a half-century. It worked as the West Indies captain, peppered with bouncers by Gus Atkinson, was panicked into a shot that saw him fend to Ollie Pope at short leg. With Kirk McKenzie gifting another wicket to Bashir shortly afterwards, the tourists were 89 for 3 at lunch.
Stokes strikes
England toiled throughout a wicketless afternoon session. But Ben Stokes broke the 175-run fourth-wicket stand that brought the Windies back into this match. Alick Athanaze was on 82. He would have been sick with himself for chasing a wider delivery from England’s captain and steering it straight to Harry Brook in the gully.
Hodge history
At 31, Kavem Hodge is not young but he had a moment to savour in his fourth Test as he sealed a maiden hundred when he punched Stokes down the ground for four. Hodge got there in 143 balls and it would have meant so much to a batter who got to the promised land after battling through an ugly opening to his innings. A penny for the thoughts of Joe Root, who dropped Hodge on 16 at slip off the bowling of the luckless Wood.
Stat of the day
At 20 years and 280 days, Shoaib Bashir is the second youngest England spinner to take a wicket in a home Test after Denis Compton, who was 19 years and 86 days against New Zealand at The Oval in 1937.
Quote of the day
“It feels amazing, it is always good to contribute to the team, especially coming off the first Test when he didn’t do so well as a batting unit. It was important we put our heads down and took some info from the England first innings. We made use of a good batting track.”
West Indies batsman Kavem Hodge after his first Test century
Bazball-o-meter: 2/10
This wasn’t the walkover a sold-out Trent Bridge crowd was expecting. West Indies showed fight as England’s bowlers toiled throughout the day. There were few funky fields or bowling changes from Stokes either as the Bazballers were blunted.