England

Bairstow arrived at the crease with the score at 21-4 in front of his home Yorkshire crowd, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee having ran through the England top order on Friday.

Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes followed soon after to leave the hosts reeling at 55-6, before debutant Jamie Overton and Bairstow combined in a record seventh-wicket Test stand for England at Headingley.

The pair put on 209 runs in just 37.1 overs to leave England trailing the Black Caps first-innings score by 65 after Bairstow posted his second Test century on his home ground.

Indeed, it was not the first time New Zealand have been frustrated by Bairstow, who plundered the second-fastest Test century in England's history at Trent Bridge in the second Test of the three-match series.

Bairstow revealed he had joked about recreating the Trent Bridge innings, where he combined with captain Stokes in imperious fashion, after the pair were brought together with wickets tumbling in Leeds.

"'Fancy doing another Trent Bridge?' was the first thing we said. That was it. OK, let's crack on," Bairstow told Sky Sports.

"Sometimes it's a simple game we complicate. We're trying to strip back that complicated nature of it back. Allow people to go out and express themselves, also as personalities.

"We talk about growing the game and you grow the game by showing people your personality.

"It was good craic. It feels amazing. This place means so much to me, being a Yorkshire lad scoring a Test 100 at home is pretty special. My family and my mates are here as well.

"Every time you score a Test hundred it's emotional. You know what I'm like, it means so much for me to play Test cricket for England. That's the kind of guy I am. I wear my heart on my sleeve. That's not always everyone's cup of tea."

Bairstow also had plenty of praise to dish out to his partner in crime Overton.

"For Jamie [Overton] to play the way he did, on debut, under pressure, to have the confidence to play as he did against this New Zealand attack, that is exceptional," he added.

Bairstow will resume on day three unbeaten on 130, while Overton is just 11 runs shy of marking his Test debut with a century as England look to complete a series whitewash.

On the back of a fine century from opener Hayley Matthews and crunch-death bowling from all-rounder Deandra Dottin, the team snatched a narrow 3-run win over the Kiwis in their first match. 

The Windies return to action Tuesday, at 5:00 pm, for the first time since that game, and Henry insists they will head into the contest grounded and focused on the task at hand.  England will be looking to get on the board after losing their first encounter against Australia.

“For us, it really is game by game. That first game against New Zealand - Yes, we had discussions with the coaching staff. We had discussions with everybody - but as a team, you know going out there we just had the discussions among ourselves that doesn't matter what happened,” Henry said on Monday.

“We just have - once everybody takes up the responsibility that I am going to do it for the team, then collectively we will just - we all will do it for the team. And I think that's the mentality we have brought into this team going into this World Cup - that if every single player put up their hand and be like, okay, today's my day, then when all 11 players come together collectively, we will and can beat anything.”

A headline-grabbing career has brought more peaks than troughs and, here, the PA news agency looks at the England captain’s best Test moments ahead of his landmark appearance.

120 v Australia – Perth, December 2013

England were getting mauled by moustachioed menace Mitchell Johnson et al on a calamitous 2013/14 Ashes tour but Stokes was undaunted. In his second Test on a WACA pitch bursting with deep, wide cracks, the then 22-year-old earned Australia’s grudging respect with a hard-nosed fourth-innings century. England lost but months after being told he was squandering his gifts by Andy Flower amid some indiscretions on a Lions tour, Stokes’ surreptitious “I’ll show you” response came to bear in extraordinary fashion.

101 v New Zealand – Lord’s, May 2015

In and out of the side due to injuries, under-performance and a lack of role clarity, Stokes rewarded the decision to elevate him to number six in the batting order with two buccaneering innings. Ten months on from a chastening pair at HQ, Stokes followed up a rescue-act 92 with an 85-ball hundred – the quickest ever at Lord’s – before snaring Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum with successive balls in an England win. His place in any side when fit and available has never been in doubt since then.

Six for 36 v Australia – Trent Bridge, August 2015

Stuart Broad’s eight for 15 rightly lives longer in the memory but the ‘oh my Broad’ image that summed up the 2015 Ashes was largely down to Stokes’ one-handed leaping catch in the cordon to see off Adam Voges. In Australia’s second innings, with Broad having nothing like as much impact, Stokes channelled his inner James Anderson, finding some prodigious swing, to ultimately make sure England regained the urn. Remarkably, it is the only time in his career Stokes has been part of an Ashes-winning side.

