England

The West Indies are in England to challenge for the Wisden Trophy, they won last year in the Caribbean.

The logo, designed by Alisha Hosannah, partner of Watford Football Club captain Troy Deeney, features a clenched fist, along with the words Black Lives Matter. The word ‘Black’ has the logo inserted where the ‘a’ should be.

Reports out of England are that the CWI approached Deeney for permission to use the logo as per the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations.

“This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team. We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the fight for justice and equality. We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness," said Holder.

According to Holder, the decision to wear the Black Lives logo was not taken lightly and that the West Indies understand very well, the position they hold in regard to the fight for equality.

As a group of young men, we know of the rich and diverse history of West Indies cricket and we know we are guardians of the great game for generations to come.

“We did not take our decision lightly. We know what it is for people to make judgments because of the colour of our skin, so we know what it feels like, this goes beyond the boundary.

There must be equality and there must be unity. Until we get that as people, we cannot stop. We have to find some way to have equal rights and people must not be viewed differently because of the colour of their skin or ethnic background.”

According to Deeney, he and his partner are delighted to be part of the statement the West Indies chose to make in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign.

“Alisha and I are immensely proud to be asked and take part in a monumental moment in world sport, this amazing decision by the West Indies cricket team to show their support for Black Lives Matter. When I got the call, I didn’t hesitate to respond, because I know as sportspersons in the spotlight, how important our efforts are to bring about change and the role we play in moving towards change in our society," said Deeney.

Deeney said growing up, the West Indies were part of what shaped his childhood.

“Watching cricket with my grandad, and seeing Brian Lara transcend from being a cricketer to a worldwide superstar, shaped my childhood, so it’s great to be able to help West Indies Cricket show their support in such a meaningful way.”

West Indies will play England in three Test matches behind closed doors – the first at the at Ageas Bowl in Southampton and the other two at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, where they are presently based.

Due to COVID19 they have been training and live in a “bio-secure” environment as part of the comprehensive medical and operations plans to ensure player and staff safety.

Captain Kieron Pollard is fit again and returns to lead both the ODI and T20 sides that will battle the Irish in three ODIs and one T20I at Sabina Park, in Jamaica, starting January 8.

The CG Insurance ODI Series between West Indies and Ireland will form part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

The West Indies are currently eighth in those standings with 40 points, while Ireland sits fourth with 50.

The Caribbean side will then play five T20 Internationals against England, in Barbados, beginning on January 22.

“We have tried to maintain the general make-up of the squads from the Pakistan tour before Christmas, with the captain and some senior players coming back in. The challenges in the next couple of months are getting the young players in both squads to not only improve on their skills but maintain the attitude and desire we saw in Pakistan,” said West Indies coach Phil Simmons.

Simmons also emphasized the need for his team to start the year on a good note.

“We do need to start the year on a high. We know both Ireland and England have very good teams so we expect a very strong challenge as we look to improve our chances of automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023 and building the team for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2022,” Simmons added.

ODI squad for the Ireland Series: Kieron Pollard (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas, and the COVID-19 reserves are Keacy Carty and Sheldon Cottrell.

T20I squad for Ireland and England Series: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Fabian Allen (England T20Is only), Darren Bravo (England T20Is only), Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Jason Holder, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr, and the COVID-19 reserves are Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, and Devon Thomas.

Fabian Allen is fully recovered from an ankle injury but is unavailable for the Ireland series after a positive COVID-19 test.

The last outing for the regional team in the format came in January with a 3-0 defeat in an away series against Pakistan.

The majority of that squad will get another opportunity to represent the region and Pollard, speaking in a pre-match press conference today, says the team is eager to get started.

“For us, it’s like starting from scratch. These guys got a run out in Pakistan in the three T20Is and I’m sure they’re looking to build on their own personal performances and that, in extension, will help us get victories,” he said.

If the West Indies are to come out victorious in the five-match series, Pollard says execution in all three phases of the game will be critical.

“We have to execute in all three facets of the game. It’s been mentioned over the last week or so, batting has definitely been a problem for us but a good thing about it is that we have some new faces in the group again. Guys are looking to make a name for themselves on the international scene and so we just need to be able to do the basics and play according to the situation of the game,” Pollard added.

With the team coming off a disappointing ODI series loss to Ireland, Pollard says it will be important to leave that in the past and focus on what they can do going forward.

