NOTTINGHAM: Ben Duckett and Harry Brook helped to turn a frustrating third morning at Trent Bridge into a 207-run lead for England against West Indies in the second Test match on July 20.
In last week’s series opener at Lord’s, England had won by lunch on day three, marking an innings victory in James Anderson’s farewell outing, but they were made to work considerably harder in Nottingham.
A last-wicket stand of 71 between Joshua Da Silva and Shamar Joseph handed the tourists a 41-run lead, frustrating England as they failed to kill off a first innings that sprawled to 457.
England were still 34 behind when Zak Crawley was unluckily run out by a fingertip touch at the non-striker’s end. But an enterprising knock of 76 from Duckett set England on the way to a stumps score of 248/3.
Brook took over in the evening session, showcasing some wonderfully instinctive stroke play as he racked up an unbeaten 71 and bossed a 108-run partnership with Joe Root who ended on 37 not out.
Duckett, whose very participation had been in doubt due to the imminent arrival of his first child, hit 71 in 59 balls in the first session of the Test and followed up with another impactful effort at the top of the second innings.
While he would dearly have loved to go on to a fourth Test century, the importance of the left-hander’s energy and ambition cannot be overlooked. At a time when England could have made a meal of clearing an awkward deficit, he refused to let the West Indies attack settle and had the controlling interest in a second century stand of the match with Ollie Pope.
Pope, fresh from his sixth Test hundred on Thursday, fired the starting pistol by sending five of his first 11 balls to the boundary, but it was Duckett who kept the bowlers on the back foot consistently.
He leaned into his drives, and manipulated the gaps either side of backward point. Although not quite able to keep pace with his 32-ball half-century from day one, Duckett brought up his second fifty of the week with three fours in an over from off-spinner Kevin Sinclair.
After sharing a stand of 119, both batters fell in quick succession, undone as a change of ball and a change of overhead conditions converged. Alzarri Joseph used both to his advantage; Pope feeding an away swinger to gully and Duckett lbw after a hooping yorker smashed him on the boot.
Brook took his chance to shine, upper cutting over the slips, threading the gaps behind square at will and taking a step down the ground to hammer Jason Holder.
Root was more sober but no less effective, peaking with a pair of immaculate cover drives.
England’s day started well with the ball before the stubborn partnership between Da Silva (82 not out) and Shamar (33) held up the host.
Resuming 65 behind on 351/5, West Indies lost four for 35. Rejuvenated after a slow start to the series, Chris Woakes shouldered a 90-minute spell at the Radcliffe Road End and came up trumps, finding just enough nip under murky skies to pick off Holder, Alzarri and Jayden Seales.
That is when things sta
