West Indies v England: second Test, day four – live! | Sport

169th over: West Indies 387-7 (Da Silva 19, Roach 1). After the PA blasts out a turgid and inappropriate blast of We Will Rock You between overs, Roach will get off the mark with a single to wonderful leg. One of two runs from an uneventful Fisher over.

169th over: West Indies 385-7 (Da Silva 18, Roach 0). Leach is given a go together with that new ball, and will get it to sing, seeing off Brathwaite with a magnificence.

Just earlier than that, I’d acquired this e mail from Liam Taylor, jinxing the house captain: “Surely the main excitement now is seeing how long Brathwaite can bat? He has now faced more balls than Babar Azam did for Pakistan last week. More than Laxman did in scoring 281 against Australia in 2001. More than Matthew Hayden did when he hit 380 to set the world record in 2003. When he reaches 492, he’ll have equalled Atherton at Johannesburg in 1995. We are witnessing history being made – very slowly.”

Or not.

BRATHWAITE IS OUT! Leach will get the brand new ball and does him with a a magnificence, pitched on center and leg and jagging away to take out off. And thus ends a marathon demonstration of focus and defiance from the West Indies captain.

168th over: West Indies 383-6 (Brathwaite 159, Da Silva 17). Dasilva’s wanting fairly comfy now after a ropey begin and he flays Fisher via the covers for 2. This isn’t any time or place for a seamer to be beginning their Test profession.

167th over: West Indies 381-6 (Brathwaite 159, Da Silva 15). Remember how – a few brief weeks in the past – Stokes was being talked about as very a lot a mere back-up bowler on this tour? Well, he has now bowled extra overs within the collection than some other seamer. He’s getting as a lot out of the pitch as any of them too, and he even induces a free edge from Brathwaite, but it surely flies over the slips for four. Thems the breaks. And he comes again at him with an inswinger that nearly takes out off stump. A extremely good over within the circumstanes

166th over: West Indies 375-6 (Brathwaite 154, Da Silva 14). Brathwaite takes a leisurely single off Fisher, and never a lot else occurs. Hey ho.

one hundred and sixty fifth over: West Indies 374-6 (Brathwaite 153, Da Silva 14). Stokes continues, and Dasilva – presently monopolising the strike to provide his captain a breather – flicks him via the legside for 2. He’s additionally crushed all finally ends up by a fantastically formed scrambled-seam outswinger

164th over: West Indies 372-6 (Brathwaite 153, Da Silva 12). Fisher is most popular to Woakes on the different finish, and items Dasilva a straightforward carved two adopted by a straightforward carved single sq. on the offside with vast deliveries. Worth letting a spinner see if they will get some grip and rip with the brand new ball? And now it’s time for a sponsored drinks break.

163rd over: West Indies 369-6 (Brathwaite 153, Da Silva 9) The new ball is taken and Ben Stokes is given first use of it, not a privilege usually conferred on him. There’s motion off the seam and a few carry, however no nice risk. Dasilva tucks the widest ball of the over all the way down to wonderful leg for its solely run.

162nd over: West Indies 368-6 (Brathwaite 153, Da Silva 8) The third Fisher replaces Saqib and has a shout for lbw immediately but it surely’s turned down and England don’t have any critiques left. Looked as if it was happening the legside anyway. A few straightforward singles ensue.

“As the front-line attack tires, I note that Alex Lees bowls leg spin,” writes Tim Sanders, “with a first-class bowling average of 32; his strike rate is a shade better than a wicket every four overs. ‘Get Lee-sy On !’ I say. Just don’t tell Jack Leach that most of that is down to some odorous declaration bowling in the 2016 Lords game that denied Somerset the county championship.”

What a match that was. And old-school County Championship declaration bowling may be the one factor that revives this match now. Get all of the pie-chuckers on.

161st over: West Indies 366-6 (Brathwaite 152, Da Silva 7) The third – depend ’em – new ball is now accessible, however Root offers it a swerve, for now, pondering that the previous ball may give his bowlers some swerve. Brathwaite is totally unflappable although, turning a single via sq. leg. Dasilva then picks up four with a low edge via the slips that was by no means at catchable top.