“It’s a new series. We can’t take the disappointment from that series into this one. There’s a different sort of mindset and approach that is needed to come into this series,” Pollard said.

The first match of the T20I series between the West Indies and England bowls off at the Kensington Oval in Barbados at 3:00 pm Jamaica time.

Pollard is to join the Steelbacks for eight matches, starting with a home fixture against Durham on Friday, June 5 as the 2013 and 2016 champions look to bounce back from a dreadful 2019 season when they only won four of their 14 matches.

"Of course as captain of the West Indies team and defending champions I have one eye on the ICC T20 World Cup later this year in Australia, but I can assure you my focus will be 100 per cent on winning games for Northants when I arrive in June," Pollard said.

"I see this as a wonderful opportunity to be back in England again."

Steelbacks head coach David Ripley believes Pollard will have a positive impact on his team during his time with them this summer.

"I've spoken to many people about Kieron and the biggest factor you get from everyone is that he's a winner. He's got a fantastic record in winning T20 comps and is just an absolute competitor,” Ripley said.

"He can bowl the big overs, field in key positions and whack it out of any cricket ground in the world."

According to media reports, Pollard, 36, is expected to impart knowledge of Caribbean conditions and pitches to the England, for the showpiece tournament scheduled for June 4-30.

With the region notorious in recent years for its low, slow pitches, conditions are expected to play a key role in the tournament, and, as such, Pollard's experience of same, will be an asset for England.

The Trinidadian's appointment is expected to flawless, as he is already acquainted with current England captain Jos Buttler with whom he played during a couple of stints with county Somerset, and others, who he would have rubbed shoulders with, in franchise tournaments.

Pollard, who retired from international cricket last year, after a T20 series away to India two months prior. Still, the powerfully built player continues to feature in the global short-format franchise leagues, recently leading New York Strikers to victory in the Abu Dhabi T10.

His vast experience in the T20 format, will also be of value to England, as Pollard has 123 One-Day International and 101 T20 International appearances under his built. Overall, he has featured in 537 T20s, scoring over 12,000 runs, with 300 wickets from his part-time bowling.

Pollard was at the helm when West Indies copped the T20 World Cup title in 2021, to go along with the 2016 title won by a Darren Sammy-led team which he was a part of.

The pair put on a third-wicket partnership of 187 as the hosts closed on 473-5, still 80 runs shy of the tourists.

Alex Lees and Pope picked up where they left off from day two as Lees reached his maiden Test half-century in his ninth innings, before he edged a Matt Henry (1-128) delivery to Daryl Mitchell for 67.

Root arrived and did not hesitate in building his own big partnership with Pope, not just piling on runs but doing so at pace.

The former England captain followed up his match-winning ton at Lord's with another 100 here, with this one being the fastest of his illustrious career, coming from just 116 balls.

Pope was finally out for 145 after top-edging a hook shot up in the air off Trent Boult (3-89), which Henry caught well diving forward.

A successful review against Jonny Bairstow (eight) saw him back to the pavilion after ultra edge showed a very slight spike as a Boult delivery passed his glove, with skipper Stokes next in, blasting 46 from 33 balls before hitting Michael Bracewell straight into the waiting hands of Boult.

Ben Foakes (24 not out) steadied things as he and Root (163 not out) looked to move closer to New Zealand's total with an unbroken partnership of 68, leaving the Test match tantalisingly poised heading into day four.

Welcome to the McCullum and Stokes era

With Brendon McCullum arriving as head coach of England's Test side with Stokes as captain, it was always likely to lead to more excitement.

It was therefore not all that surprising to see England finally getting Test runs, scoring 383 on the day, while also going at a potent run rate of 4.14 across the innings so far.

Three could be magic number for Pope

Pope had never even batted above four in the order until the first Test at Lord's, where he scored 17 in his two innings coming in at three.

However, he looked every bit the option McCullum will want in that role during this knock, which included three sixes, and will have pleased Root in particular, who would much rather stay in his favoured role at four.

England sealed a series victory over the Windies in last week's second Test at Trent Bridge, scoring over 400 in both innings of a Test match for the first time as they made totals of 416 and 425.

Vice-captain Pope managed a superb first-innings knock of 121 before Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook (109) brought up their centuries in the second innings.

England have become renowned for their all-out batting style – dubbed 'Bazball' – under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

Pope believes that approach suits England's batters and feels they could make history by breaking the record for most runs made by a team in a single day of Test cricket – Sri Lanka's 509-9 versus Bangladesh in July 2002.