135 not out v Australia – Headingley, August 2019

Stokes’ magnum opus came six weeks after his scarcely-credible heroics in the 2019 World Cup and a year and a week after being acquitted of affray in a Bristol court case that threatened to overshadow his career. After England were skittled for a miserly 67, Stokes, perhaps seeking to atone for his loose shot, first bowled himself into the ground to take three for 56 then roused the hosts in a then national record chase of 359. Watchful at first before exploding with just number 11 Jack Leach for company, Stokes kept the Ashes alive and sent Headingley into raptures with a knock for the ages.

103 v South Africa – Emirates Old Trafford, August 2022

Despite starting his reign as England Test skipper with four wins out of four, Stokes and the so-called ‘Bazball’ methods alongside McCullum came under scrutiny when they lost to South Africa at Lord’s. England also threatened to throw away a handy position in Manchester but measured tons from Stokes – his first since assuming the captaincy – and Ben Foakes quietened any criticism. Stokes also collected a couple of top-order wickets in both the Proteas’ innings to seal a resounding win.

Sunday’s washout following only 39.5 overs means the latest instalment of the England versus Australia rivalry has gone to the wire with plenty on the line.

Australia are 135 without loss in pursuit of 384 to win a series in England for the first time since 2001, but the hosts are desperate to claim a victory that would earn them a share of the spoils at 2-2 despite urn returning Down Under.

Throw in Broad’s retirement in addition to this arguably being the end of an era for several members on each XI and it sets up the prospect of a fitting finale to an Ashes series that has left its mark on a generation.

View from the dressing room

England may prefer for Australia not to get their target down to single figures but Broad will be dreaming of a leading character role. Australia need 249 more runs to pull off victory and claim a 3-1 series win, but their pursuit of 384 would represent the second highest Test chase in this country. It is geared up to be another thriller.

Symbolic send-off

Broad lapped up the benefits of making his retirement plans public on Saturday night when he walked out to bat for one final time on day four.

A sold-out Kia Oval crowed greeted his emergence from the pavilion with a standing ovation before old rivals Australia gave the veteran a guard of honour.

Alongside Broad was his friend James Anderson with the duo arm in arm before the latter told his fellow his new ball partner to soak up the special moment alone.

Stand and deliver

After the testimonial vibes of Broad’s standing ovation and guard of honour, a bizarre opening passage occurred from Mitchell Starc’s opening over with singles turned down during the first five balls.

It was quickly forgotten when Starc’s final delivery was short and Broad latched onto it with a swashbuckling pull for six over square leg.

Anderson was trapped lbw by Todd Murphy in the next over, which meant Broad’s maximum was the final ball he faced in cricket. Some way to go.

Little birthday joy for Jimmy

While Broad would have hoped for a wicket on what could have been his swansong, Anderson may have also envisaged a different 41st birthday.

The elder statesman of the England team was serenaded by the Kia Oval crowd with happy birthday and his children made a poster for their dad which was picked up by the TV cameras, but he was out lbw after five balls.

Anderson then again ran in hard and produced his normal pace, but he and the rest of the bowling attack were blunted by Australia’s openers and worryingly barely an opportunity was created in 38 overs. Captain Ben Stokes knows that must change early on Monday.

Khawaja kicks Creepy off top spot

No two batters have better highlighted the culture clash between the teams than Usman Khawaja and Zak Crawley, who will end the series as numbers one and two in the run-scoring charts.

Crawley’s classy 73 on day three took his overall tally to 480 runs and left Khawaja with a 57-run target to pip him to the top spot, which he managed in stoic fashion on Sunday and the Australian opener walked off unbeaten on 69.

While Khawaja is seven runs shy of the 500-mark, the eye-catching difference between the duo is the number of balls faced. Crawley needed 541 deliveries to score his tally at a strike rate of 88.72. In contrast Khawaja has taken 1,248 balls with a strike rate of 39.50 to demonstrate the different methods adopted by the teams this summer.

Broad’s Ashes?

Broad has already confirmed he will retire but he is not the only player set to bring their Ashes career to an end on Monday.

