Mark Wood sidelined for the rest of the match with an elbow injury, Root opted for a mix of seam and spin with the new ball and it almost yielded a reward eight overs into the reply when Campbell’s ill-timed sweep off Jack Leach was put down by Crawley with the batter still on two.
Indeed, Campbell in particular had a couple of hairy moments on route to he and Kraigg Brathwaite putting on a half-century opening stand. However, the left-hander would eventually run out of luck.
Leach makes inroads, but England frustrated
It was Stokes who made the breakthrough in the 25th over, snaring Brathwaite (33) lbw and bringing to an end what had been a good opening partnership, followed the next over by Campbell (22) lofting one off Leach’s bowling straight to Overton at mid-on.
Leach’s second, coming as Brooks edged the left-armer to Crawley for just five, brought about the tea break and left the West Indies in disarray and effectively any slim hopes the hosts still harboured of winning this game.
It was now a case of having to dig in when play resumed, but a moment of madness from Jermaine Blackwood as he carelessly swiped at one from Leach which trapped him lbw, with the 30-year-old eventually returning to the pavilion after asking to review a decision he had no chance of overturning.
At the other end though, Holder was watchful and first-innings centurion Bonner took an incredibly patient approach as he took 34 balls to get off the mark.
England, meanwhile, had no luck with reviews after opting not to ask for another look when an lbw appeal which went against Leach (3-57) even though subsequent television replays indicated the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps and then ultra-edge showing Holder did not get an edge on one from the spinner when they were convinced it did.
And then when Overton had an appeal for lbw against Bonner while he was on 25 given, the review from the batsman saved him after showing an inside edge before striking his pads. Nevertheless, both teams will be taking plenty of positives into the second Test when it starts in four days’ time. (Skysports)