"I got asked on day one, 'do you get told to play like that?' No, we don't. It's just our natural game and the way we go about it," Pope said.

"Sometimes we might score 280 to 300 in a day, but that's okay and probably because we're reading situations.

"There might also be a day where we go and get 500 to 600 at some point in the future as well, and that's a cool thing to have."

England came within three runs of that record Sri Lanka total on their 2022 tour of Pakistan, and Pope believes their success is down to the ruthlessness of the batting order.

"There's a real hunger – there always is a hunger – but now there's an extra bit in that batting line-up," Pope added.

"We want to be as ruthless as we can as a batting unit, but still play the way we do because that's our natural game.

"Obviously being ruthless is being part of Test cricket as well."

Injuries to Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow left both unable to field at the Sydney Cricket Ground as England attempt to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat.

Buttler injured his left index finger while Bairstow scored England's first century of the series with an injured thumb.

He returned to bat in the morning session on day four but was unable to don the gloves, which were instead handed to Pope.

Pope claimed a pair of catches prior to lunch as Australia were reduced to 66-2, a lead of 188 after England were bowled out for 294.

The substitute keeper claimed a third catch in the afternoon session as Marnus Labuschagne was caught behind for 29.

Sam Billings, playing for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, has been called up to England's Test squad.

Pope struck 121 from 165 deliveries at Trent Bridge as England began the second Test of their series against the Windies in dominant fashion.

Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale was a guest of Gunners fan Pope on Thursday, having also watched his double century against Ireland last year.

And after his sixth Test century helped England to 416 all out, the 26-year-old feels Ramsdale, who was part of the Three Lions squad that reached the Euro 2024 final, is a lucky omen.

"He messaged me last night and I managed to sort him a couple of tickets. He can come more often," Pope said.

"I'm obviously a big Arsenal fan, so I go to support him a fair bit. He seems to be my lucky charm on the cricket pitch as well."

Pope opened 2024 with a superb 196 against India in Hyderabad, but scored over 30 just once in the subsequent four Tests of the tour, while a contribution of 63 was his best for Surrey in this season's County Championship.

The 26-year-old was left questioning his ability, but highlighted the influence of England batting coach Marcus Trescothick on his upturn in fortunes in this series.

"I wouldn’t say I had doubts," Pope added, "but I was thinking: 'why is everyone else in the country scoring runs in county cricket, but England's number three isn't going out and averaging 50?'

"[Marcus] came to London, and we did some really good work, which has put me in really good stead for the Test summer."

Pope had overseen back-to-back victories at Old Trafford and Lord's in Ben Stokes' absence but had struggled with his own form, failing to score more than 17 runs in any of his four innings in the series to date.

Things turned around for him on Friday, though, as he helped the hosts build a handsome lead with six wickets still in hand ahead of day two.

England were initially frustrated by bad light during the morning session, with a delay of almost three hours ensuing after Ben Duckett helped the hosts to 80-1 following the early loss of Dan Lawrence (5).

Duckett counted nine fours and two sixes among his 86 runs off 79 balls before he scooped Milan Rathnayake's slow delivery into the waiting hands of Dinesh Chandimal.

Joe Root then struggled to match Duckett's pace and he walked for 13 off 48 balls when he sliced Lahiru Kumara's delivery straight to Asitha Fernando in the deep.

However, Pope took the reins from there and put his poor recent form behind him with a speedy ton off 102 balls, with bad light stopping play for the final time immediately after he brought up three figures with a four, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Pope (102 not out) and Harry Brook (8 not out) will resume at the crease on Saturday, as England target a 3-0 series whitewash and a perfect Test summer.

Data Debrief: Pope's redemption

Figures of 6, 6, 17 and 1 through his four innings with the bat had somewhat sullied Pope's experience of captaining England in this series, but the stand-in skipper had a far more positive experience on Friday.

He put recent criticism of his performances to one side with an assured knock, hitting 13 fours and two maximums to ensure England made the most of limited play.

It is his seventh Test century overall, and his third of 2024 after knocks of 121 versus West Indies in July and 196 in India in January. Only eight England batters have accomplished that feat, and Pope is the first to do so since Gary Ballance in 2014.

Pope is nine short of three figures after the first day of the deciding Test at Old Trafford having steadied the ship alongside Jos Buttler (56 not out) in an unbroken 136-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

England will resume on Saturday on 258-4 with Pope seeking a second Test century in his 10th match, and his first on English soil.

