Brathwaite and Blackwood put England to the sword with twin centuries

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The West Indies captain and vice-captain stepped up for their side in the reply to England’s mammoth 507/9 declared, batting together for 411 balls in an outstanding 183-run partnership that put the tourists’ attack under huge strain.

Brathwaite, whose resolute century was his tenth in Test cricket, remained unbeaten on 109 at the close.

And nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph will re-join him in the middle on the fourth morning after the late dismissal of Blackwood to part-timer Dan Lawrence for 102.

West Indies had resumed on 71/1, still 436 runs behind. And the pattern for the morning was set early as England spinner Jack Leach twirled away from one end and the seamers rotating from the other.

It was Leach who was handed the initial breakthrough, with Shamarh Brooks plinking a short ball straight to Chris Woakes at point, ending what had been a promising 39-run knock.

And Nkrumah Bonner joined Brooks back in the pavilion when he was trapped in-front by Ben Stokes for a 33-ball nine. The West Indies centurion from Antigua reviewed, but the original decision stood as the ball crept past the edge and clipped the top of middle on DRS.

Jermaine Blackwood survived through until lunch to leave West Indies 114/3 after a relatively slow morning, with captain Brathwaite still out in the middle on 44*.

West Indies enjoyed the better of the afternoon session, despite Leach getting turn and Saqib Mahmood finding some reverse swing with the old ball.

Blackwood had been reprieved when England and Stokes opted against a review, with replays showing that the not-out lbw decision would have been overturned.

But the West Indies vice-captain, alongside his skipper, forged an excellent partnership throughout the afternoon.

Brathwaite reached 50 shortly after the restart, and a fluent Blackwood reached a fine half-century of his own shortly before tea.

England took the new ball at the earliest possible opportunity, with Woakes leading the attack and Leach given the chance to try and extract some extra turn and bounce from the fresh cherry at the other.

But Brathwaite (79*) and Blackwood (50*) were still there at tea, with the score at 196/3.

England thought they had the breakthrough they’d been desperately striving for when Mahmood cleaned up Blackwood with a beauty after the break, a dipping yorker that castled the timber.

But the debutant had over-stepped, handing Blackwood a reprieve, and extending the seamer's wait for a first Test-match wicket.

And captain Brathwaite brought up his hard-earned century with a steer behind square for two, reaching his tenth Test hundred off 278 balls.

As the day drew on and heads began to get hot, a protracted war of words between Blackwood and Stokes led to the umpires getting involved and talking to the England bowler.

But Blackwood kept his composure in the face of the vocal pressure and moved on towards his hundred, reaching it with a clever cut wide of slip.

It was the 30-year-old’s third Test century and his second against England, coming a full six years after his first.

England did finally break the 183-run partnership, but it wasn’t one of the five frontline bowlers who got the wicket, but part-timer Lawrence, whose turning delivery fooled Blackwood and had him trapped plumb in-front.

Nightwatchman Joseph saw his team through to the close, and West Indies will resume on 288/4 after a superb day with the bat, but still 219 short of England’s first-innings score with two days of the Test remaining.