“Why the snide remarks about the way Windies are approaching this test match?” writes Paul Sokhy. “They are not going to hand this match to England why should they. If the boot was on the other foot people be saying what a rearguard action by England to save the match such character, resilience blah blah. One thing for sure England aint gonna win this match i think the expectation was they’d roll over the windies by day three not what they are getting strong disciplined resistance and by playing good cricket. Ah well the Barmy army is a bit quiet.”

I feel West Indies have completed all they’ve wanted to do to be trustworthy, when confronted with 500 on the board towards them, however when neither the pitch nor the bowling assaults are providing you a match then it’s comprehensible that one may really feel bored and irritable.

a hundred and sixtieth over: West Indies 361-6 (Brathwaite 151, Da Silva 3) Mahmood, who’s busting a intestine to inject some life into this recreation, has an lbw shout towards Dasilva – who’s spent his innings wanting like an lbw shout ready to occur – but it surely’s clearly happening leg. He’s additionally nonetheless getting the odd one to raise, ending his over with a bouncer, that Dasilva will get underneath.

159th over: West Indies 361-6 (Brathwaite 151, Da Silva 3) Thanks Tim, and night/afternoon everybody. A outcome – like world peace and social justice – is theoretically doable, you simply don’t fairly understand how. Stokes’s over passes uneventfully, like a lot of this recreation.

And that’s me completed. Brathwaite can go on for ever, Leach can match him dot for dot, however I’m exhausted simply watching them so I’m going at hand over to Tom Davies, who will preserve you throughly entertained in a means that the match might not. Thanks on your firm, correspondence and help for my marketing campaign to alleviate Joe Root of the burdens of captaincy.

158th over: West Indies 360-6 (Brathwaite 150, Da Silva 3) Mahmood, who has been bowling size, immediately digs one in and produces a rip-snorting lifter. Da Silva might need discovered two or 3 ways to get out to it, however Brathwaite is ready to let it go by. That’s a maiden. Mahmood’s spell since lunch appears extra like a PIN quantity: 4-1-5-1.

157th over: West Indies 360-6 (Brathwaite 150, Da Silva 3) England suppose they’ve acquired Da Silva once more as a ball from Leach results in the palms of brief leg. They assessment, but it surely’s pad-only, and effectively exterior leg stump. Another unhealthy assessment. Somewhere in south-west London, a Mr J Buttler rolls his eyes.

Brathwaite, dealing with Leach after all, shovels to mid-on and takes a fast single to maneuver to 150. He has confronted 458 balls and hit 16 of them for four.

156th over: West Indies 359-6 (Brathwaite 149, Da Silva 3) Da Silva is doing his greatest to be LBW in spite of everything, shuffling throughout, planting his left pad in entrance of off stump and enjoying with half a bat. Mahmood can scent that second wicket however he bowls a no-ball. Jonny Bairstow is at mid-off, providing recommendation, presumably alongside the traces of “do anything you like, but don’t overstep”.

a hundred and fifty fifth over: West Indies 357-6 (Brathwaite 148, Da Silva 3) Another over from Leach, one other single to Brathwaite. One day these two will likely be a double act, touring provincial theatres underneath the Test Match Special banner, wrily recalling their joint marathon.

154th over: West Indies 356-6 (Brathwaite 147, Da Silva 3) Great to see Mahmood making an impression. More than any England seamer since Jofra Archer, he carries himself like a quick bowler – assured, aggressive, charismatic.

Mahmood spears one other one in and Da Silva is given out LBW, however he critiques and escapes as a result of there’s a spike on Snicko. Da Silva himself clearly didn’t suppose he’d hit it, as he took an age to make the sign.

153rd over: West Indies 356-6 (Brathwaite 147, Da Silva 3) So with the ball reversing, who’s going to bowl from the opposite finish? How about Jack Leach? He wheels via over 61, and every batter takes a single.