The 22-year-old had scored 97 combined in his previous seven Tests against India and West Indies, and feels judgements on him in the longest format have been reached prematurely.

"It would be a massive achievement for myself," Pope said of making a century.

"So far, I think I've played four Test matches before this in England. I haven't scored the runs that I would like.

"People talk a little bit and I've seen some comments but it's not a massive sample size to take it from. I've played all my first-class cricket in England.

"I don't look into that stuff too much but to get over the line would be a nice feeling. Those nine runs, hopefully they will come at some point."

Pope was particularly pleased to return to his Old Trafford hotel room not having to ruminate on a failure with the bat.

Both teams have remained in the bubble throughout the series in Southampton and Manchester, meaning there has been nowhere for Pope to hide after difficult days out in the middle.

"It's a really nice feeling this evening," Pope, who had scored 43 in his four previous innings in the series, added.

"I've missed out in those first two games. We've not been able to get away.

"You are brought back to your hotel after you've got out in the last two overs of the day and you're looking at over the cricket ground, there's no real escape from it.

"You can't go out for dinner, can't go for a coffee, see your family, it isn't easy.

"You can naturally think about your batting, think about your failures a little bit more than normal. To get a few runs today, it is a nice feeling."

Pope struck 121 from 165 deliveries at Trent Bridge on Thursday, propelling England to 416 all out.

While England's bowling attack dismantled the Windies at Lord's in the first Test, their batters put on a show in Nottingham, despite Zak Crawley going for a duck in the first over.

Ben Duckett sparkled with a sensational 59-ball 71, which included 14 fours, as he and Pope mounted a partnership of 104.

Duckett lost his wicket when he was caught by Jason Holder, who took four catches in total, but Pope ensured the day would be England's with his sublime knock, with the hosts having reached 281-5 by the time he was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph.

Captain Ben Stokes contributed an entertaining 69, while Jamie Smith (36) and Chris Woakes (37) chipped in with quickfire scores too, with Shoaib Bashir's dismissal in the final over of play bookending a fantastic first day for England.

Data Debrief: Speedy Duckett into the history books

Duckett needed just 32 deliveries to reach a half-century, as he kept up a pace mostly seen in T20Is.

It is the third-quickest 50 for England in their Test history, with Duckett drawing level with Ian Botham's effort against New Zealand in 1986. 

Jonny Bairstow is second on that list (30 v New Zealand in 2022), with the legendary Botham leading the way (28 v India in 1981).

Much like West Indies batsmen had no response to Gus Atkinson's precision in the first Test at Lord's, the Caribbean side's bowlers did little to slow England's batting onslaught on this occasion, though it was not for a lack of trying. This, as several chances were squandered in the field, and England rode their wave of fortune to post a daunting 416 all out.

Ollie Pope, who was dropped twice on 46 and 54 by Jason Holder and Alick Athanaze, plundered 121 from 165 deliveries. His knock, which had 15 boundaries and a solitary six, was backed by Ben Duckett's 59-ball 71 and captain Ben Stokes, who made 69.

Alzarri Joseph got three for 98, as Kavem Hodge (2-44), Jayden Seales (2-90), and Kevin Sinclair (2-73), a late addition for Gudakesh Motie, who woke up feeling ill, picked up the other wickets.

With the batsmen having done their part, the England bowlers will be basking in the prospects of possibly ending this contest within three days and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Scores: England 416 all out (88.3 overs)

After winning the toss, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was optimistic of an improved bowling performance, and he would have relished his decision when Alzarri Joseph removed Zak Crawley with the third ball of the innings. However, Pope and Duckett pelted the boundary in a 105-run second wicket stand, but that was eventually broken when Shamar Joseph had the latter caught by Holder, who took four catches in total.

Joe Root (14) and Harry Brook (36) had brief stays in the middle, but Stokes and Pope added a further 80 runs for the fifth wicket to keep West Indies pinned against the proverbial ropes.

Pope was inevitably removed by Alzarri Joseph with England at 281-5, while Stokes' entertaining knock was ended by Kavem Hodge.

Jamie Smith (36) and Chris Woakes (37) chipped in with quickfire scores too, with Shoaib Bashir's dismissal in the final over of play bookending a fantastic first day for England.

