Roach stars as Windies bowl England out for 77

VIEW MATCH CENTRE

A stunning display of fast bowling from the home side’s quicks left England shell-shocked, collapsing from 30/1 at lunch to 77 all out – their fourth-lowest Test total against the Windies.

The day began with the Windies on 264/8, looking to recover from the new-ball damage wrecked by James Anderson the previous evening. Some stern defensive resistance from Alzarri Joseph allowed for Shimron Hetmyer (81) to add some runs, taking the Windies total to 289. Anderson finished the innings with a five-wicket haul to his name, his 27th in Test match cricket.

The England pair of Rory Burns and Keaton Jennings enjoyed a watchful start until Jennings (17) departed before lunch, an unconvincing drive at Holder seeing the ball travel safely into the hands of Shai Hope at gully.

It was a disappointing blow for the visitors but it is unlikely they envisaged what was to unfurl over the course of the second session. Kemar Roach was the deadliest bowler on show after the break, with Rory Burns (2) dragging the ball onto his stumps, before Bairstow (12) fell victim to the seamer, the ball flicking off his elbow and rattling the timbers.

Joe Root (4) timed a lovely cover drive but that was the only damage he caused with the bat, Holder catching him plumb on his crease with one that nipped back into the right-hander. Ben Stokes’ (0) pads were rapped by another Roach thunderbolt and although the England all rounder went for a review, the ball was shown to be clipping the bails.

Moeen Ali (0) followed the next ball, a swish across the line seeing a top-edge fly to Joseph at fine-leg. While Roach missed out on a hat-trick, Jos Buttler (4) proved unable to handle some more short-ball venom from the live-wire paceman. Sam Curran (14) and Adil Rashid (12) offered some eye-catching boundaries, but England crumbled to gift the Windies a 212-run lead, Roach finishing with figures of 5/17, his ninth Test five-for.

The Windies openers impressed, putting on a 52-run partnership before the home side displayed their own potential for a collapse. Moeen and Stokes combined from each end to have the Windies fall from 52/0 to 61/5, the off-spinner finding turn and bounce while the fast bowler looked to build on his four-wicket haul in the first innings.

Any hopeful thoughts of an English comeback were put to bed by the striking power of Hetmyer, batting for the second time in the day. The left-hander was at his counter-attacking best, ably supported by Shane Dowrich (27*). The introduction of Adil Rashid into the bowling attack was music to the ears of Hetmyer, who swept the leg-spinners third ball for six over midwicket, before finishing the over with a smashing hit through cover for four.

Although Hetmyer (31) departed to the bowling of Curran as the end of the day approached, the Windies will be overjoyed by the state of the game, currently holding a lead of 339 runs.