Warner will bow out in January and is 32 runs shy of signing off here with a first hundred in England while Moeen Ali signalled earlier this summer he would go back into red-ball retirement.

The next Ashes is more than two years away and it looks a tall order for 41-year-old Anderson to feature while Mark Wood, 33, may even struggle and doubts have to be cast over Stokes given his ongoing knee concerns.

Australia’s XI includes several players over 30, with Steve Smith (34), Khawaja (36), Josh Hazlewood (32) and Mitchell Starc (33) unlikely to grace these shores again.

It all contributes to the end-of-an-era feel surrounding day five but with 20 wickets in this series and this ground the scene of his first big Ashes moment in 2009, you would not bet against Broad producing a fairy-tale finish.

Cornwall, who went wicketless throughout the game, still feels his inclusion had value.

According to the offspinner, on another occasion, going wicketless does not mean he bowled badly.

“I don’t feel too bad about my performance and maybe on a different day wickets would have come my way, but I didn’t get any wickets. I think I bowled pretty well. Opportunities came about but it was just not my day to get wickets,” said Cornwall.

Cornwall has not been deterred by his performance in the least and believes there is only better for him to get.

“Going forward I just think that I have to work on my game and make sure I can perform under every condition that I might be going to but I wouldn’t say it was a bad tour, I just have to move on and learn from it,” he said.

The first Test of the series swung backwards and forwards for the full five days, before the tourists finally secured a two-wicket win at 7.20pm on day five – 80 minutes after the scheduled close.

Captain Cummins played the decisive hand, hitting an unbeaten 44 in a ninth-wicket stand of 55 with Nathan Lyon. Watching Australia chase down 281 was a gut-wrenching result for an England team that had been responsible for making a result possible in the first place.

A frustratingly placid pitch and two rain-shortened days meant a draw should have been the likeliest outcome, but their rapid rate of scoring – 5.03 an over in the first innings and 4.11 in the second – moved the game forward at pace. Ben Stokes’ audacious declaration to set up the game had a similar effect.

Stokes looked to have set up an England triumph when he defied his long-standing knee injury to remove player-of-the-match Usman Khawaja for 65, but in the end they could not finish the job and will head to Lord’s down 1-0 with four to play.

Selection gamble leaves England in a spin

When England persuaded Moeen Ali to come out of retirement after almost two years as a white-ball specialist, they knew it was a roll of the dice. In the end the gamble cost them during a tense finale as the all-rounder was unable to play a full role due to a painful open blister on his right index finger. He was able to contribute just seven overs at a time when he should have been a key weapon, with Joe Root’s part-time off-breaks accounting for 15. Moeen did manage to dismiss Travis Head, but he was also the team’s most expensive bowler and was a bystander at the business end. Will England double down in the second Test or send for back-up?

Half-chances add to England’s missed opportunities

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow faced criticism for his glovework earlier in the match, with four possible chances getting past him. But England saw another couple of fiendishly difficult openings go begging off Australia’s match-winning duo. Root got a hand to a low return catch while Cummins was still in single figures, but could only parry it, while Stokes came desperately close to a sensational take in the deep as Lyon hit out. He leapt into the air and plucked the ball out of the sky, but could not keep it under control as he came crashing to the ground. Had either of those fiendishly hard chances stuck, England would surely have been celebrating at the close.

Australia’s best ever Ashes chasesBig numberView from the dressing roomWhat comes next

While the dust settles on a thrilling week, things are only beginning to get going in the women’s Ashes. Attention moves quickly from West Midlands to East Midlands, with the one-off Test between Heather Knight’s England and Alyssa Healy’s Australia starting in Nottingham on Thursday. For the men’s squads there is time for a few days off before renewing hostilities at Lord’s next Wednesday.

The 32-year-old pace bowler was initially named as the 15th member to the official Test squad for the upcoming tour.  Gabriel, one of the team’s lead strike bowlers, has not played cricket since September of last year after a brief spell with Gloucestershire.  The player was sidelined after suffering an ankle injury that required surgery.

Head coach of the West Indies Phil Simmons, however, recently revealed the player had been training well and would be in contention for a spot in the final day Test squad.

