NORTH SOUND: James Anderson claimed a record-equalling wicket and England’s spinners kept their team on course for victory over the West Indies on the final day of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Friday.

Set an improbable target of 438, the home side lost three wickets in advancing from the overnight position of 98 for two to 162 for five at lunch, leaving first-innings centurion Jermaine Blackwood and captain Denesh Ramdin to carry the battle into the afternoon session with only all-rounder Jason Holder and the tailenders to follow.

Playing his landmark 100th Test, Anderson drew Marlon Samuels into a loose drive for James Tredwell to take a diving catch at second slip that lifted the 32-year-old seamer to 383 wickets, level with the record of flamboyant former all-rounder Ian Botham.

Samuels’s dismissal for 23 after an hour’s play followed the demise just a few minutes earlier of the other overnight batsman, Devon Smith. Having restrained himself admirably in more than three hours at the crease, the left-handed opener miscued a lofted on-drive at Tredwell to be caught by Gary Ballance at mid-on for 65.

Tredwell should have snared Samuels shortly after but the batsman, deceived completely by a cleverly flighted delivery, was mis-stumped by wicket-keeper Jos Buttler.

However, Samuels did not make the most of the escape and when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was palpably lbw to Joe Root, who had replaced the persevering frontline off-spinner Tredwell, 15 minutes from the interval.

The English celebrated the dismissal of one of their most resolute adversaries as if the match itself had been won.

On Thursday, England worked themselves into a strong position despite strong West Indies resistance in their second innings.

Set an improbable 438 for victory after the tourists declared their second innings at 333 for seven in the afternoon session, the home side reached the close of play at 98-2 with opening batsman Devon Smith leading the way with an unbeaten 59.

It was Joe Root who made an important breakthrough late in the day, drawing Darren Bravo (32) into a loose shot for Chris Jordan to take his second stunning catch of the match at slip.

Kraigg Brathwaite was the early casualty, fending off a lifting delivery in Stuart Broad’s first over to Root.

England’s rush for runs in the afternoon session resulted in a declaration, Gary Ballance getting to 122, his fourth Test century. He faced 250 deliveries in just over five hours at the crease, stroking 11 fours and two sixes.

Playing in just his ninth Test, the left-hander got good support from Root and Ben Stokes in continuing to dominate a deflated Caribbean bowling attack in the morning, 108 runs coming in the two hours’ play for just the loss of Root’s wicket.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 399 (I. Bell 143, J. Root 83, B. Stokes 79; K. Roach 4-94, J. Taylor 3-90)

WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 295 (J. Blackwood 112 not out; J. Tredwell 4-47)

ENGLAND (2nd Innings) 333 for 7 decl (G. Ballance 122, J. Root 59, J. Buttler 59; J. Taylor 2-42)

WEST INDIES (2nd Innings, overnight 98 for 2):

K. Brathwaite c Root b Broad5 D. Smith c Ballance b Tredwell65 D. Bravo c Jordan b Root32 M. Samuels c Tredwell b Anderson23 S. Chanderpaul lbw Root13 J. Blackwood not out19 D. Ramdin not out4

EXTRAS (B-1)1

TOTAL (for 5 wkts, 71 overs)162

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-90, 3-119, 4-127, 5-155.

TO BAT: Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn.

BOWLING: Anderson 14-2-39-1; Broad 13-4-32-1; Tredwell 24-10-39-1; Jordan 4-1-16-0; Stokes 9-0-27-0; Root 7-4-8-2.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play