Day 1 of the 3rd Test between England and the West Indies: Tailenders’ 90-run last stand saves England
On the opening day of their series-deciding Test against West Indies on Thursday; Tailenders Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood pulled England to a face-saving 204 all out at stumps.
When England was 114-9 after tea, Mahmood, the No. 11 batsman, joined Leach, the No. 10 batsman. They were supposed to start bowling at the home team right away.
But they persisted, frustrating the West Indies by combining for 90 valuable runs in 36.2 overs; England’s best last-wicket partnership in eight years. The next-best partnership for the side was 24 for the ninth wicket.
They saved England from a humiliating defeat by being the team’s top batters. With two balls left in the day, Mahmood, playing his second test and batting for the first time, was last man out for 49, while Leach piled up his second best test score, an undefeated 41.
Both gave the West Indies one difficult chance to be caught Leach on 10 before tea; Mahmood on 15 before defending calmly and confidently to strike back. Mahmood smashed the first six of his first-class career on the next ball after his drop. In his 49 from 118 balls, he hit four boundaries.
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In his 41 from 141, Leach hit five boundaries.
When they came together, England was in shambles.
For the third straight test, the West Indies won the toss and bowled first; but on a livelier pitch than the flat tracks that resulted in draws in Antigua and Barbados.
West Indies had three England wickets by lunchtime, including skipper Joe Root, who was bowled for a duck. He was bowled by batting allrounder Kyle Mayers, who had been called in to shore up the batting in place of specialist spinner Veerasammy Permaul.
Mayers finished his first stint at medium pace with the astounding numbers of 5-5-0-2, tying Mike Atherton for the most ducks as England captain eight.
In the middle session, England lost three wickets in three overs and was reduced to 5-37 as the West Indies seamers ran riot.
Alzarri Joseph caught and bowled Ben Stokes, and Alex Lees and Jonny Bairstow both gave Kemar Roach and Joseph thin edges.
Ben Foakes’ middle stump was knocked over by Jayden Seales, while Craig Overton’s off stump was smashed by Roach.
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At 90-8, Leach came in and assisted Chris Woakes in getting England to tea, with Woakes being bowled for 25 by Seales the next delivery.
Then, with the new ball, Leach and Mahmood handily overcame a West Indies team that had flagged with the old ball, even when the host side’s morale and bowling improved in the last 10 overs.
The WI, on the other hand, had more reason to be optimistic. Mahmood was bothered when he played over the line to part-timer spinner J Blackwood and cut onto his stumps.