“We have to put this in perspective.  We selected 14, but Shannon, as we know, has come back from injury and being a senior member of the squad in the past two or three years we would have to look at him if he is up to that fitness level heading into the first Test,” Simmons told members of the media on a conference call on Saturday.

Gabriel claimed eight wickets and bowled with plenty of menace when the teams met in the Caribbean last year.  The West Indies won the Test series 2-1.  The player was, however, suspended for five One Day internationals after a verbal exchange with England batsman Joe Root.

Initially, the 32-year-old quick was included as a reserve, having recovered from an ankle injury in the past several months.  With no competitive cricket available to the player during the COVID-19 pandemic, doubts had surfaced regarding his fitness.

Gabriel has, however, proven himself match fit over the last couple of weeks and is expected to return to the bowling line-up.  In the warm-up matches, the bowler has claimed eight wickets at an average of just over 15.

Thursday was the last day of the West Indies' second and final warm-up game.  The team’s coach Phil Simmons returned to the bench after his latest negative coronavirus test.

West Indies captain Jason Holder, who has struggled for form with the bat, tried to gain more time in the middle by promoting himself up the order to open the batting for his team, against the Kraigg Brathwaite XI.  The all-rounder could only manage two off 15 deliveries, for a total of just seven runs in the warm-up games.

Gabriel was much better as he took four for 42 as Brathwaite's XI were bowled out for 178 in a drawn encounter, after resuming on 112 for seven.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan starred in a record-breaking 10-wicket win for Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday, but the tourists responded in emphatic fashion at the same venue 24 hours later.

Brook (81 not out off 35 balls) and Duckett (70no from 42) put on 139 in a sublime unbroken fourth-wicket stand to get England up to an imposing 221-3.

Pakistan fell short on 158-8, Wood taking 3-25 in his first match for six months following two elbow operations, with a first T20I half-century for Shan Masood (66no from 40) in vain.

Will Jacks, in for Alex Hales, struck an impressive 40 off 22 balls after Babar put England in, before Usman Qadir (2-48) got rid of the debutant and Dawid Malan (14). 

England were 82-3 when Jacks departed, but Duckett and Brook combined for a match-winning stand to silence the crowd a day after Babar and Rizwan put on a show.

The right and left-hand combination showed the tourists' strength in depth with the bat as the Pakistan bowlers were unable to contain them.

Babar and Rizwan could not repeat their heroics from the previous day, when they put on 203, the hostile Wood dismissing the captain for eight and Haider Ali for just three.

Reece Topley cleaned up Rizwan in a nightmare start to Pakistan's run chase and Adil Rashid took 2-32 as Babar's side never looked like chasing down their target despite the best efforts of Masood.

Brook and Duckett come to the fore

Big things are expected of Brook, who made his Test debut against South Africa at The Oval this month, and the 23-year-old showed precisely why as he made a brilliant maiden half-century for his country.

He struck five sixes and eight fours, timing the ball sweetly as he piled on the runs on both sides of the wicket and facing only 24 balls for his fifty.

Duckett played the spinners superbly, sweeping with authority to bring up his half-century from just 31 balls.

Wood back with a bang

The luckless Wood had been out since March due to more injury woes, but generated blistering pace and looked like he had never been away.

Wood claimed the huge wicket of Babar, caught on the boundary by Topley from a searing delivery, and saw the back of Haider in a breathtaking opening burst, then returning to remove Haris Rauf in the penultimate over.

The Windies are currently preparing for a return to international cricket with the upcoming tour of England, after a globally enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Ahead of the series, the regional team is likely to be encouraged by the fact that it once again has a full complement of first choice strike bowlers. The likes of Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, and Alzarri Joseph are all available having recovered from injury.  The regional team’s bowling attack has on occasion shown that they can be a handful for even top batting line-ups.  Against England, in the Caribbean last year, Roach and Holder both claimed four-wicket hauls, with Gabriel and Joseph getting among the wickets as well.  Estwick believes a major difference that has boosted the team's bowling performance in recent years is its level of fitness.

“What we’ve done is to improve our fitness,  now we can sustain pressure,” Estwick said via a news conference.

“If you look back in the 80s, that’s one thing the fast bowlers had, it’s fitness.  Another thing is that they (current players) are now understanding fast bowling.  They have got to that age, Kemar and Shannon they are leading the charge and they are very experienced,” he added.

