England

The Windies are scheduled to meet in England in three Tests, the first taking place at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton beginning July 8 followed by two at Old Trafford as international cricket makes a tentative return from its coronavirus-enforced hiatus.

Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo and Keemo Paul withdrew from the 25-man touring party, which landed in the United Kingdom on Tuesday, because of fears over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jason Holder's men will remain in Manchester for training and quarantining before travelling to Southampton for the first Test.

The hosts made a sub-par 145-8 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat. For the second match in a row, the West Indies quickly found themselves on the back foot with the wickets of Shai Hope (4), Evin Lewis (3), Nicholas Pooran (7), Roston Chase (7) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) leaving them 37-5 in the sixth over.

Captain Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd steadied the ship somewhat with a 73-run sixth wicket partnership before Shepherd fell for 30 at the start of the 16^th over.

Powell eventually made a top score of 54 odd 41 balls while Alzarri Joseph provided some valuable lower-order runs with 21*.

Saqib Mahmood continued his excellent form with the ball in the series with 3-17 from his four overs while Jamie Overton was also brilliant, taking 3-20 from his four.

England then reached 149-7 with four balls to spare to secure the win and a series victory.

Sam Curran led the way with 41 while Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks made 39 and 32, respectively.

Akeal Hosein bowled excellently despite the loss with 4-22 from his four overs.

The fourth T20I will take place at the same venue on Saturday.

The tourists lost Shamarh Brooks (39) and Jermaine Blackwood (12) soon after lunch to slip to 186-5 in reply to England's 204 all out, but recovered through Chase (27 not out) and Dowrich (30 not out) to be in a strong position to build a healthy lead at an empty Ageas Bowl.

Captain Jason Holder fell for just five, holing out to his opposite number, Ben Stokes, who ended with figures of 4-49.

Mark Wood finally got among the wickets to end with figures of 1-74.

James Anderson was involved in both of the wickets in the second session, firstly finding Brooks' edge for a caught behind. Brooks decided to review but UltraEdge showed a clear nick.

Five overs later, Anderson took a simple catch at mid-on to remove Blackwood, who tried to launch spinner Dom Bess into the deep.

Anderson ended with 3-62 and Bess, 2-51.

The partnership will engage fans to choose and vote for the West Indies player of the match following each of the #RaiseTheBat Test matches as West Indies defend the Wisden Trophy in three Test matches against England.

West Indies fans will be able to vote on the @windiescricket Twitter page for their #MeninMaroon player of the match with the fans’ chosen player receiving an exclusive Duppy Share rum pack featuring a personalized bottle. West Indies fans who purchase a bottle of The Duppy Share through the special promotional link will have the chance of winning a Test match shirt signed by the West Indies squad from this historic, bio-secure, behind-closed-doors Series.

The Duppy Share is the UK’s fastest growing rum brand bringing the energy and sense of fun of the Caribbean to life. The rum is a perfect blend of a fiery, punchy Jamaican three-year-old rum from Worthy Park distillery and a smooth, oaky five-year-old rum from Barbados's Foursquare distillery.

CWI Commercial Director, Dominic Warne stated: “CWI is always excited to partner with brands that have an authentic Caribbean story. Working with The Duppy Share and our fast-growing social channels is a great way to give West Indies fans the opportunity to choose and celebrate their player of the match.”

The Duppy Share Founder, George Frost said: “The Duppy Share could not be more proud and excited by this relationship. Every drop of The Duppy Share rum is inspired by the amazing energy, excitement and fun of the Caribbean – and nowhere is this more evident than in the mighty West Indies cricket team.”

The fans’ player of the match polls will start following the conclusion of each of the three Tests in the #raisethebat Series.

Fans can purchase and try The Duppy Share here.

The first Test Match at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton, concludes today, July 12. The West Indies will then travel from Southampton to Manchester on the July 13 for the second Test, starting  July 16.

Salt edged his second ball past slip but took two more fours in the opening over off Akeal Hosein in a rollicking start as he put on 77 in 6.1 overs with captain Jos Buttler (39 off 31 deliveries).

A 200-plus total looked to be there for the taking but they lost their way after Buttler holed out, collapsing to 171 all out in 19.3 overs after losing their last eight wickets for just 54 runs.

It was particularly gruesome at the back end as England lost their last five wickets for six runs in 15 balls.