152nd over: West Indies 354-6 (Brathwaite 146, Da Silva 2) Saqib, together with his tail up, reverses a size ball into Joshua Da Silva’s pads, however the enchantment is stifled as a result of there’s an inside edge. Da Silva will get off the mark with a stab to 3rd man.

That stroke was fairly in contrast to something Holder had tried earlier than. Did the West Indians sit down over lunch and determine it was time to go on the assault? We shall see.

And it’s not a no-ball! Saqib Mahmood lastly will get his first Test wicket as Holder skies a pull and Matt Fisher takes a wonderful swirling catch at mid-on. A story of two debutants.

Is play the correct phrase for this? I’m starting to have my doubts.

Jack Leach has already bowled 60 overs on this recreation. “A stultifying Test in Barbados,” says Andy Zaltzman on Twitter, “has enabled Jack Leach to become the third England bowler in the last 30 years to bowl 60+ overs in a Test innings. George Geary’s all-time record of 81 (MCG, 1928-29) could be within reach. Thrilling times.”

In case you’re questioning who the opposite two had been, one was Ashley Giles (65-16-190-2) towards Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2003. I’m wondering what occurred to him? The different was Monty Panesar (60-15-116-0) towards South Africa in 2008, at Lord’s of all locations. Sixty overs with no wicket!

An e mail is available in from Brad Elliott in Nairobi, entitled “Something worse”. It begins with a little bit of Bruce Springsteen.

“Is it one thing worse
That sends me all the way down to the river
Though I do know the river is dry.

“I grew up with a not-so secret love for the Windies, regardless of rising up in Worcestershire within the 80s. Man, what has occurred?

“I’ve beloved cricket for 30+ years (solely Test cricket actually of the worldwide stage). I don’t thoughts massive losses from both facet given my Englishness (e.g. 1988-2004) and aforementioned love, however rattling. Test cricket is already struggling. Why the boringness? Better to smash out to 450 all out, no, than put the remaining followers via turgid tripe?

“I reside in Kenya, the place cricket was as soon as a fairly large factor, however now isn’t actually. I just lately performed in an over-40s’ T10 as a result of individuals don’t even have the endurance for T20 at native degree. Why kill factor the factor you like?

“Fear has ruined the 2020s in so some ways already; however the Windies in Barbados, batting prefer it’s a 9-day check? Brathwaite blocking within the 140s (not completely his fault possibly). My son (8), LHB, proper arm over, can’t get behind this. He’s like ‘when is something happening?’

“Those reminiscences come again to hang-out me.

They hang-out me like a curse

Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true

Or is it one thing worse?

“Keep up the nice work, no must publish except you suppose there’s something of curiosity.

“Warmly, BE in Nairobi/Kigali.”

We have one other stoppage, although it doesn’t seem like being any longer than the sooner ones.

151st over: West Indies 351-5 (Brathwaite 145, Holder 12) Holder dabs Woakes’s first ball for a single, and the prospect looms of what Ian Bishop would name a torrent of runs. But then Brathwaite remembers who he’s and performs out 5 dots. He has now confronted 444 balls. And that’s lunch, with West Indies nonetheless sitting fairly, in a grim sort of means. They have added 63 off 34 overs this morning, and so they now path by 156. Time for some contemporary air – see you in half an hour.

a hundred and fiftieth over: West Indies 350-5 (Brathwaite 145, Holder 11) Leach bowls the a hundred and fiftieth over, which can effectively really feel like his a hundred and fiftieth over. The first ball is an efficient one, taking the sting of Holder’s bat, however squirting away for a single. Brathwaite, roused from his slumber, cuts for 2 to convey up the 350.

149th over: West Indies 347-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 10) Woakes to Brathwaite: one other maiden. This partnership has been a proper bundle of guffaws, including 11 off 77 balls.

148th over: West Indies 347-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 10) Leach has bowled seven overs on this spell and conceded exactly one run. For Holder he now has a foolish level, one thing you don’t usually see within the age of DRS.

Make that eight overs for one run.