Data Debrief: Speedy Duckett into the history books

Duckett needed just 32 deliveries to reach a half-century, as he kept up a pace mostly seen in T20Is.

It is the third-quickest 50 for England in their Test history, with Duckett drawing level with Ian Botham's effort against New Zealand in 1986. 

Jonny Bairstow is second on that list (30 v New Zealand in 2022), with the legendary Botham leading the way (28 v India in 1981).

Pope has graduated to a regular presence within Ben Stokes' side over the past year, with the rich form to back up his place.

A haul of 138 runs across December's three-game series with Pakistan further underlined his presence under Brendon McCullum.

Pope captained England against a New Zealand XI in their tour warm-up earlier this week, leading Broad to praise his abilities as a potential successor.

"I think Pope is a great leader in the group, actually," Broad said. "He's grown so much in the last year, the way he operates, the confidence and responsibility he's been given.

"He speaks really well in the group, he's got a great cricket mind. There's no doubt you can see him as a future England captain."

The 25-year-old is keeping a lid on any such notions, though.

"I don't necessarily see that," he told reporters. "I'm going to keep developing my cricket brain. If that opportunity came up in the future, I'll make sure I can learn as much as possible before then.

"But at the same time, I realise I've got a big job at number three to keep doing. If I can keep impressing there who knows what the future holds.

"I'll keep learning and developing as an all-round cricketer as much as I can. If that happens [and I become England captain], great. If not, that's okay."

The tourists were 185-4 after Joe Root won the toss in Cape Town, but slumped to 234-9 after losing five wickets for only 49 runs in Cape Town on Friday.

Pope ended a poor day for England - 1-0 down in the four-match series - with the bat on a positive note by making an unbeaten 56, taking the score on to 262-9 in an unbroken final-wicket stand of 28 with James Anderson.

The middle-order batsman was pleased to make a contribution on his return from illness a day after his 22nd birthday and hopes he and Anderson can continue to frustrate the Proteas before making inroads with the ball.

Pope told Sky Sports: "It's been a frustrating few weeks. Leading into that first Test, I couldn't have felt any better with the bat and then falling ill the day before was a bit of a nightmare.

"But I'm really happy from a personal point of view with how today went and hopefully we can get a few more tomorrow."

Ben Stokes (47) was among the England batsmen to gift his wicket tamely on the opening day, but Pope says the pitch also provided the South Africa bowlers with some assistance.

"It's a frustration but you look at some of the wickets, there's some good balls and I think the pitch has offered a little bit for the seamers and there is a bit of spin out there, so it was probably more a reflection of the pitch than how we played I think," he added.

"There's a little bit of inconsistent bounce. Rooty said to me before I went in to bat the short balls sometimes really don't get up, so it was a bit of a strange one, but I think when it does nip, it nips off the cracks, there are small bits of grass and that is where there is a bit of sideways movement for the seamers.

"It does look quite dry, I think [Keshav] Maharaj got a few to spin. It does look like it could break up a little bit, so hopefully we can get a first-innings lead and take advantage of that."

With England reeling at 62-5, Pope shared stands of 89 and 71 with Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali at The Oval, while a quickfire half-century from Chris Woakes led the hosts to 290 and a 99-run first-innings lead.

But Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul made it to the close unbeaten, with India at 43-0 in their second innings and aiming to build a lead on day three in a fourth Test that could still go either way.

England were in a worrying position when nightwatchman Craig Overton and birthday boy David Malan departed to the impressive Umesh Yadav in a bright start to the morning session for the tourists.

But India soon lost their discipline, with Pope – playing his first Test of an excellent series – fluently turning the tide, aggressively hitting Shardul Thakur for four three times in the same over.

Bairstow (37) looked in the mood too, only to be trapped lbw before lunch by Mohammed Siraj. Moeen (35) took up the mantle but cheaply slogged a slower Ravindra Jadeja delivery to the covers.

Pope remained stubborn in his resistance until he dabbed at a Thakur outswinger and edged onto his wickets.

Woakes continued to frustrate India, though, and a valuable 35-run 10th-wicket stand alongside James Anderson – who contributed a solitary run to the effort – left England with a decent lead.

By the close India had chipped their arrears down to 56, with Rohit surpassing 15,000 international career runs and unbeaten on 20 alongside Rahul (22).

POPE TO THE RESCUE

Prior to Friday's play, Pope had reached 50 on nine occasions at his home ground in first-class cricket, converting seven of those knocks to centuries.