The Windies’ fightback was led by Andre Russell, who marked his first international since the T20 World Cup with format-best figures of three for 19, including the wicket of Salt, caught on the boundary.

Jacks whacked back-to-back sixes off the expensive Alzarri Joseph, who conceded 54 in 3.3 overs including 26 in a nine-ball first over, but went for one hit too many and departed for 17 off nine.

Buttler never really got going before he was caught in the deep and England, who lost the ODI series 2-1, never really recovered. Their last 10 overs contained four boundaries and just 59 runs.

Liam Livingstone contributed 27 off 19 but chopped Russell’s slower ball on to his stumps while Adil Rashid, making his 100th T20 appearance, saw his off-stump taken out by Joseph, who finished with two in two and a three-wicket haul overall after Tymal Mills nicked off.

In a match eventually reduced to 40 overs per side after rain interruptions before and during the match, England recovered from a horrific first ten overs to post 206-9 from their 40 overs after being put in to bat by West Indian skipper Shai Hope.

Debutant Matthew Forde got proceedings off to the best possible start for the West Indies with the wicket of Phil Salt for just four at the end of the first over.

Not long after, Forde was at it again, picking up the wickets of Zak Crawley (0) and Will Jacks (17) to leave England struggling at 45-3 at the start of the ninth over.

45-3 became 48-4 in the 10^th over when Alzarri Joseph brilliantly ran out Harry Brook off his own bowling for one.

England captain Jos Buttler, fresh off a half-century in the last game, lasted only one ball on Saturday.

Joseph greeted Buttler with a well-directed short ball that he was unable to control, helping the ball out to Gudakesh Motie on the deep square leg boundary for a simple catch to leave England 49-5 after 10 overs of the rain-shortened 43 overs per side contest.

An 88-run sixth wicket partnership between Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone provided some stability to the English effort before Duckett fell for a well-played 73-ball 71 in the 26^th over. His knock included six fours and one six.

Livingstone was next to go two overs later, caught by Sherfane Rutherford at mid-on off the bowling of Romario Shepherd for 45 to leave England 142-7.

With England 161-7 off 33 overs, the rains came once again. Soon after the restart, England lost their eighth wicket when Rehan Ahmed fell caught behind off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph for 15 to leave the score 166-8 in the 34^th over.

Joseph picked up his third wicket when he had Sam Curran caught on the point boundary by Gudakesh Motie for 12 to leave England 171-9 in the 36^th over.

In the end, a 35-run 10^th wicket partnership between Gus Atkinson (20*) and Matthew Potts (15*) helped England reach 206-9.

Forde ended with 3-29 from his eight overs while Joseph was expensive, going for 61 from his eight overs with three wickets to his name.

A third rain delay during the innings break meant the West Indies had a revised target of 188 from 34 overs.

The chase got off to the worst possible start when Brandon King was caught at cover off the bowling of Gus Atkinson for just one in the second over.

Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty then put together a solid 76-run second wicket partnership that ended when Atkinson trapped Athanaze in front for a 51-ball 45 in the 14^th over.

Captain Shai Hope was next to go, caught brilliantly by Matthew Potts off the bowling of Rehan Ahmed for 15 to leave the West Indies 99-3 in the 17^th over.

Then, with the West Indies cruising needing 72 from 78 balls, Shimron Hetmyer mistimed a ball straight into the hands of Phil Salt at point for 11 off the bowling of Will Jacks.

The West Indies quickly lost another one when Sherfane Rutherford held out to Zak Crawley at long on off Jacks’ bowling for three to leave the score at 122-5 after 23.2 overs leaving the hosts needing 66 runs from 64 balls.

Carty, two balls after bringing up an excellent half century, became Jacks’ third victim in quick succession caught and bowled to leave the West Indies 135-6 needing 53 runs from 50 balls.

The 31^st proved to be the ultimate game changer for the West Indies. The over bowled by Gus Atkinson went for 24 to leave them needing just nine more to win from the final three overs.

In the end, Romario Shepherd (41*) and Matthew Forde (13*) steered the West Indies to 191-6 off 31.4 overs to seal the 2-1 series win.

Will Jacks tried his best for England with 3-22 from his seven overs while Gus Atkinson ended with 2058 from his six overs.

