TRENT BRIDGE — England swept aside a shell-shocked West Indies to clinch this series with a game to spare after Shoaib Bashir bowled them to victory on a dramatic evening in Nottingham.
The young spinner’s career-best haul of five for 41 ripped through the tourists’ middle order as Ben Stokes’ Bazballers blew away the Windies for just 143 inside a session to win this second Test by 241 runs and establish a 2-0 lead ahead of this week’s series finale at Edgbaston.
The manner of this defeat was harsh on a West Indies team who had shown so much fight over these four days following their innings hammering at Lord’s the week before.
Yet having reached 61 without loss in pursuit of their target of 385, they collapsed dramatically as they lost all 10 wickets for just 82 runs in 23 overs.
Bashir was England’s star, taking his third five-wicket haul in just his fifth Test. The first two had come in losing causes in India earlier this year in Ranchi and Dharamshala.
Yet this performance on a far less helpful surface was on a different level altogether. Indeed, it proved the difference as the West Indies were hustled out in startling fashion.
To think he is still just 20 is remarkable.
Having chased down 395 in Bangladesh three years ago and 322 to famously defeat England at Headingley back in 2017, the West Indies must have felt they had a chance here despite the odds being stacked against them.
Key moments on day 4
Brought to Brook: Harry Brook brought up a first Test century on home soil as England bossed the first hour. It was the Yorkshireman’s 13th 50-plus score in just 14 Tests. But his 188-run stand with Joe Root was ended shortly afterwards when he nicked Jayden Seales behind. It was the breakthrough the West Indies were craving for.
Smith sinks: Kevin Sinclair’s spin brought the wicket of Jamie Smith on the stroke of lunch to cap an England collapse of three for 19. A defensive prod did for the wicketkeeper, who edged the last ball of the session behind. It left the hosts six wickets down and leading by 307 to keep the game in the balance.
Joe tons up: When Joe Root punched Alzarri Joseph through the covers for four during the afternoon session it brought up his 32nd Test century – one behind England record holder Sir Alastair Cook and equal with Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. It was also his fifth hundred at Trent Bridge, his equal most at any ground alongside Lord’s.
Woakes strikes: England were in need of something as the West Indies openers took their total to 61. It came from Chris Woakes with the first ball after the drinks break when Mikyle Louis chased a wider delivery and edged behind to a diving Jamie Smith.
Big Bash: When Shoaib Bashir had Alick Athanaze caught brilliantly by Root at slip with a delivery that had drift, dip and turn, it was the young spinner’s third wicket in as many overs. In the space of 20 minutes after the evening drinks break, the Windies had lost five for 21 as Stokes’ men grabbed this game by the scruff of the neck.
For a while, they were comfortable as they began their chase at the start of an extended evening session, reaching the drinks break unscathed and with a healthy chunk of their target chipped off.
But everything changed with the first ball after the break, Chris Woakes ousting Mikyle Louis for the breakthrough. Thereafter it was carnage as the tourists lost five for 21 to collapse to 82 for five.
Woakes, leader of the attack after James Anderson’s retirement last week, struck again in his next over to remove Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies captain looking good on 47 from 48 balls before edging behind to Jamie Smith.
Yet it was Bashir, the young spinner who has displaced Jack Leach from the team and who England are investing so much in after his promising start in India, who took centre stage.
He had already removed Kirk McKenzie, Smith sharp again to take the chance behind the stumps.
Kavem Hodge, whose first-innings century helped turn this Test, and Alick Athanaze were Bashir’s next victims as he extracted the turn he needed to make a difference.
Mark Wood then got involved, bowling a vicious bouncer that Kevin Sinclair could only fend to second slip via his glove.
Wood’s introduction had been pure theatre from the start, his first over from the Radcliffe Road End clocking speeds of up to 95 miles per hour.
Pure pace and spin will be key weapons come the next Ashes series in Australia in 2025-26 and here were two bowlers showing just why on a flat surface that had been hard work to get anything out of for most of this match.
Gus Atkinson is another whose pace can ruffle batters as his 12 wickets on debut at Lord’s last week demonstrated. He got amongst it here, too, on this final evening, pinning Joshua Da Silva lbw in the final half hour to reduce the Windies to 113 for seven.
A few hours earlier, Nottinghamshire had confirmed there would be free entry for fans on day five. Now, though, the prospect of a fifth day was rapidly diminishing as England went for the kill.
Atkinson, nipping one in to emphatically bowl Alzarri Joseph, grabbed the tourists’ eighth wicket.
Bashir was then ruthless to finish things off, bowling Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph to seal an emphatic victory for his team.
England had set this game up on the back of centuries from Harry Brook and Joe Root. Brook gave the Trent Bridge crowd a moment to savour by scoring his first home Test century.
And in Root, England have the master to Brook’s apprentice. At 33, he will probably be the next all-time great to retire after Anderson and Stuart Broad. But he has plenty of cricket left in him before then, with Sir Alastair Cook’s England records for most Test runs and centuries now within sight.
This innings, his 32nd Test hundred, leaves him one behind Cook in the all-time list. He is also now just 533 runs from overtaking his former captain’s runs tally of 12,472. He will probably get there by the end of the year.
Brook and Root’s hard work had laid the foundations for what was to follow.
Yet the speed of how quickly this contest turned in England’s favour was as remarkable as it was dramatic.
Quote of the day
“It was a typical Joe Root hundred. He’s class, absolute class – a treat to watch.” – Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook on BBC Test Match Special
Stat of the day
This is the first time England have scored 400 in each innings of a Test. That in 1073 Tests over 147 years.
Bazball-o-meter: 6/10
This didn’t feel very Bazball. England scored exactly 100 runs in the first session and pace after that felt relatively slow. There was no funky declaration either from Stokes, just his team losing their final seven wickets for 96. But it didn’t matter as the bowlers put the Windies to the sword.