His latest half-century did not lead to three figures, but had it not been for his measured display then the outlook of this Test would have been looking significantly bleaker for Joe Root's men.

Before the start of play, Pope was averaging 100.71 in first-class matches at The Oval, and he stepped up again.

WOAKES A DIFFERENCE MAKER AGAIN

Returning to the Test arena for the first time in over a year, Woakes made up for lost time with four wickets on day one on Thursday.

His contribution with the bat here was just as valuable. Having been on course at one stage to be trailing after the first innings, Woakes' knock of 50 – which came off 60 balls and contained 11 fours – added to the foundations Pope had built for England.

Deputising for injured skipper Ben Stokes, Pope has led the team to victories at Old Trafford and Lord's to leave them on the verge of a perfect red-ball summer. 

Pope previously played a starring role with 239 runs in a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies, yet his individual form has dipped dramatically in the Sri Lanka series.

He has failed to make more than 17 runs in any of his four innings as captain, recording single figures on three occasions, while he has also been criticised for his use of DRS with a total of eight reviews going against him during the series.

However, Pope has revealed one major piece of advice he received from Stokes ahead of the series was to ignore outside noise and concentrate purely on the spirit within the team.

"Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you're captain, you're going to attract a lot more attention and it's just important to block it all out and stay close with the people around you," Pope said.

"There are a lot of voices who want to have their say, a lot of past cricketers as well, and that's fine and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

"But it's important for me to keep trusting the people inside these four walls because that's going to help me get back into my best form.

"Sometimes when you have two bad games it can almost feel a lot worse than it is because of the noise which surrounds it. 

"For me, it's about trying to stay as level as I can, keep trusting the noise around it, put my work in and not really overthink it."

The third Test gets under way on Friday, with England targeting a fifth straight series whitewash of the tourists. Sri Lanka's last Test win over England came in Galle in 2012, in a home series that was drawn 1-1.

The Windies reduced England to 122-4 after Jason Holder won the toss, Kemar Roach the standout bowler with 2-56 in Manchester on Friday.

Pope (91 not out) and the under-pressure Buttler (56no) raised their bats for the first time in the series, an unbroken stand of 136 taking Joe Root's side on 258-4 when stumps were drawn 15 minutes early due to bad light.

Rory Burns earlier made 57 at the top of the order before he was superbly caught by all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall, playing his first match of the series.

England moved Ben Stokes up to number four and picked a five-strong bowling attack, including Jofra Archer and James Anderson, so the Windies will be disappointed not to have made further inroads but weather could prevent either side from forcing a win.

Roach snared Dom Sibley, a centurion in England's victory at the same venue last week, leg before without scoring from the final ball of the first over but the Windies suffered a blow when an injured Shannon Gabriel left the field.

England were 66-2 at lunch after captain Joe Root (19) was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from the alert Roston Chase after paceman Gabriel was able to return.

Roach produced a peach of a delivery to clean up Stokes, Man of the Match in the second Test following two magnificent knocks, for 20 prior to Burns bringing up a patient 126-ball half-century.

Cornwall then took centre stage to see the back of Burns with a brilliant one-handed reaction grab for at first slip off the bowling of Chase, leaving England four down before tea.

The classy Pope looked anything but a man out of touch with the Windies bowlers looking weary, finding the rope with a flurry of glorious drives and bringing up his 50 off 77 balls.

Buttler was watchful before dispatching spinner Cornwall for two sixes in an over and also reached his half-century, with West Indies unable to strike with the new ball.

Roach closes in on double-century

Roach was the pick of the Windies bowlers and conjured up a special delivery to see the back of the in-form Stokes, who made a hundred and a rapid half-century to set up a series-levelling win last week.

The Barbados-born fast bowler made a great start by trapping Sibley in front and then got one to nip back in and bowl Stokes, the newly-crowned top-ranked Test all-rounder, through the gate for his 199th scalp in the longest format.

Cornwall makes his presence felt

Cornwall had to be patient to get his chance to play a part in the series and although he was wicket-less, the sizeable all-rounder certainly made an impact on the first day of his third Test.

The 6ft 6in tall, 22 stone Antiguan, selected instead of Alzarri Joseph, snaffled a sharp chance to get rid of Burns and generated turn without reward.

Pope and Buttler to the rescue

England were in danger of being dismissed cheaply when Buttler joined Pope at the crease, only for the fifth-wicket pairing to turn the tide.