Full Scores:

England 206-9 off 40 overs (Ben Duckett 71, Liam Livingston 45, Matthew Forde 3-29, Alzarri Joseph 3-61, Romario Shepherd 2-50)

West Indies 191-6 off 31.4 overs (Keacy Carty 50, Alick Athanaze 45, Romario Shepherd 41*, Will Jacks 3-22, Gus Atkinson 2-58)

England, after a rough start that left them reeling at 24 for 4, rallied to post a competitive 263 for 8, thanks largely to Phil Salt’s 74 and Dan Mousley’s inventive 57. Jamie Overton contributed a brisk 32 off 21 balls, and Jofra Archer added firepower with an unbeaten 38 off just 17 deliveries. Despite their efforts, the West Indies bowlers had already left a mark, with Alzarri Joseph (2 for 40) and Romario Shepherd (2 for 48) taking key early wickets alongside Matthew Forde’s standout 3 for 35.

In reply, West Indies wasted no time asserting dominance. Brandon King launched into Jofra Archer’s first over, slamming consecutive boundaries to set the tone. Although Evin Lewis was dismissed for 19, King and Carty anchored the innings with a record-breaking 209-run partnership, the highest for West Indies against England in ODI cricket. King, who benefitted from two dropped catches, reached his third ODI hundred before being bowled for 102 with just 13 runs needed. Carty’s unbeaten 128 off 97 balls was a maiden ODI century, making him the first cricketer from St. Maarten to reach three figures for West Indies.

The win, secured with ample overs to spare, highlighted the potent combination of West Indies’ bowling strength and the emerging batting prowess of Carty and King, who have undoubtedly set a high standard for the future of Caribbean cricket.

King had given the West Indies a strong start, smashing 23 runs off just 12 balls, including a massive 101-metre six off Reece Topley that flew over the midwicket boundary. However, his promising innings was abruptly halted on his 13th delivery when he attempted to drive Sam Curran through the covers and suffered a side strain, forcing him to retire hurt after medical attention.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) later confirmed the injury: "Brandon King has suffered a side strain and will not return to the field of play in this evening's match." King did not field during England's chase, with Shimron Hetmyer taking his place.

Side strains usually take several weeks to heal, making King's participation in the remaining matches of the World Cup highly unlikely with only ten days left in the tournament. West Indies captain Rovman Powell expressed concern over King's injury. "Yes, a little bit worrying but hopefully he can pull through for the next game," Powell said. "We know how important a player he is for us."

King's absence would be a significant setback for the West Indies. Despite a modest tournament so far with a top score of 34, King’s experience and leadership, having recently captained the team against South Africa, are invaluable.

The West Indies have five standby players: Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr., and Matthew Forde. Kyle Mayers, who narrowly missed the initial squad, is the frontrunner to replace King, though Fletcher's experience as a top-order batsman also makes him a strong candidate.

The team will travel to Barbados on Thursday ahead of their next Super Eight match against the USA at Kensington Oval on Friday. With their World Cup ambitions in jeopardy, the West Indies will need to quickly adapt and find a way to mitigate the loss of their dynamic opener.

As the tournament continues, the focus will be on the West Indies to see how they handle this adversity and whether Brandon King can make an unexpected return to bolster their World Cup hopes.

Batting at No. 3, Buttler quickly found his rhythm after England lost Phil Salt on the first ball of the innings. Teaming up with Will Jacks, Buttler unleashed an array of boundaries, hammering eight fours and six sixes in his 26th fifty-plus T20I score. The pair built a commanding 129-run partnership off 72 balls, which all but sealed the game for England. Both Buttler and Jacks fell in the same over to Romario Shepherd, but by then, England were firmly in control, with Liam Livingstone striking four boundaries and a six in his 11-ball cameo to finish the match.

Earlier, West Indies struggled to build momentum after winning the toss and choosing to bat. Saqib Mahmood’s early strikes left the hosts reeling at 35-3 within the powerplay. Captain Rovman Powell fought back with a gritty 43 off 41 balls, finding occasional support from Nicholas Pooran, who added 15 in a sluggish 35-run partnership. However, West Indies’ batsmen struggled to handle England’s disciplined bowling, with Livingstone and Dan Mousley sharing four wickets between them.

Powell finally found his range, clearing the midwicket boundary with a powerful six off Livingstone. But just as he looked set to accelerate, he was undone by Mousley’s accurate yorker, which bowled him for 43, halting the Scorpions' scoring push in the 17th over.

