ST GEORGE’S (Grenada): Rain showers disrupted the first session of the second test between West Indies and England at the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s (Grenada) on Wednesday with the hosts moving to 210 for five before lunch was taken early.

Marlon Samuels was still waiting to complete his seventh Test century, heading to lunch unbeaten on 97 while captain Denesh Ramdin was 24 not out.

Just 8.5 overs were bowled in the session with West Indies adding 22 runs to their overnight score.

It was Samuels who helped West Indies recover after a wobbly start to the second match of the series on Tuesday.

After James Anderson, England’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, had removed Kraigg Brathwaite with a superb inswinger for one and Jordan dismissing Devon Smith for 15 before lunch, Darren Bravo who had batted well for his 35, edged broad to Alastair Cook at slip.

Cook waited before bringing Ben Stokes into the attack but he provided an instant impact, removing veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul for one with his second delivery — the left hander guiding the ball to Moeen Ali at point as the hosts fell to 74 for four.

Jamaican Jermaine Blackwood again showed promise by making 26 before, after review, he was ruled to have been trapped leg before off Jordan.

The ball continued to swing into the final session but Ramdin provided the support to Samuels, who batted with disciplined circumspection.

England, though, will rue the fact that Cook slipped a regulation catch when Samuels was on 33.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings, overnight 188-5):

K.C. Brathwaite b Anderson 1
D.S. Smith c Buttler b Jordan 15
D.M. Bravo c Cook b Broad 35
M.N. Samuels not out 97
S. Chanderpaul c Moeen b Stokes 1
J. Blackwood lbw b Jordan 26
D. Ramdin not out 24

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-4, W-1, NB-1) 11

TOTAL (for five wkts, 78.5 overs) 210

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-28, 3-65, 4-74, 5-129.

TO BAT: K. Roach, J. Holder, S. Gabriel, D. Bishoo

BOWLING: Anderson 15-8-18-1; Broad 16-5-42-1; Jordan 20-3-51-2 (1nb, 1w); Moeen Ali 12-1-45-0; Stokes 14.5-7-43-1; Trott 1-0-2-0.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2015

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