Pope has been out of sorts in the series, but returned to form in style with elegant strokes on both sides of the wicket and Buttler offered great support with a timely knock with his place under threat.

Stokes suffered a hamstring injury playing in The Hundred earlier this month, ruling him out of their three-Test series against Sri Lanka.

England are looking to build on their 3-0 sweep of West Indies in July, in which Pope shone, scoring a sixth Test hundred and two half-centuries.

The 26-year-old, England's usual vice-captain, will still have Stokes' guidance if needed as he is due to be in the dressing room for the Tests despite his injury.

Pope admitted he had already turned to the 33-year-old for advice but is ready to step into the role for the first Test.

"It is still Stokesy's team and if I want to lean on him, I can, but I think he will let me do my own thing. He has said he is happy to do that," Pope said.

"He will be watching and chat with Baz [Test coach Brendon McCullum] so I can have those conversations in the intervals if I think something needs to change.

"I know how well he has managed our bowlers, especially, so I have picked his brains on it, but it will be a lot of the same messages with a different voice and in my own way.

"It's about not overcomplicating it for me. I think I read the game fairly well and Stokesy and I have often been of the same mindset. As the series goes on, it will let itself out for me.

"Brooky has a great cricket brain, [Joe Root] too, so there is plenty of experience out there to bounce a few ideas off.

"Everyone is pretty clear how they want to go about this week and the series in general."

England have won their last three Test series against Sri Lanka, one at home and two away, but were beaten by the tourists in 2014.

"We don't underestimate any of the teams that come over here," Pope added. "Our target is to win 3-0, but we realise Sri Lanka have got some good experienced guys who have played a lot of Test matches.

"The main focus is on ourselves. We will just play our best cricket and try and put on a good performance. Hopefully, the scoreboard at the end reflects that."

England’s first Test against Sri Lanka will begin on Wednesday at Old Trafford.

Pope captained England in the absence of Stokes, leading his side to three victories from four matches, which included their 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka last month. 

The 21-year-old also helped England seal a record-breaking innings and 47-run triumph over Pakistan in the first of their three-match series in Multan. 

Stokes injured his hamstring while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred in August, but replaces Chris Woakes for the second Test after fully recovering. 

Matthew Potts comes in for Gus Atkinson, though Stokes is confident that Pope's time being a top-order batter alongside the captaincy will stand him in good stead in the future.

"Authority, just that word in itself, can come across a bit like a dictator. No one in that dressing room certainly is that," Stokes told Sky Sports.

"I said it before when asked about this, being stand-in captain is harder than being captain because you know you are only doing it for a certain amount of games, and you are trying to still push forward what the current captain is doing.

"Popey has been involved under my captaincy from day one, so there was a lot of easy and natural ways to continue doing that, but what he also did was put his own stamp on things which were massively encouraged by myself and Baz [McCullum].

"For such a young player who has got quite a lot of experience now, having that exposure to being a top-order batter, but also captain will be really, really good for him in the long-term and I think he has done a great job.

"His winning percentage is better than mine. I think - winning three out of four Tests - he has done a great job and should be very proud of what he has achieved while I have been injured."

While Stokes allowed Pope to take the reins, he was in and around the camp throughout his recovery, ensuring his influence was still heard in the dressing room. 

He watched on as Joe Root, who overtook Alastair Cook as England's highest Test run-scorer of all time, and Harry Brook led their revival against Pakistan on day four.

Root's knock of 262 was his sixth double-century, and in the same innings, shared an England record stand of 454 with Brook - breaking Peter May and Colin Cowdrey's 67-year record of 411 at Edgbaston in 1957.

Despite watching on the sidelines during the home series against Sri Lanka and the first Test against Pakistan, Stokes is sure the England players are buying into the message he and head coach Brendon McCullum are trying to convey.

"When you are out in the middle, there are a few things you don't get the chance to see or observe because you are thinking about other things," Stokes said.

"But when you are actually sitting on the sidelines, you realise how committed everyone out on the field is to the very small things that me and Baz ask of everyone.

"Running after the ball to the boundary, backing the bowlers up, all the small things that in the bigger picture mean a hell of a lot.

"When the bowlers are bowling in this heat and see the ball hit through the field and someone sprinting chasing after it to stop a boundary, pulling out a dive.

"They don't always get there, but it is that sense that we are all in it together which is one of the most notable things for me, especially when you are the person trying to deliver those words."