This, as the World Test Championship table would attest, is not a battle between two outstanding sides. But after two days, a fine, undulating Test match is bubbling nicely.
At the end of a slow day, on which eight wickets fell and five short bursts of rain interrupted play (with the last of them bringing a close six overs early), West Indies are 109 behind, with six first innings wickets in hand.
Both sides will still have designs on what could prove a vital lead at the halfway stage. West Indies have their fifth wicket pair of Nkrumah Bonner and Jason Holder (not for the first time in the former captain’s case) to thank for ther position in the game.
After a roistering opening stand of 83 inside 20 overs from Kraigg Brathwaite – the unlikely dasher – and John Campbell, they lost four quick wickets in careless fashion.
That most of the wickets were gifts will have frustrated the Windies. Campbell, having played with panache, gloved Craig Overton’s long hop down the legside, then Brathwaite had a wild yahoo at Mark Wood, and was taken in the gully.
Shamarh Brooks was injudicious outside off stump too, giving Ben Stokes a wicket. He is supposed to be used sparingly, but his first spell lasted six overs, and was excellent.
The fourth wicket fell to Chris Woakes, who had a difficult day, filling James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s boots. The openers pounced on any mistakes with the new ball, and at one stage the game was flying away from Woakes, as he went at six an over. By the close, he had the rate back below five, but would still have been disappointed.
Cross winds made bowling difficulty, but Woakes did little to change his reputation as an English specialist. In his third spell, it would have been a huge relief when, on review, Jermaine Blackwood was given out caught off bat and pad at gully. At that stage, England felt right on top.
It was to be Woakes’ – and England’s – last success, though, and he ended the day with Ben Foakes standing up to the stumps. The pitch is slow, but West Indies have managed to get a bit more from the ball than England. Wood was the best of the seamers, and found some reverse swing (with Blackwood dropped by Ben Foakes off the inside edge), but conventional swing was in short supply with the new ball for Woakes, who – like Overton – was not as accurate as he needs to be.
One England bowler to emerge with credit – but go wicketless – was Jack Leach. He was into the attack before the ball was 10 overs old, and Campbell and Brathwaite attacked him. But his run rate was soon below two and he bowled seven maidens on the spin. Defence in the first innings is a very good start for Leach as England enter a new era.
England had been profligate in the morning – with bat and ball. They added 43 to their overnight 268 for six, 31 of those runs coming from Bairstow, who was eventually last man out for 140 – his highest Test score since his remarkable 2016.
That took England past 300 for the first time in 13 innings - dating back to the Headingley Test in August. But there were some wasteful moments.
Mark Wood was out slogging, and Bairstow fell in similar fashion when there was little option left. Chris Woakes and Craig Overton were prised out pretty tamely in the space of three balls from the sharp from Jayden Seales.
Still, there felt plenty for England to be pleased with. They had recovered excellently from 48 for four, and Bairstow’s was a fine innings they hope will signal the beginning of a concerted revival.
Perhaps that optimism is what made the poor bowling performance before lunch disappointing. West Indies reached the break on 44 without loss and, towards the end of the day, produced a similarly dominant period with the watchful Bonner and Holder. That pair played without fuss to ride out some fine bowling and restart between rain delays.
They remain a long way behind and have a long tail, but – after two very sturdy partnerships – felt the happier of the two teams.
