West Indies batsman Kavem Hodge reacts after his dismissal.
(Photos: Alex Davidson/Getty Images/Skysports)
The chances of West Indies bettering England in their three-match Test series were always slim, and Wednesday’s opening day of the first encounter at Lord’s again justified why the host are overwhelmingly favoured.
No doubt the Caribbean side went into the contest confident that they can secure a Test series win in England for the first time since 1988, but their batting display was a far cry from a team hoping to achieve that feat.
They collapsed from 88-3 to 121 all out, as England’s attack, led by debutant Gus Atkinson, was quick, vicious and left West Indies in a tailspin with no response to the onslaught.
Debutant Mikyle Louis (27), Alick Athanaze (23), Kavem Hodge (24), Alzarri Joseph (17), and Gudakesh Motie, with an unbeaten 14, were the only scores in double figures. Atkinson bagged 7-45, the second best by an England bowler on Test debut behind Dominic Cork.
England in response were 189-3 at close, as they opened up a 68-run lead courtesy of half-centuries from Zak Crawley (76) and Ollie Pope (57). Joe Root, on 15, and Harry Brook, on 25, will resume batting on Thursday’s second day.
Scores: West Indies 121 all out (41.4 overs); England 189-3 (40 overs)
Gus Atkinson bask in the admiration of his teammates.
West Indies assistant coach Jimmy Adams narrowed their opening day performance to England’s quality bowling and inexperience batting from his team.
“I think it was fairly bowling friendly conditions, and added to that England exploited the conditions really well. They had quality swing and they didn’t give us much freedom, and maybe a little bit of experience on our part as well. So I think a combination of those issues,” Adams said in a post-day conference.
Despite their current position, Adams remains optimistic his men can get back into the contest, provided they apply themselves accordingly.
“All of England’s bowlers are world class, so we can try (to comeback), but it is going to be difficult. But this is what Test cricket is all about, you have a bad day, you think about it, roll your sleeves up and come back on day two and try and work your way back into the match. We have seven wickets to get first of all and then hopefully we can bat for a day or two and see where we go from there,” he added.
After losing their top order in the opening session with just 44 runs on the board, Hodge and Athanaze attempted to rebuild the West Indies inning from 61-3 at lunch, but having already inflicted the wound, Atkinson duly obliged and finished what he started.
Louis, the first player to represent West Indies from St Kitts and Nevis, showed promise in a 34-run opening stand with captain Kraigg Brathwaite. Both seemed set for a positive knock before Brathwaite (six) dragged a wide delivery from Atkinson onto the stumps, while Jamaican Kirk McKenzie lasted only 14 deliveries, as he too was sent back by Atkinson for a solitary run.
Mikyle Louis receives his cap from West Indies legend Sir Viv Richards.
Louis then followed, as he edged one from England’s captain Ben Stokes, which Harry Brook collected low down at third slip.
When Athanaze edged to Joe Root, it sparked a typical West Indies collapse, as Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva came and went without scoring, while Hodge served up a catch off Chris Woakes to Ollie Pope, who took it in dazzling fashion.
Alzarri Joseph attempted a counter as he slashed four boundaries in a nine-ball cameo, before he became Atkinson’s sixth victim, and Shamar Joseph (zero), the seamer’s seventh. Motie then contributed 14 runs to push the visitors past the 120-run mark, as James Anderson, playing in his final Test series, accounted for Jayden Seales.
England in their turn at bat, lost Ben Duckett (three), who knicked a Jayden Seales delivery to da Silva. However, Crawley, who rode his luck, and Pope quickly steadied things as both scored at a decent tempo, before the latter was trapped in front by Holder.
Crawley’s luck ran out soon after and he was removed by an inswinging yorker from Seales, as West Indies briefly harboured hopes of clawing their way back into the contest, but Root and Brook kept them at bay for the remainder of the day.
Seales has 2-31 so far.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Maharaj hopes South Africa patience 'pays dividends' against West Indies
Keshav Maharaj remains hopeful South Africa's patience will "pay dividends" after a hard-fought third day of their Test match against the West Indies.
The Windies toiled in the field for 117.4 overs, eventually ending South Africa's first innings just 20 minutes into the opening session as Kagiso Rabada fell on 21 before Lungi Ngidi's four-ball duck.
That same pair of Rabada and Ngidi asked questions of Mikyle Louis and Kraigg Braithwaite with the new ball, yet the Windies openers reached an unbeaten half-century stand with little trouble.
The visiting Proteas turned to Maharaj's spin as early as the 13th over, reaping the rewards as the left-arm spinner ripped through Louis' defence to remove the opener on 35 with the last ball before lunch.
Rain caused a lengthy delay to follow but that stoppage proved fruitful as Wiaan Mulder ran out Braithwaite, on 35, before Maharaj removed Keacy Carty for 42 and Alick Athanaze on just three.
Maharaj bowled 28 straight overs throughout a battling day and hopes South Africa can capitalise with the West Indies on 145-5, some 212 runs behind the visitors' first-innings total of 357.
"When the ball goes in the outfield, it becomes a bit soft and doesn't react much," Maharaj said at stumps. "We have been trying to keep it as dry as possible.
"There is not much off the wicket. I have been trying to use different paces, and various trajectories but only the odd ball is reacting.
"But when you bowl in the right channel for a long time in Test cricket, it does pay dividends."
Kavem Hodge and Jason Holder will hope to provide further resistance when play begins on Saturday in Port of Spain.
Hetmyer’s 44 not enough to prevent London Spirit from going down by 12 to Manchester Originals
Shimron Hetmyer’s 44 wasn’t enough to prevent the London Spirit from going down by 12 runs to the Manchester Originals in the Men’s Hundred at Lord’s on Friday.
The Originals, after being inserted by the Spirit, made 135-5 from their 100 balls thanks to 58 from Captain Phil Salt and 38 from Max Holden.
Pacers Richard Gleeson and Olly Stone took two wickets, each, for the Spirit while Andre Russell went wicketless while conceding only 14 from his 10 deliveries.
The Spirit then fell just short of their target, reaching 123-5 from their 100 balls.
Opener Keaton Jennings led the way with 61* off 50 balls while Hetmyer, batting at five, made 44 off 35 balls including three fours and a six.
Fazalhaq Farooqi took 3-24 from 20 balls for the Originals.
This result means the Spirit, like their opponents, have no chance to advance to the knockout phase of the tournament.
This was the Originals’ first win in six games while the Spirit have a similar record and are one spot above them in the eight-team table.
Nortje, Shamsi to replace injured Thushara, Hasaranga for St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots
The St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots will be without the services of the Sri Lankan pair Wanindu Hasaranga and Nuwan Thushara for the 2024 Caribbean Premier League as both players suffered injuries during Sri Lanka’s recent white-ball series against India.
While Thushara missed the entire series with a finger injury, Hasaranga played all three T20Is and the first ODI before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The Patriots have signed the South African pair Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortje as replacements.
Nortje is yet to make his CPL debut while Shamsi has played 32 games, including 27 for the Patriots.
Shamsi has taken 33 wickets in those matches for Patriots at an economy rate of 7.06.
Nortje and Shamsi will join South African teammate Tristan Stubbs on A Patriots side that finished last in CPL 2023 with just a solitary win in ten games.
The Patriots open their 2024 campaign against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons on August 29 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Full Squad: Kyle Mayers, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Sikandar Raza, Anrich Nortje, Andre Fletcher, Tristan Stubbs, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Odean Smith, Joshua da Silva, Veerasammy Permaul, Ryan John, Ashmead Nedd, Johann Layne
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