Work again so I follow the cricket online for the first session at least. England come out swinging and add a few quick runs but when Root is out for 122 the captain decides to declare. This is a sensible decision but with Stokes at the wicket and with Bairstow and Ali to come it could have been an entertaining hour of batting... The score is 361/5 and the lead 484.
West Indies bat and Jimmy is all over them, soon reducing the home side to 10/3. Mark Wood comes on and picks up a fourth wicket and at lunch the score is 35/4.
I'm in my seat for the first ball after lunch and it all looks very sedate with Chase and Hetmyer accumulating, they look in no trouble at all. Then a bit of sloppy running combined with excellent fielding from Denly and Bairstow sees Hetmyer run out 76/4. Dowrich joins Chase and again it all looks easy as they push the score past a hundred. Then Ali finds the edge, Stokes haqngs on at slip and its 110/6. This is a strange day of cricket, the game is all over bar the shouting and England will win comfortably but there is very little excitement. I feel frustrated, had England started the tour with this XI and this intensity we would have had a different outcome. Meanwhile Chase passes fifty and it's been a decent knock in tough conditions.
After tea it looks like the wickets just have to fall but they don't. Wood isn't bowling as quickly as he did on Sunday but it's still exciting viewing. Roach offers good resistance but the ball is flying off his bat, (especially off Wood) and just about avoiding the fielders. Then he chips a delivery from Ali to Burns who drops a dolly and I'm thinking it's going to be one of those days. A couple of overs later he does it again off Ali but Mark Wood hangs on and that's the seventh wicket. Joseph comes in and after a few sensible shots starts hacking, the ball is flying up in the air but avoiding the fielders, it's all good fun though. Chase has batted well but misses a straight one from Broad and is given LBW but no DRS finds an edge and he is reprieved! Joseph keeps hitting Mo for six and the partnership passes fifty but two balls later he slogs once too often and Mo has his man, 212/8. With Keemo Paul injured we should be one wicket from victory now. Gabriel manages to hang in with Chase who is playing well and is up to 98 before Gabriel edges Stokes to the keeper. 236/9 and the injured Keemo Paul comes to the wicket, I can't help hoping Chase gets a century and then that last wicket falls quickly! Chase gets a well deserved ton in tough conditions, Paul slogs a couple then hits one up in the air and it's all over. England win by 232 runs.
It's been an entertaining match but with England well on top not a particularly emotional or exciting one.
West Indies bat and Jimmy is all over them, soon reducing the home side to 10/3. Mark Wood comes on and picks up a fourth wicket and at lunch the score is 35/4.
I'm in my seat for the first ball after lunch and it all looks very sedate with Chase and Hetmyer accumulating, they look in no trouble at all. Then a bit of sloppy running combined with excellent fielding from Denly and Bairstow sees Hetmyer run out 76/4. Dowrich joins Chase and again it all looks easy as they push the score past a hundred. Then Ali finds the edge, Stokes haqngs on at slip and its 110/6. This is a strange day of cricket, the game is all over bar the shouting and England will win comfortably but there is very little excitement. I feel frustrated, had England started the tour with this XI and this intensity we would have had a different outcome. Meanwhile Chase passes fifty and it's been a decent knock in tough conditions.
After tea it looks like the wickets just have to fall but they don't. Wood isn't bowling as quickly as he did on Sunday but it's still exciting viewing. Roach offers good resistance but the ball is flying off his bat, (especially off Wood) and just about avoiding the fielders. Then he chips a delivery from Ali to Burns who drops a dolly and I'm thinking it's going to be one of those days. A couple of overs later he does it again off Ali but Mark Wood hangs on and that's the seventh wicket. Joseph comes in and after a few sensible shots starts hacking, the ball is flying up in the air but avoiding the fielders, it's all good fun though. Chase has batted well but misses a straight one from Broad and is given LBW but no DRS finds an edge and he is reprieved! Joseph keeps hitting Mo for six and the partnership passes fifty but two balls later he slogs once too often and Mo has his man, 212/8. With Keemo Paul injured we should be one wicket from victory now. Gabriel manages to hang in with Chase who is playing well and is up to 98 before Gabriel edges Stokes to the keeper. 236/9 and the injured Keemo Paul comes to the wicket, I can't help hoping Chase gets a century and then that last wicket falls quickly! Chase gets a well deserved ton in tough conditions, Paul slogs a couple then hits one up in the air and it's all over. England win by 232 runs.
It's been an entertaining match but with England well on top not a particularly emotional or exciting one.
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