 “Jason Holder has become a much better Test match bowler in the last two years and Alzarri Joseph is now beginning to show his potential.  So were have four fast bowlers where we can challenge any team in the world.”

The opener combined with his skipper to chase down the 55 runs required in Tuesday's first session on day four for an eight-wicket win in Karachi, to complete a historic 3-0 clean sweep.

No other touring side has ever achieved the latter feat in a Test series in Pakistan, with the result continuing to vindicate Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum's aggressive approach to red-ball cricket.

Duckett, back in the Test side for the first time since 2016, posted one century and three further half-centuries across six innings, but was more than happy to credit his captain for their success abroad this month.

"It was fitting that Ben Stokes was there," he told Sky Sports. "We played to our strengths and thankfully got off to a flier.

"I'm very happy. I tried to stick to my game. The mindset of this team from the start of the summer, it is brilliant to come in to as you have the full backing to play the game your way.

"I'm not sure I will play in a team like this again. We are willing to lose games to win and if you go with that mentality, all the pressure goes off you. We are just trying to enjoy it."

Though Duckett's resurgence has helped offer hope for the immediate future amid England's otherwise thin opening batsman options, it was the middle order where they thrived, with Harry Brook particularly impressing.

With 468 runs in five innings – including three centuries – the 23-year-old excelled in the conditions in Pakistan, and credited his displays to the freedom enjoyed under Stokes.

"It is a good feeling to come out here and do something no other team has done," he said. "We all put our hard work in, and we've been phenomenal.

"I've been out here a couple of times. It's quite lucky that I started my Test career out here and adapting to conditions as soon as possible. The way the team has been playing, I think I fit in quite well here."

With the Indian Premier League just around the corner, Brook's impressive performances in red-and-white-ball cricket – he was a member of the T20 World Cup-winning side – have him hopeful of a call.

"It is a competition I've always watched since I was younger and the best franchise competition out there," he added. "Hopefully I get picked up.

"[But for now] I'll be having some family time and a fair bit of food at Christmas."

Duckett watched from home as England’s defence of the crown they won amid much fanfare in 2019 went badly awry, losing six of their first seven fixtures before claiming a couple of consolation wins.

England’s misery has led to speculation of a reset going forward and only half a dozen of the contingent from India are out in the Caribbean for an ODI series starting on Sunday in Antigua.

Duckett is one of the beneficiaries of a number of more established stars being rested but he was adamant that England do not need to make adjustments to a blueprint that served them so well for many years.

“We have watched how England have played cricket over the past eight years and one bad five weeks does not define a team,” Duckett said. “It’s probably been the greatest white-ball team ever.

“If we can go and play how they have played over the past eight years or even half as good that will be an achievement. We know how they want to play their cricket.

“I don’t think the approach is going to change because of how the World Cup went. I think the age is probably the factor. If they win that World Cup, the same group of players might be here.

“It was potentially guys who were late 30s and coming towards the end of their 50-over careers. So it seemed like there was always going to be a fresh start after it.”

Captain Jos Buttler, batter Harry Brook, all-rounders Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran and fast bowlers Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse are the England players out in the West Indies who were at the World Cup.

Players on the fringes such as teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, big-hitting all-rounder Will Jacks and uncapped fast bowler John Turner now have an opportunity in these three matches over the next 10 days.

Duckett rejected the notion there was any additional burdens on this group after recent events, even if the left-handed batter admitted his desperation to shine to stay in England’s limited-overs plans.

“Not in the slightest,” he said. “We don’t feel pressure, you know? I think fresh is a good word. A group of players who can go and showcase what we can do.

“But I think for each and every one of us it’s important to perform. I need to go and prove that I’m good enough to be on this team and so do the other guys.”

Duckett has cemented himself into England’s Test team as an opener but even though he is renowned for his attack-minded mentality, he has been capped in just eight ODIs and 11 T20s in seven years.

In his most recent international appearance, Duckett registered an unbeaten hundred against Ireland in September as part of a second-string England side, with the big guns rested ahead of the World Cup.

At 29, he could be entering his peak and a mainstay in all three formats but Duckett, who is expected to bat in the middle-order this weekend, is refusing to taking anything for granted.

