Chancy Root leads England fightback

Joe Root, the England captain, made the most of another let-off to help England wipe off a tall deficit on day three of the second Test against the West Indies at Headingley.

Trailing by 169 runs in the first innings after the visitors had amassed an impressive 427 on Sunday, England was 171 for 3 in its second innings at stumps, a lead of two runs.

Put down on 10 at gully, Root was unbeaten on 45 on his Yorkshire home ground, while Dawid Malan kept him company on 21. The two had put on 77 for the fourth wicket.

Jason Holder, the Windies captain and pace-bowling all-rounder who had earlier made a valuable 43, captured the key wicket of Alastair Cook and removed Tom Westley on his way to figures of 2 for 44 in 17 overs.

Cook and Mark Stoneman started steadily, though the latter did hit three fours off as many balls from Kemar Roach.

The more defensive Cook, England's all-time leading Test run-scorer, was dismissed for 23 to end a stand of 58 as Holder, maintaining an excellent line and length, eventually found the left-hand batsman's outside edge and had him caught behind.

Westley, the No. 3, should have been run out for six after a mix-up with Stoneman, but failed to cash in when he was caught behind for eight, driving loosely at Holder.

Stoneman, struck on the left hand by Holder when 35, completed his maiden Test fifty in his third innings. He was bowled soon after for 52 by an excellent delivery from Shannon Gabriel that pitched in line and hit off-stump to leave England on 94 for 3.

Malan had a lucky break on four when the Windies opted against reviewing a caught behind appeal off Gabriel that was turned down, technology indicating a thin edge.

By then, the Windies had dropped Root early in his innings for the second time in the match when he fended at Roach, only for Kyle Hope to floor the chance.

Root, dropped on eight on his way to 59 in England's first-innings 258, soon imposed himself with fours off Holder and Roach.

The Windies’ batting display was a stunning turnaround, given it had been dismissed for just 168 and 137 during an innings and 209-run defeat at Edgbaston in the first match of the series.

It resumed on 329 for 5, a lead of 71, only for James Anderson to take two wickets in two balls as Shai Hope was caught behind for his overnight 147 to end a brilliant maiden Test century, and Shane Dowrich was held by second slip Root.

Anderson led the attack with 5 for 76 and ended the innings just three wickets away from becoming the first England bowler to take 500 wickets in Tests.

But Holder, who survived Anderson's hat-trick ball, and Jermaine Blackwood, who made 49 after being dropped on 21, frustrated England with an eighth-wicket stand of 75, as they extended the tourist's lead beyond 100.