Despite a late surge from the lower order, which included some quick runs from Gudakesh Motie, Shepherd, and debutant Terrance Hinds, West Indies managed only 158-8 from their 20 overs. Mahmood was England's standout bowler in the early overs, taking two crucial wickets, while Livingstone finished with 2-16, effectively stifling West Indies' momentum.

In the chase, West Indies needed early breakthroughs, and Akeal Hosein delivered by dismissing Salt with his first ball. However, Buttler’s attacking approach quickly dashed any hopes of a West Indies comeback. Jacks and Buttler accumulated runs rapidly, with Jacks striking boundaries off Matthew Forde and Hosein. Buttler then took charge in the powerplay’s final over, smashing three consecutive boundaries off Shepherd and reaching a 32-ball fifty by launching Roston Chase into the crowd.

With this win, England holds a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. West Indies will need to regroup and address their batting struggles if they are to stay competitive in the remaining matches. The teams will meet again for the third T20I, with West Indies hoping to turn things around and keep the series alive.

Chasing the hosts' 416, the tourists endured a difficult start with Mikyle Louis (21), Kraigg Brathwaite (48) and Kirk McKenzie (11) all falling to leave them at 84-3.

However, the Windies eventually settled with Hodge and Alick Athanaze putting on an impressive stand of 175, with the latter eventually going for 82.

Hodge continued and jumped for joy when a four completed a maiden century in only his fourth Test.

The 31-year-old, who should have been caught by Joe Root early on, reached 120 off 171 balls, before falling lbw to Chris Woakes.

Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva took West Indies to 351-5 at the close of play, putting them in a strong position to claim a first-innings lead on day three.

"It was important we put our heads down and took some info from the England first innings," Hodge told Sky Sports. "We made use of a good batting track.

"It feels amazing [to make a century], it is always good to contribute to the team, especially coming off the first Test when we didn't do so well as a batting unit.

On the partnership with Athanaze, he added: "Facing [Mark] Wood, it is not every day you face a guy who bowls every single ball over 90 miles per hour.

"It was really important we got through that period as it would have been really difficult for a new batter to start against that."

Data Debrief: History-making Hodge takes centre stage with century

Not only did Hodge help his side's surge, but he also made history with his first three-figure contribution in Test cricket.

The 31-year-old became the first player from Dominica to score a Test ton, and is the first West Indies batter to achieve the feat against England since 2017.

Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total. 

But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.

Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.

Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.

Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls. 

Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.

Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.

England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.

Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.

That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate 

This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.

That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.

Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge. 

The West Indies, holders of the Wisden Trophy, are locked at 1-1 with the hosts who are trying to regain the trophy they relinquished when they went down to the West Indies in the Caribbean in early 2019.

This, Estwick believes, makes the occasion one of significant magnitude.

“Obviously this a big, big Test match not only for the people who are here in England, there are a lot of people tuned and we’ve got to be really up for it, Estwick said.

He believes the West Indies are more than capable of winning the series.

“The key thing is if you look at the first innings [of the first Test] we got early wickets. When we won in Southampton we got off to a decent start in the first innings with the bat so for me those are two key areas,” he said.

“If we can blunt that new ball and stop England from getting early wickets and also get early wickets ourselves, that could put us in a position to control the game and try and put them under some added pressure.”

Estwick said the coaching staff has been trying to get the players to be aware of the piece of history that can write if they win. West Indies last won a Test series in 1988 before any member of the present team was born.

“We’re constantly reminding them they have the chance to change something that hasn’t happened in 32 years,” he said.

“We played them over the last two or three years and we’ve won the odd Test matches. We’ve obviously won in the Caribbean – we want to go one step better here in England. We really want to win that Test match.

“We have to be up for it. Obviously England is going to be up for it because it’s a final – when you look at this game it is a final for both teams and whoever puts in a big performance also will win the game.”

West Indies last won a Test series in 1988 before any member of the present team was born.

Having erased a first-innings deficit of 114, the hosts appeared to be gaining the upper hand as they reached 249-3, Zak Crawley combining with stand-in captain Ben Stokes to put on a partnership of 98 for the fourth wicket.

The pair built on the good work done by openers Dom Sibley (50) and Rory Burns (42) but West Indies fought back impressively in the final session, Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph each taking two of the five wickets to go down.

