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• Windies Player of the Series Jayden Seales reflects on comeback and success with Sussex after 3-0 series loss to England

  Despite the West Indies' 3-0 series defeat to England, fast bowler Jayden Seales emerged as a standout performer, earning the Player of the Series award for his team. Seales, who recently returned to international cricket after a long injury layoff, expressed his pride in representing the West Indies once more and highlighted the role playing for Sussex played in his successful return.

  Seales, who took 13 wickets in the three-match Test series at an average of 27.23, spoke about the significance of his comeback. "I'm proud of being able to represent the West Indies again. Coming back and doing well for the team is rewarding. I'm just looking to improve going forward," he said.

  Reflecting on his time with Sussex, Seales noted that it was instrumental in preparing him for the series against England. "Playing for Sussex was great. It allowed me to understand the conditions and how they can help me. The experience was invaluable," he added.

  Seales joined Sussex in early April and impressed with his performance, taking 24 wickets in six matches, including two five-wicket hauls, at an average of 24.25. His stint in English county cricket undoubtedly played a role in his readiness for the West Indies tour of England.

  "England's attacking approach was tough at times. They take opportunities to score if you give them a chance, so you have to be on it all the time," Seales remarked about the challenges he faced against England's aggressive batting lineup.

  Despite the series loss, Seales remains optimistic about the future of the West Indies bowling attack. "I think once we grow and learn, we can be a force to be reckoned with," he said. "The body is not too bad, just trying to get some recovery in and looking forward to the series against South Africa at home."

  Seales' journey back to the West Indies squad began after he was sidelined with a knee injury in December 2022. His impressive performance for Sussex earned him a recall, and during the series against England, he reached a personal milestone by picking up his 50th Test wicket.

  While the series result was disappointing for the West Indies, Seales' performance provided a bright spot and a glimpse of the potential within the team. His contributions will be crucial as the West Indies prepare for their upcoming series against South Africa, where Seales hopes to continue his upward trajectory and help his team achieve success.

   

   

• Wood reveals Anderson inspiration before five-wicket haul

  Mark Wood revealed how a "great conversation" with James Anderson helped inspire his blistering wicket haul in England's final Test against West Indies.

  The Durham bowler took five wickets in a single spell for the first time in his Test career, as the hosts completed the 3-0 series sweep at Edgbaston.

  Wood, who had struggled to break through during the morning on day three of the third Test, was a man on a mission after lunch, dismissing five West Indies batsmen in just 21 balls for the loss of only nine runs.

  With the Windies bowled out for 175, Ben Stokes hit the quickest half-century by an England player in Test history to seal a commanding victory.

  And Wood said his fortunes in the crease changed following words of wisdom from his recently retired former team-mate.

  "I was in a bit of a bad fettle actually at lunch, and I was wondering if it was something I was doing wrong or if I wasn't quite getting the right length," he said.

  "I had a great conversation with Jimmy [Anderson], and a couple of the other backroom staff, and he just said, rather than thinking about the outcome, to start thinking about the skill element.

  "That first wicket gave me a lot of confidence, and I was able to push on from there."

  "I think that's one of the best reverse swing performances I've seen in a long time," Stokes added. "I know bowling at 93 miles per hour is tough, but when it is reverse swinging as well, it's going to be even tougher."

  Meanwhile, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite was left to rue another disappointing Test from his side.

  "It was a tough series," he said. "We didn't show a lot of discipline with the ball. We let them off the hook a lot of times, and they were scoring way too fast. We didn't get enough second-innings runs in the last two Test matches."

• Windies captain Brathwaite critical of team's performance after 10-wicket loss to England at Edgbaston

  West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite acknowledged that his team's first innings score was below par and pointed out their lack of consistency following their 10-wicket loss to England at Edgbaston on Sunday. This defeat, which occurred inside three days, resulted in a series sweep for England.

   In the opening innings, West Indies posted a total of 282, with Brathwaite contributing 61 and Jason Holder 59. However, England responded strongly with a total of 376, bolstered by significant contributions from Ollie Smith (95), Joe Root (87), Chris Woakes (62), and Ben Stokes (54). Alzarri Joseph (4-122) and Jayden Seales (3-79) were the pick of the West Indies bowlers.

   Reflecting on the performance, Brathwaite remarked, "For sure, looking back, it wasn't enough runs. It was a better pitch than 280, but we showed good discipline. It's tough to take. We weren't as disciplined with the ball as we should have been to put a batting team under pressure for long periods. We have to improve on that."

   Brathwaite further emphasized the need for his team to focus on consistency and execution. "We weren't as consistent as we needed to be, didn't hit the top-of-off area long enough. You give the batsmen momentum. We need to get back to where we were in Australia, hitting the top of off," he said.

   Despite their struggles, Brathwaite highlighted the positive aspects of the team's performance. "We never gave up, always came back and fought. Kavem Hodge got his hundred, and we got first-innings totals. Jayden took wickets, and Motie as well. We need more cricket; playing against good players, you will improve. So I'm excited for the series against South Africa. We've got to have the right attitude and consistency."

   West Indies' second innings saw a collapse, managing only 175 runs. Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge both scored half-centuries, but their efforts were overshadowed by Mark Wood's exceptional post-lunch spell. Wood took five wickets for 40 runs, finishing with figures of 5 for 40 from 14 overs, adding to his 2 for 52 from the first innings. His spell dismantled the West Indies batting lineup, leaving them with a paltry lead of 81 runs.

   England's chase was swift and decisive. With Zak Crawley injured, Ben Stokes opened the innings and delivered a blistering 57 off 28 balls, while Ben Duckett contributed 25 off 16. They chased down the target in just 7.2 overs, securing a 3-0 series sweep for England.

   Brathwaite expressed optimism for the upcoming series against South Africa, emphasizing the need for growth and improvement. "Looking forward to [SA Tests], because we have to see growth and improvement. Hit the top of off, stayed committed with the bat. Then we'll see improvements."