England’s bowlers poised to fire – look ahead to day two of the third Test
At 67 for seven the tourists were on course to throw away the third Test in Grenada, only for the tail to drag the score up to 204.
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Your support makes all the difference.An unlikely last-wicket stand of 90 between Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood kept England alive on day one of their series decider in the West Indies, but a strong bowling performance will be needed to cash in on their hard work.
At 67 for seven the tourists were on course to throw away the third Test in Grenada with a dreadful total, only for the tail to drag the score up to 204.
Leach finished 41 not out as he gave another reminder of his ability to chip in with the bat, while Mahmood turned his first ever innings at this level into a memorable one. He reached 49, a career-best in professional cricket, before being dismissed in the final over the day.
That means England will be straight into the field on the second morning, looking to cause a collapse of their own.
View from the dressing room
At one stage I faced 25 or 30 balls without getting a run, then I got dropped and I just thought 'I'm gonna take this guy down'. Those words may have been said a couple of times. If you hear me in the dressing room I'll always talk myself up as a batter.
Mahmood had never hit a six before in red-ball cricket but rose to the big stage in style, taking the score past 150 with a clean hit over long-on against Kyle Mayers.
Player to watch – Chris Woakes
The last two Tests have been a disappointment for England’s long-serving all-rounder, who arrived as the senior bowler on tour only to see his stock fall sharply. If Ollie Robinson had been fit, he may even have been dropped. Now he has another opportunity to produce a definitive performance with the series on the line. He wasted the new ball in Antigua and Barbados and will be hoping to put those mistakes right with a couple of early strikes.
Jack of all trades
Speaking ahead of the match, Leach outlined his desire to be a multi-dimensional player rather than a one note spin specialist. He said: “I want to offer with wickets, but if I’m not I want to be awesome in the field and I want to try and score runs. There are lots of different ways I can offer. I think I am doing the team a disservice if I don’t offer all those things.”
It proved an accurate tee-up to his impressive contribution from number 10, which stands alongside his celebrated one not out in the Ashes classic at Headingley and his 92 against Ireland as the finest knocks of his career.
Spice Isle lives up to its name
After two gruelling draws in Antigua and Barbados, the ‘Spice Isle’ of Grenada provided a fine first day of entertainment. The pitch had a kick to it, finally offering the bowlers a route into the game, and the in-ground entertainment did too. From the carnival performers at the lunch interval to the steel drum band that soundtracked proceedings, this was the most colourful day of Caribbean cricket so far. England will be hoping to keep things lively – in the middle and for the supporters in the stands – on Friday.