Stokes (46), however, fell for a second time in the match to opposite number Jason Holder when seemingly going well, steering the West Indies skipper to one of two catchers positioned in the gully region.

As for Crawley, the right-hander's impressive innings came to an end on 76 when he chipped a return catch back to Joseph, who then followed up by bowling Jos Buttler for nine.

Gabriel produced a fine spell in fading light to bowl both Dom Bess and Ollie Pope, the latter via an inside edge, and though England avoided being dismissed prior to stumps, they had undoubtedly let slip a glorious opportunity after battling so hard to forge their way in front.

Burns and Sibley continued on from the overnight total of 15 without loss in the early stages of Saturday's play, pushing their opening stand on to 72.

Spinner Roston Chase finally claimed the initial breakthrough for West Indies, aided by Burns hitting a long hop to point, while he also tempted Joe Denly to chip a simple catch to mid-wicket. Having reached 29, England's number three once again failed to capitalise on a promising start. 

Sibley did carry on to register his first half-century on home soil in Tests, though departed soon after reaching the landmark. 

Reprieved when bowled off a no ball earlier in the same over, he was caught down leg by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich off the bowling of Gabriel, whose closing burst saw him finish with figures of 3-62.

WINDIES ON TOP BUT WORK STILL TO DO

West Indies will be pleased by the way they hit back with the ball after tea, though a wearing Rose Bowl pitch showing signs of uneven bounce means a fourth-innings chase is by no means straightforward. Still, considering how well England were going with Crawley and Stokes together, the tourists should now be considered favourites.
 

ROOT'S RETURN CREATES SELECTION ISSUE

With Joe Root set to come back into the XI for the second Test, one of England's batting line-up will have to make way for the returning skipper. It seems a straight fight between Denly and Crawley, with the latter surely now ahead on points after making his highest score in the format.

MOMENT OF THE DAY – GABRIEL GETS HIS MAN... AGAIN

Sibley appeared to have perished straight after reaching 50, bowled off an inside edge. A tight no-ball call initially offered him a second chance, yet the opening batsman failed to capitalise, lasting only two further deliveries before he was dismissed by the same bowler. 

The Selection Panel is resting fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in consideration of his workload including the forthcoming all-format tour of Australia in January and February. He is replaced in the squad by fellow pacer Oshane Thomas. Johnson Charles, the experienced batter is also called into the squad to replace Shimron Hetmyer.

West Indies currently lead the Series 2-1 after winning the first two T20Is in Barbados and Grenada. England won the third match in Grenada ahead of the two teams travelling to Trinidad for the finale. The West Indies have a chance to clinch the T20I Series on Tuesday 19 December in the fourth encounter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. The final match will be played on the Thursday 21 December at the same venue. Both matches are day/night games with the first ball bowled at 4pm local time (3pm Jamaica time).

FULL SQUAD: Rovman Powell (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice-Captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russel, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Oshane Thomas.

MATCH SCHEDULE

3 December – 1st CG United ODI: West Indies won by 4 wickets at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
6 December – 2nd CG United ODI: England won by 6 wickets at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
9 December - 3rd CG United ODI: West Indies won by 4 wickets at Kensington Oval, Barbados
12 December – 1st T20I: West Indies won by 4 wickets at Kensington Oval, Barbados
14 December – 2nd T20I: West Indies won by 10 runs at National Stadium, Grenada
16 December – 3rd T20I: England won by 7 wickets at National Stadium, Grenada
19 December – 4th T20I at Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica time)
21 December – 5th T20I at Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica time)

The three-match Apex Series is level 0-0 following a draw in the first Apex Test match, which was played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

Nkrumah Bonner was named Player-of-the-Match. He scored a career-best 123 in the first innings and 38 not out in the second innings on the final day.

“It was a hard-fought first match in Antigua and we decided to stick with the same 13 players for the second match in Barbados,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes in explaining the decision not to make any changes ahead of the second Test.

“Bonner demonstrated the way you should play, and we were very pleased with the way he played in the first innings and again in the second innings. It was hard work for all the bowlers, and we were very happy with the way they stuck to the task.”

WEST INDIES TEST SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales.

Da Silva reached a first Test century and Mayers took 5-9 in 13 overs in a career-best bowling performance, with West Indies capitalising on a first-innings lead of 93 runs by reducing England to 103-8 at stumps.

