Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 11/Jul 19:26

Windies facing innings defeat in 1st Test after day 2 collapse

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and his West Indies team ended day two of the first Test against England facing a heavy innings defeat after another rough day in the field on July 11 at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London. On day one, the Windies were rolled over for just 121, with England closing the day's play on 189 for three as they raced out to a 68-run lead. The hosts drove home their advantage on day two as they posted a healthy first-innings total of 371, with five batsmen registering half-centuries. Boasting a massive first-innings lead of 250 runs, the English bowlers then went to work in the day's final session as they reduced the inexperienced Windies batting line-up to 79 for six at stumps. West Indies have shown little improvement from their first-innings batting effort thus far, and currently trail by 171 runs, with just four wickets intact. It will take a miraculous lower-order fightback on day three to prevent England from romping to a huge innings win in James Anderson's final Test match. After debutant Gus Atkinson stole the show with a remarkable spell of seven for 45 on day one, it was the turn of his Surrey teammate and fellow debutant Jamie Smith to light up day two with an innings of 70 from 119 balls. Smith displayed measured aggression batting with the tail, and his effort added to the fifties scored by Zak Crawley (76), Ollie Pope (57), Joe Root (68) and Harry Brook (50). There was little for the West Indies to celebrate on day two, but Sussex pacer Jayden Seales returned respectable figures of four for 77, with Gudakesh Motie (two for 41) bowling a pair of gems to get rid of the experienced Root and dangerous English captain Ben Stokes (four). The England captain did achieve a personal high on day two, though, becoming only the third player in Test cricket to get to 6,000 runs and 200 wickets in the format. In their second turn at the crease, the Windies have been in survival mode, with only Alick Athanaze (22) and Jason Holder (20) getting to the 20-run mark. Anderson took his career haul to 703 wickets with the scalps of Brathwaite (four) and Athanaze. Holder and wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva (eight not out) appeared to be offering resistance with a sixth-wicket partnership, but was outdone by an Atkinson short ball with the penultimate ball of the day when he was caught by Pope at short leg. On day three, Da Silva and the West Indies tail will face a very tall order to try and reverse their team's bleak fortunes. Summarised scores: WEST INDIES: 121 (Mikyle Louis 27, Kavem Hodge 24, Alick Athanaze 23; Gus Atkinson 7/45) and 79/6 (A Athanaze 22, Jason Holder 20; James Anderson 2/11, Ben Stokes 2/25 vs ENGLAND: 371 (Zak Crawley 76, Jamie Smith 70, Joe Root 68, Ollie Pope 57; Jayden Seales 4/77, Gudakesh Motie 2/41). The post Windies facing innings defeat in 1st Test after day 2 collapse appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.