“I’m genuinely thinking about the next three weeks,” he added. “I know how difficult it is to stay in a side when there’s this many players.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned over the last 12 to 15 months is not thinking too far ahead.

“I’ve got to go and score runs this series to get to the next one, there’s people banging down the door who aren’t here so, I don’t think I’m a shoo-in for the next four years. I’d be silly to think that.”

Here, the PA news agency looks at five aspects that should be addressed by head coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes before England’s next Test against the West Indies at Lord’s on July 10.

Who takes the gloves?

Ben Foakes was just about flawless behind the stumps once again but he did not record a single fifty, with his career average dipping below 30, and struggles to assert himself in the fashion England want.

Jonny Bairstow is not as proficient with the gloves and also flattered to deceive in India, but he averages 59 at home under McCullum and Stokes and can marshal the tail in a way Foakes is seemingly unable to.

Knocking on the door away from those pair is Ollie Robinson of Durham and Jamie Smith at Surrey.

Jack, Tom or Shoaib?

Not for over a decade have England had such plentiful spin options.

England took a bit of a punt on Tom Hartley and especially Shoaib Bashir but the duo demonstrated they have the mettle for Test cricket.

Rehan Ahmed showed determination, too, but might be more suited to the white-ball formats for now.

Jack Leach’s fitness issues in the past 12 months mean he is not guaranteed to be inked in for the English summer, with just one spinner usually required.

Hartley may be more suited to Asian conditions but 20-year-old Bashir is someone England should invest in. Leach’s position as premier spinner at Somerset means Bashir could be sent on loan elsewhere in the early county season.

Identify a replacement for James Anderson

The evergreen swing king reached Test wicket 700 in the final Test after several months in the 690s.

Anderson has given no outward indication he is ready to slow down but time waits for no one and England must be prepared when the day comes the 41-year-old decides to hang up his spikes.

Any sign of decline after a poor Ashes showing was quietened a little with solid, if unspectacular, performances in India in unhelpful conditions.

While his longevity is astounding, wickets are his main currency and he has just 15 of them in his last eight Tests at a bloated average of 50.8.

In two marquee series against England’s biggest rivals, that is a poor return but he is not one to be kept subdued for long.

Settle on a seam attack

Anderson may well be able to keep going until the next Ashes series in 2025-26 but he has lost his long-time opening bowling partner in Stuart Broad.

That did not matter so much in India but on green seamers in England, there will be no shortage of candidates looking to step into Broad’s shoes.

Chris Woakes is likely to come back into contention although he is 35 himself, so it could be the next generation who come through.

Gus Atkinson impressed the backroom staff despite not playing in India and McCullum tipped the quick to make his Test debut in the summer.

Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue are pushing to be involved while Ollie Robinson must get to the bottom of his fitness issues.

Back Ollie Pope

England’s vice-captain had one of the more curious series of modern times.

A breakout 196, which Joe Root called “one of the best knocks that I’ve ever seen”, carried England to a stunning victory in Hyderabad.

But he did not reach 40 after that, made a pair at Ranchi and looked increasingly frenetic.

England have been encouraged by his growing confidence as an authority figure on the field as deputy to Stokes and will hope that can filter through to his batting.

Pope has already been shuffled around a lot in a 43-Test career and his talent is undeniable so he just needs to find a way of taking the edge off when he goes out to bat.

Bashir's figures of 5-41 saw England surge towards the win in a single session on the fourth day of the second Test. 

England started the day 248-3 as Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook's first Test century (109) laid the foundations for the triumph, setting West Indies a target of 385 to win. 

The tourists scored 61-0 from the first 13 overs before Chris Woakes (2-28) removed openers Mikyle Louis and Kraigg Brathwaite in quick succession. 

And a spell of five wickets in six overs dismantled any hope of a comeback, as Bashir bowled a magical spell to claim 3-8 in 15 deliveries.

Mark Wood (1-17) sent Kevin Sinclair walking in the 23rd over as Gus Atkinson (2-49) struck twice in three balls to put England within touching distance of the victory.

It would be Bashir who would secure the triumph, bowling out Shamar Joseph to secure his third five-wicket haul in five Test appearances as West Indies were bowled out for just 143. 