147th over: West Indies 347-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 10) Off goes Stokes, on comes Woakes. And he nearly takes a wicket! He finds some further bounce from someplace and persuades Brathwaite to pop the ball as much as brief leg – however to not the brief leg who’s really there, extra of a brief midwicket.

146th over: West Indies 347-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 10) Leach to Holder: one other maiden. A small boy looking for some leisure climbs onto a jet-ski and rides it standing up. I’m unsure he’s going to be a Test batter when he grows up.

Here’s John Starbuck once more. “The Pogues (141st over – don’t think I’ve ever written to the OBO before quoting such a large figure) did perform with The Dubliners in singing The Irish Rover, a famous folk nonsense song. What most people don’t realise is that they helped out with a version containing all the filthy bits too. You can find it on Son of Rogues Gallery if you are so inclined.”

145th over: West Indies 347-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 10) With Holder at Leach’s finish, another person goes to have bowl a maiden to Brathwaite. The activity falls to Stokes.

144th over: West Indies 347-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 10) Correction: this over is the primary Leach has bowled to Holder. Rookie error! In my defence, I used to be busy placing capital letters on all these music venues. For some cause this morning’s correspondents haven’t been eager on caps, which is ok whenever you’re emailing a mate however a little bit of a ache whenever you’re anticipating to be printed on one of many world’s main information websites.

143rd over: West Indies 347-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 10) Stokes once more will get the higher of Holder, however once more finds no pleasure: the sting drops in need of slip. Soft palms, mushy pitch, mushy ball, exhausting yakka.

Martin Crookall is again to reply the query about whether or not he was joking (136th over). “On the contrary, no. This was the Test cricket I grew up on, placid, serene and thoughtful. I’d sit all day in front of the TV, live broadcast from the BBC, watching the spinners wheel away. It was gentle and calming. Mind you, this stuff you’re commenting on now is a bore and Joe Root is a rubbish captain.”

142nd over: West Indies 346-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 9) Leach bowls to Holder for the primary time. And information a maiden, for the twenty first time.

141st over: West Indies 346-5 (Brathwaite 143, Holder 9) A single! To Holder, dabbing Stokes to 3rd man. And one other, to Brathwaite, tucking behind sq. leg. Then Stokes, tackling Holder once more, beats the bat, getting a size ball to carry its line.

“Afternoon Tim,” says Mark Little. “It is always nice to remember Kirsty Mac/Fairytale, but it occurred to me that I couldn’t remember another Pogues song despite many a happy night in their company at the Town & Country Club and Electric Ballroom, Kilburn National and other lowlife venues in N London.” That’s OK, Shane MacGowan can’t keep in mind them both.

“On the subject of lowlife venues, will anything happen today d’ya think?” I wouldn’t guess on it.

a hundred and fortieth over: West Indies 344-5 (Brathwaite 142, Holder 8) Leach to Brathwaite, but once more. Brathwaite has now confronted 332 dot balls, a lot of them from Leach. Their private duel has occupied 190 balls and yielded 43 runs. It has been, let’s face it, an epic bore.

139th over: West Indies 344-5 (Brathwaite 142, Holder 8) Stokes to Holder once more, one star all-rounder to a different. Holder does a Brathwaite, stamping his authority on the primary ball of the over – a half-volley, pushed previous mid-off with the best of ease.

138th over: West Indies 340-5 (Brathwaite 142, Holder 4) Jack Leach appears completely prepared to bowl all day, which is fortunate as a result of that’s precisely what Joe Root has in thoughts for him. He will get a nick, however Brathwaite’s palms are mushy and the ball falls in need of Zak Crawley at slip. This supply, by the best way, is the four-hundredth Brathwaite has confronted.

137th over: West Indies 340-5 (Brathwaite 142, Holder 4) When England batted, the 2 males who moved the sport alongside had been Lawrence and Stokes, and now they’ve completed it once more. That’s the excellent news. The unhealthy information is that Joseph has been changed by Jason Holder, who, the final time he confronted England on this floor, made an unbeaten double century. Stokes does discover his edge straight away, but it surely’s a managed one which goes alongside the bottom and trickles away for four.