Leading by 10 runs with just two second-innings wickets standing, the last sliver of hope for England was that they converted 90-8 in their first innings to 204 all out, but this time around they looked floored.

The England tail must wag spectacularly on Sunday at the Grenada National Stadium for this to become a contest again, with signs pointing to West Indies landing the series win after the first two Tests ended in draws.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan speculated this could prove to be Root's final match as captain, with the team, crushed in the Ashes before this series, looking increasingly rudderless.

West Indies had a strong morning as Da Silva went from 54 not out to finish unbeaten on 100, sharing in a 52-run partnership for the 10th wicket with Jayden Seales, who managed a gritty 13 and saw off 58 deliveries before Root removed him, caught and bowled.

From 232-8 at the start of play, having been 128-7 at one point on Friday, West Indies amassed 297 and England's jaws were already on the floor.

It got no better for the tourists after lunch as they plummeted to 39-4, still 54 short of making West Indies bat again. Zak Crawley flashed a catch to Jason Holder to give Seales an early wicket, before Mayers removed Root for the second time in the match.

Reaching for the ball outside off stump, Root got a hefty edge and gave John Campbell a comfortable take at first slip. After a duck in the first innings, to fall for five this time was a grim blow.

Mayers went on to bowl Dan Lawrence for a duck and prise out Ben Stokes for four. Opener Alex Lees had avoided being part of the early churn, obdurately defying the home attack in a go-slow innings, and began to lead a recovery alongside Jonny Bairstow. They put on 41 for the fifth wicket before Bairstow got a thin edge to give Alzarri Joseph a wicket.

Ben Foakes fell to a lamentable run out at the end of the same over, and Lees, who faced 132 balls, perished for 31 when Mayers tore out the left-hander's off stump. Mayers had his fifth wicket when Craig Overton edged to Holder, who juggled at third slip before clinging on. West Indies could not quite get over the line before the close, but victory is in sight.

Vaughan senses end of Root era

Taking into account all Tests where he has batted twice, this was Root's worst performance with the bat since making one and a duck against New Zealand in 2015 at Headingley. He has been terrific with the bat for England in recent times, but even he fell flat in this game.

Vaughan said on BT Sport: "I just feel that this could be his last Test match as captain. I can see in his face, I've been in that position. When it goes, and he's been captain for such a long period of time, it might be starting to come to an end for him."

Marvellous Mayers tortures tourists

Mayers, who in 10 previous Tests had achieved innings-best figures of 3-24, found himself with figures of 5-9 here, with England finding his medium-fast pace surprisingly too hot to handle. 

Chris Woakes, Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood delivered with the bat in England's first innings, scoring 115 runs between them, and they are the three batters remaining this time. Yet snowfall in Grenada on Sunday seems about as likely as another England rescue act. This team looks ready for home.

The Windies and England are attempting to organise a three-match series - to be held behind closed doors - for July, with games pencilled in for July 8, July 16 and July 24, according to Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive.

Grave also confirmed a 25-man squad, including 10 reserves, will travel to the United Kingdom in the week commencing June 8.

Gabriel has not featured in the longest format since September 2019, having struggled with an ankle injury which subsequently required surgery in November last year.

Now, the paceman is focusing on stepping up his rehabilitation with the aim of returning to the fold for the series.

"It's a good feeling always to represent West Indies. It's good to be back out on the park," he told i955FM.

"The plan is right now to try to make it to the tour to England - hopefully that comes off. I'm just trying my best to stay positive and I hope everything goes well.

"It has been a long journey since November when I did the surgery on my ankle. Everything is going well, it has been a long process in terms of getting back to running and bowling and stuff like that.

"I am trying my best to be as fit as possible so I'm really working hard in terms of my fitness and managing my weight, trying not to get too heavy to put too much strain on my ankle. So I know once I put in the hard work everything will be okay in the end. I just want to stay positive.

"There has been no high-intensity work, I'm just taking my body back into it easy, taking it one day at a time and not trying to push too hard but it's still long while before the first Test in England and by that time I'm sure I'll be fit and ready."

With cricket having been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gabriel does not expect it to be an easy transition for many players to return, especially with physical-distancing measures introduced by the ICC.

"It's going to take a lot. It's going to be mentally taxing on the brain but you have to stay positive. Keep your mind fresh," Gabriel said.