It gives England their first series win since the tour of Pakistan in 2022. They will look for a 3-0 sweep when the final Test begins at Edgbaston on Friday.

Data Debrief: Bashir the main man

Root’s 122 was his 32nd Test hundred, one short of Alastair Cook’s England record, moving ahead of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867) to become the eighth all-time run-scorer in Test cricket (11,870).

But on Sunday, it was all about Bashir, England's main man with the ball in hand. He became the first spinner since 2006 to take five wickets in a Test at Trent Bridge.

Wood's probing returned figures of 5-46 at The Wanderers as South Africa were all out for 183 on day three of the fourth Test, before England posted 248 in their second innings to set the hosts a world-record run chase.

South Africa will have two days to get the 466 runs they require to win the match and draw the series, but it is a tall order.

And with Wood showing sizzling form with the ball, South Africa may struggle to take the contest to a fifth day.

Asked about his bowling display, Wood said: "I'm over the moon."

Returning from knee and side injuries to reclaim his England place, a conversation Wood had with Holding yielded a morsel of great wisdom from the man who took 249 wickets for West Indies in 60 Tests.

By lengthening his run-up, Wood has taken some of the explosive element out of his action, which should help on the fitness front, and the suggestion came from 65-year-old Holding.

Wood told Sky Sports: "I wish I'd changed my run-up sooner. Some guy did mention it to me..."

With a nod to Holding, who is working for the broadcaster, Wood explained: "He said, 'You're putting too much strain on your body, lengthen your run-up', and since I've done that it's been a lot better.

"I've got a little bit more momentum. It takes a little bit more pressure off my body, whereas off my short run it felt like I had to force it. You're not going to have rhythm every day when you're running in.

"The days where I didn't quite feel it, I was still having to force it and I was putting that extra strain on my body, so it's been nice to take a load off and just feel my way in but still bowl quickly.

"I was stubborn to change it because it had worked for me up to a point. But if I was going to play more cricket or if I was going to improve, I was going to have to change something.

"I just felt it was the right time for me to change it. I wish I had done it earlier, but it's all in the past now."

England's second innings saw opener Dom Sibley make 44, with captain Joe Root adding 58 and all-rounder Sam Curran plundering a rapid 35.

Curran hailed Wood's efforts and reflected the mood in the camp by stressing the tourists are on a high, with their victory prospects looking strong.

Curran told the BBC's Test Match Special podcast: "It's a great position to be in at the close, maybe we would have liked to have been batting tomorrow, but the lead is nice.

"It was nice to have a bit of fun out there with Rooty. Woody with five wickets, what a man, the team is so happy, he's one of the great guys in cricket. For him to come back from injury and get five is amazing."

The decision comes after bad light delays in gloomy, but often dry, Southampton conditions ruined the second meeting between the two teams, with only 134.3 overs of play possible across five days in a frustrating draw.

England head coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root had spoken positively about an idea to make up lost time by starting at 10:30 local time, rather than the fixed usual 11:00 start for the team's home Tests.

That has previously been avoided due to complications it causes spectators travelling to grounds, but that is not presently an issue with the coronavirus pandemic meaning the series is being played behind closed doors.

A deal has now been agreed for the next match, which begins on Friday, so time can also be made up at the start of a day's play.

Implementing the new rule for future series which take place in England is also under consideration.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed "positive discussions" on the subject were held with the International Cricket Council (ICC), match referee Chris Broad and broadcast partners.

A statement from the ECB on Thursday read: "Revised start times have been agreed with the captains and coaches of both England and Pakistan and will be implemented for the final match of this series.

"The flexible approach will enable the prospect of making up time for inclement weather during the morning session of subsequent days rather than at the end of the day.

"Match officials will ensure that light is monitored to maximise playing time while it is still safe to do so. The safety of the players is still the number one priority for this protocol."

England, who lead 1-0 as they seek a first series win over Pakistan for 10 years, have named an unchanged 14-man squad for the contest.

The Surrey wicketkeeper and Lancashire batsman have both been in strong form for the national side this year, with Foakes now first-choice gloveman in the Test team and Livingstone a regular figure in red-ball cricket.

They take the place of Rory Burns, who drops out due to poor form, and Alex Lees, who also loses his central contract.

