ENGLAND'S last-wicket pair of Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood featured in a partnership of 90, in 36.2 overs, but the West Indies dismissed the visitors for 204 on the opening day of the third and final Apex Test at the National Stadium, St George's, Grenada on Thursday.
There was the likelihood that Leach and Mahmood would have comfortably survived the last over of the day, but Mahmood, on the verge of his first half-century at First Class level, played on to a delivery from occasional off-spinner Jermaine Blackwood and was dismissed for 49. Leach was unbeaten on 41.
[caption id="attachment_946466" align="alignnone" width="768"] England's Ben Stokes leaves the field after his dismissal during day one of the third Test against West Indies at the National Cricket Stadium in St. George's, Grenada, on Thursday. (AP Photo)[/caption]
Opener Alex Lees made 31 and Chris Woakes 25 for the English, who were sent in to bat first on a grassy wicket.
In fact, the West Indies, who replaced left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul with pace-bowling all-rounder Kyle Mayers (their bowling attack featured five pace bowlers), got wickets at regular intervals as England were struggling at 46/3 at lunch and 114/8 at tea.
Jayden Seales was the leading wicket-taker with three wickets for 40 runs, while Mayers had 2/13, Alzarri Joseph 2/33 and Kemar Roach 2/41.
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