Jamie Smith playing a shot during the 3rd Test against West Indies in the 2024 series.

West Indies versus England Test Series, 2024

3rd Test

Day-2 Evening Session Highlights:

England were bowled out for 376 runs and maintained the lead of 94 runs in the 1st Innings

Jamie Smith scored a rapid 95

At the Stumps of Day-2:

West Indies scored 282 (1st Innings) & 33/2 (2nd Innings), where as England scored 376 (1st Innings).

So, finally West Indies trial by 61 runs.

Joe Root (87), Jamie Smith (95), Ben Stokes (54), and Chris Woakes (62) orchestrated England’s impressive comeback with the bat in the second Test against West Indies after the hosts were reduced to 54/5 early on Day 2.

The partnerships for the sixth, seventh, and eighth wickets were worth 115, 62, and 106 respectively, with Nos. 7, 8, and 9 registering half-centuries—only the second such instance for England in Test cricket—as the hosts finished with 376, securing a 94-run lead.

Early wickets in West Indies’ second innings gave England further advantage as the visitors ended the day at 33/2, trailing by 61 runs.

West Indies missed an opportunity to send Root back early in the day as they didn’t review a leg-before shout that was turned down.

However, they soon tasted success when Shamar Joseph got Ollie Pope to inside-edge onto the stumps, and Harry Brook departed in the next over, poking at a delivery outside off as Jayden Seales became the fifth youngest West Indian to reach the 50-wicket milestone.

Despite the quick wickets, Root continued playing his shots.

Having surpassed Brian Lara’s tally of 11,953 runs to take the seventh spot among leading run-scorers in Tests, Root struck a few boundaries off Alzarri Joseph.

Ben Stokes had an edgy start but hung in to build a partnership with Root, with both batters scoring at a good pace.

Root also surpassed Alastair Cook’s tally (869) runs to become the leading run-getter at Edgbaston.

West Indies lost a review early in the second hour after they opted for the DRS despite Shamar striking Stokes on the thigh pad.

They bowled a few tight overs before Stokes decided to attack, striking boundaries off Jason Holder and sweeping spinner Gudakesh Motie for a six, en route to a century stand that was raised before Lunch.

Alzarri was struck for a boundary apiece by Stokes and Root in the first over of the second session.

Stokes’s four helped him bring up his 33rd Test fifty, while Root’s boundary helped him become only the seventh player to cross 12,000 Test runs.

The partnership reached 115 before a short ball from Alzarri had Stokes caught at square leg, giving the bowler his 100th Test wicket.

Smith gloved a short ball for a four attempting a pull off Alzarri before dispatching another short one over deep midwicket.

Root, meanwhile, continued untroubled, cutting one late off Motie for a four as he reached the 80s.

Smith settled in well, helping Root build a solid partnership by scoring regular boundaries and rotating the strike effectively as the stand crossed 50 in quick time.

He targeted Motie, cutting away a short ball and sweeping the spinner well.

The ball was changed a couple of times, and Root also got his bat changed.

He looked set for a three-figure score before falling to a straight ball from Motie, playing for non-existent spin and being trapped in front.

Smith carried on and brought up another fifty, with support from Woakes narrowing the deficit to single figures ahead of the Tea break.

After a brief rain delay, the third session began with Smith and Woakes extending their stand past 50.

Woakes struck a four off Alzarri before the bowler was hit for four boundaries in an over—three by Smith and one by Woakes—taking his runs conceded tally past 100 and England past 300.

Seales also conceded boundaries as the eighth-wicket pair ran the West Indies bowlers ragged.

Smith smashed the short deliveries to the fence with ease as he entered the 90s, and the partnership crossed 100.

However, he missed his maiden Test ton as a delivery from Shamar that kept low bowled him while attempting a pull.

Woakes then got to his seventh fifty in Test cricket and continued to find the boundaries, adding to England’s lead.

Woakes eventually fell to Alzarri, handing a catch to short cover.

Alzarri’s expensive outing was further compounded when Gus Atkinson hit two sixes before becoming his fourth scalp.

Alzarri finished with 4-122, with his economy rate of 6.9 being the highest for a West Indian bowler in a Test innings (minimum 15 overs).

Woakes’s good day continued as he struck in the opening over, getting the ball to move away from Kraigg Brathwaite and bowling him for a duck.

Mikyle Louis had some nervous moments as an inside edge off Woakes narrowly missed the stumps, and he was then dropped by Stokes at mid-off off the same bowler.

Kirk McKenzie had another poor outing as he poked at an Atkinson delivery outside off and edged it to the ‘keeper.

Shoaib Bashir and Mark Wood bowled until the close of play but were unable to make further inroads.

Louis, saved by the umpire’s call when Wood bowled a searing yorker, and Alick Athanaze batted through to Stumps unbeaten.

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