NORTH SOUND: The West Indies mopped up the England tail on the second day of the first Test, claiming the last five wickets for 42 runs to dismiss England for 399 here on Tuesday.

England had put themselves in a good position on the first day thanks to Ian Bell’s knock of 143 and 83 from Joe Root but resuming on 341-5, the visitors failed to build momentum as the hosts struck back.

Seamer Kemar Roach finished with four for 94 after picking up two wickets in the morning session, with Jos Buttler and Stuart Broad both failing to add any runs to England’s total.

Jerome Taylor started off with the early wicket of Ben Stokes (79) who found Jason Holder at gully.

Holder himself removed nightwatchman James Tredwell who edged an attempted drive to Darren Bravo at first slip.

Roach removed Buttler for a duck after his edge off a full length delivery was snaffled up by West Indies wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

Broad found Jermaine Blackwood at point from another full delivery to leave England at 361 for nine.

But the last wicket pairing of Chris Jordan (21 not out) and James Anderson (20) added 38, the third biggest partnership in the England innings, before Anderson mis-timed a shot off Marlon Samuels’ off-spin to Holder at short cover.

The West Indies reached lunch at 5-0.

On Monday’s opening day Ian Bell’s composed 143 was the cornerstone of England’s revival from the unease of 34-3.

The 33-year-old right-hander respected the early excellence of a disciplined fast bowling attack in the pre-lunch action before flourishing in the remaining two sessions of the day. His 22nd Test century spanned 342 minutes and was embellished by 20 fours and one six, most of those boundaries completed with the trademark polish.

Bell looked set to continue into the second day, only to be undone by a superb delivery from the persevering Kemar Roach with the second new ball to be caught at the wicket in the penultimate over before stumps were drawn.

He received considerable assistance from Joe Root in the rescue effort as the slimly-built Yorkshi­reman stroked 81 in a 177-run fourth-wicket partnership that drained the enthusiasm from the home side’s frontline bowlers in relentless late afternoon sunshine.

Stokes batted in keeping with the transformed mood of the day’s play when he replaced Root, who played on to Taylor at the start of the final session.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 341-5):

A.N. Cook b Roach 11 I.J.L. Trott c Bravo b Taylor 0 G.S. Ballance c Bravo b Holder 10 I.R. Bell c Ramdin b Roach 143 J.E. Root b Taylor 83 B.A. Stokes c Holder b Taylor 71 J.C. Tredwell c Bravo b Holder 8 J.C. Buttler c Ramdin b Roach 0 C.J. Jordan not out 21 S.C.J. Broad c Blackwood b Roach 0 J.M. Anderson c Holder b Samuels 20

EXTRAS (B-7, LB-3, W-8, NB-6) 24

TOTAL (all out, 110.4 overs) 399

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-22, 3-34, 4-211, 5-341, 6-357, 7-357, 8-361, 9-361.

BOWLING: Taylor 20-4-90-3 (1nb, 1w); Roach 29-6-94-4 (3nb, 2w), Holder 25-11-69-2 (2nb, 1w); Benn 26-3-85-0; Samuels 10.4-0-51-1.

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

K.C. Brathwaite not out 0 D.S. Smith not out 5

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for no wkt, 3 overs) 5

TO BAT: D.M. Bravo, M.N. Samuels, S. Chanderpaul, J. Blackwood, D. Ramdin, J.O. Holder, J.E. Taylor, S.J. Benn, KA.J. Roach.

BOWLING: Anderson 2-1-2-0; Broad 1-0-3-0.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2015

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