"I know they [England] are going to be coming at us all guns [blazing] at us, but I know the guys

"Plus plenty of the guys haven't been playing any cricket, so it is going to take us a while to get back there. On the positive side, you're still getting the opportunity to play cricket and represent your country so that in itself should be enough motivation."

The tourists were reduced to 103-8 at stumps on Saturday and were all out for 120 after losing the remaining wickets of Chris Woakes (19) and Jack Leach (4) inside an hour on Sunday.

Set a target of 28 runs to win at the Grenada National Stadium, Kraigg Brathwaite (20 not out) and John Campbell (6no) got West Indies over the line in just 4.5 overs.

Speaking on Saturday, former England captain Michael Vaughan had speculated this could be Root's final match as skipper, and another punishing loss follows a crushing Ashes series defeat.

England were looking to restore some pride if nothing else when play resumed, but any hope they had of building up a triple-figure lead after their second innings soon faded.

Having survived a review after appearing to be caught at short leg off bat and thigh pad, Woakes tried to turn the ball around the corner but Jason Holder made a superb grab.

That came off Kemar Roach's first ball, and the same bowler also brought an end to Leach's resistance shortly after, the left-handed batsman being caught behind by Joshua Da Silva.

It was then left to Braithwaite and Campbell to keep the scoring ticking over, which they did with ease to spark joyful celebrations in the home ranks.

Mayers masterstroke

Plenty of focus will be on England after this humbling loss, but credit must go to West Indies for what was an impressive showing across a third Test that lasted barely four days.

The selection of Kyle Mayers was key, the 29-year-old taking seven wickets in Grenada, having achieved an innings best of 3-24 across 10 previous Tests.

Root-and-branch reform awaits

England are now without a win in their last nine Tests, losing six of those, which is their longest winless streak in the format since a run of 10 between August 2013 and July 2014.

The inquest into why this has happened can now be stepped up, and come the end of it there may well be a change of leadership should Root walk – or indeed be pushed.

Following a dominant 2-1 ODI series win capped by a decisive eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval, the West Indies team heads into this series with renewed confidence. The squad announced for the first two games in Barbados showcases a mix of seasoned T20 stars and in-form players who have excelled in recent competitions.

The squad includes seasoned players such as Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer, alongside the versatile talents of Matthew Forde and Terrance Hinds. Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, and Shamar Joseph bring further strength to the lineup, while explosive batsmen Brandon King and Evin Lewis add depth at the top. Gudakesh Motie joins Nicholas Pooran, returning with Andre Russell after both missed the recent tour to Sri Lanka, and Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd complete a formidable squad, ready to go for another victorious series in front of home fans.

Guiding the team is Head Coach Daren Sammy, who is joined by Team Manager Rawl Lewis. Supporting Sammy are Rayon Griffith as the fielding coach, Floyd Reifer handling batting responsibilities, and James Franklin overseeing bowling. The team’s physiotherapist is Denis Byam, with Ronald Rogers providing strength and conditioning expertise, while Dane Currency attends to the squad’s massage therapy needs. Avenesh Seetaram contributes his analytical insights as the team analyst, and Jerome Foster will serve as the Media and Content Officer.

The 'Rivalry' series kicks off with two back-to-back matches at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on November 9 and 10, before moving to Saint Lucia for three more games at the Daren Sammy Stadium on November 14, 16, and 17. Fans across the Caribbean are set for an action-packed series as the West Indies aim to extend their undefeated home streak in T20Is, facing off against a challenging England squad in what promises to be a thrilling display of cricket.

The three-match Apex Series is level 0-0 following a draws in the first Apex Test match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and the second Apex Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados, which ended on Sunday.

According to Lead Selector Desmond Haynes, the team showed their fighting spirit in the just-concluded Test in Barbados.

“We were very impressed with the captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, showing the fight in both innings and the way he led from the front with the bat,” Haynes said.

“Also, Jermaine Blackwood, and the way he played in the first innings to get a century. They batted very well together. We really appreciated the fighting spirit from the batting department. We decided to stick with the same squad and want to see them continue to give a big effort in the third Apex Test match.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was named Player-of-the-Match in the second Apex Test. He scored an outstanding 160 in the first innings – his 10th Test century and his first on home soil, and then 56 not out in the second innings on the final day.