A further dozen deals – split evenly between increment and pace bowling contracts – have rewarded six other players with their first offers, with Harry Brook, Matthew Potts and Reece Topley all handed the former.

Brydon Carse, Matthew Fisher and Jamie Overton are added to the latter pool, while Zak Crawley keeps his central contract despite a difficult summer.

Jofra Archer also retains his deal despite an injury-struck season, as England look to shape their side ahead of next year's Ashes series on home soil.

"I feel we have rewarded those players who have made a significant impact over the previous 12 months and those we expect to be part of England's plans over the next period," said ECB managing director Rob Key.

"The international game continues to evolve, and we must be mindful that we have to lead the way in player performance across the sport.

"The aim is to develop world-class players in all three formats as we strive to become the best team in the world.

"I would like to congratulate all the players offered agreements for the coming year. They will all play a pivotal role in England's efforts over the next 12 months."

Central Contracts: Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Increment Contracts: Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Matthew Potts (Durham), Jason Roy (Surrey), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Northamptonshire).

Pace Bowling Development Contracts: Brydon Carse (Durham), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire).

The 27-year-old Brathwaite was a standout player when the regional team played in England three years ago.  The opener scored 40 in the first Test, before scoring 134 and 95 in the second, forming part of a crucial partnership with Shai Hopes as the West Indies leveled the series.

The player has not been in the best of form since then.  The top batsman averaged just 16 from his last six Tests, to see his overall average drop to 33.  During the recent first-class championship, he was averaging a mere 25 after the seventh round of matches before knocks of 48 and 84 not out against Guyana Jaguars in the eighth round, boosted his numbers.  It has led some to question his inclusion in the squad.  The player, however, insisted he would not focus on either those negatives or dwell on his strong showing in England the last time around.

“I look forward to any series against England but what I’m really focusing on is obviously doing my job on the team and built that foundation, that’s all I’m focusing on,” Brathwaite told members of the media on Wednesday.

“There’s no pressure.  You can’t always do well.  I know my role and it just about going out there and focus on each ball.  The batting hasn’t been going well the last few innings but I’m up for challenge,” he added

“Looking back, you obviously see things that you did well (2017) but that is history.  I have an important job to do here and now and I’m raring to go.”

The 52-year-old was appointed as head coach of Afghanistan in March after his departure from the England set-up following the winter Ashes series defeat.

A prolific left-handed batsman who represented England across both Test and ODI formats, Thorpe is one of just 15 players to make over a hundred Test matches for the country.

"Graham Thorpe has recently fallen seriously ill and is currently in hospital receiving treatment," read an official PCA statement.

"His prognosis is unclear at this stage and we ask for privacy for him and his family at this time. Our thoughts are with Graham and his family."

A middle-order batsman and slip fielder, Thorpe spent his entire county career with Surrey, where he made his debut in 1988.

He made his Test debut in 1993 with a second innings century against Australia at Trent Bridge, and went on to become a fixture in the squad over the next decade.

Thorpe retired from international cricket in 2005, before also hanging up his bat a few months later at domestic level.

He worked in the media before joining the England coaching set-up in 2010, where he remained until earlier this year.

Left-hander Edrich played 77 Tests between 1963 and 1976, scoring over 5,000 runs at an impressive average of 43.54 and captaining his country on one occasion.

Edrich made a magnificent unbeaten 310 not out at the top of the order in a hammering of New Zealand at Headingley in 1965, the fifth-highest Test score for England.

He crafted 12 centuries in the longest format and two half-centuries in his seven ODI appearances.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive officer Tom Harrison said on Christmas Day: "With John's passing, we've lost a prolific and fearless batsman – one of the select few who have scored more than 5,000 runs for England.

"His duels with some of the world's best fast bowlers were legendary, and it's a testament to his ability that his 310 not out against New Zealand in 1965 remains the fifth highest Test score by an English batsman.

"He will be sadly missed, and our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Former England skipper Ian Botham tweeted: "Very sad news today to wake up on Christmas Day and to be told that John Edrich has passed away !! A wonderful man who I was lucky enough to spend some quality time with...RIP."

Edrich also racked up in excess off 39,000 first-class runs for Surrey.