Stuart Broad breaks through to give England chance of second Test victory

Stuart Broad made quite an impression at the Ageas Bowl with the candour of his interview on the second day after his omission from the team. Here it took him a bit longer to make an impact but on the fourth evening he managed it. The match seemed to be drifting, the pitch was sleeping and West Indies were batting diligently towards safety, whereupon the recalled Broad, armed with the second new ball, intervened.

In the space of 14 deliveries from the Jimmy Anderson End, Broad took three wickets for one run and the game was alive again. West Indies had been coasting, on 235 for four after 80 overs, after which a different ball and a different Broad made batting a different proposition. But for the calm presence of Roston Chase the tourists may have been compelled to follow-on. In the end they were bowled out for 287, a deficit of 182.

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Now Joe Root did not opt for half-measures and with 38 minutes’ play remaining he sent out Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to open the batting as the order was rejigged, an appealing idea, which did not work very well – except for Kemar Roach, who bowled Buttler for nought and Zak Crawley for 11. So England scrambled to 37 for two. There are 98 overs left, a fine forecast, a lead of 219 and many possibilities.

For two sessions West Indies’ pathway to the retention of the Wisden Trophy seemed unusually smooth. There was barely any spin and the ball was reluctant to swing. Run-gathering had rarely been so simple on the first two days, while the lack of play on the third gave the batting side a clear escape route.

The pattern of play was not assisted by the behind-closed-doors element. For the first time in the series it was possible to pine for the spectacle of a gaggle of nuns or Dickie Birds supping pints in the stands. Even a streaker or a steward walking in front of the sightscreen might have provided welcome throwback to the good old days. Perhaps the sun had scared off any demons lurking underneath the surface.

Nor were England at their razor sharp best at the start. When Alzarri Joseph edged a Chris Woakes delivery the catch was dropped by Stokes at second slip though his sight may have been impeded by the moving body of Crawley at third slip. The cordon is a new one still settling in and they looked too close together.

Joseph played some attractive, orthodox shots for 45 minutes whereupon an inside edge off the bowling of Dom Bess was well held by Ollie Pope at short-leg. The specialist batsmen did not look too bothered and England’s frustration was reflected by a poor review against Kraigg Brathwaite, which was followed by consecutive boundaries.

West Indies added 86 runs in the morning, a cascade by the standards of this match. After lunch Sam Curran made a neat intervention to dismiss Shai Hope. He had found a smidgeon of swing but now he propelled a cutter, which gripped just enough to brush the edge of the bat. Shamarh Brooks settled easily and elegantly alongside Brathwaite, who seems to prefer batting in this country more than anywhere else in the world. Both looked untroubled which prompted England – via Stokes – to change tack.

Stokes delivered one of his marathon spells – 11 consecutive overs – banging the ball into the pitch, mostly from around the wicket with an unorthodox field. This demanded great effort on a sluggish surface; the ploy becalmed the batsmen but it seemed that all that toil would go unrewarded whereupon Brathwaite, on 75, spooned a gentle return catch.

After tea the new ball was taken by Broad and Curran as soon as it was available. It is hard to be certain whether two bowlers wearing white bandanas have done this before for England but it is unlikely this ever happened when Fred Trueman and Brian Statham were in harness. What a difference this ball made.

Broad was loose when he took it, having just adopted the Stokes’ plan of peppering the middle of the pitch. Now he reverted to his usual length and the old magic returned. Brooks was lbw for 68, an impressive innings, but one which decelerated after a rapid start; Jermaine Blackwood was bowled for a duck by a shooter that hit the stumps at shin height and then Shane Dowrich was lbw hovering on the back foot.

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Suddenly the follow-on target of 270 was no formality. Root was tempted to bring back Stokes despite his earlier exertions but after two overs his champion all-rounder was compelled to leave the field clutching his sternum. The worst was feared until it transpired that he was suffering from “indigestion”.

Woakes now intervened, finding the edge of Jason Holder’s bat with West Indies still 10 runs short of their initial target. Chase, a busy man in this series and a vital one for the West Indies, now took charge, hitting two boundaries off Curran to ensure that England had to bat again. Then Woakes dispatched him and Shannon Gabriel in swift succession, which heralded the advent of England’s latest opening pair.

Video: “Joe Denly left out of England’s second Test against West Indies” (Evening Standard)

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