ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – A pumped-up West Indies were scenting a rare series victory after Joshua Da Silva struck an exceptional maiden hundred and Kyle Mayers followed up with a magical five-wicket haul, to put England on the ropes in the decisive third Test here yesterday.
Resuming the third day at the National Stadium on 232 for eight, West Indies climbed to 297 all out thanks to the 23-year-old Da Silva, who fashioned a supremely confident unbeaten 100, earning the home side an invaluable 93-run first innings lead.
Mayers, in his first match of the series, then turned the contest on its head by snatching five for nine from 13 overs with his under-rated medium pace, scything through the England innings to leave it in ruins at 103 for eight at the close – the visitors ahead by only 10 runs heading into today’s penultimate day.
Left-handed opener Alex Lees made an attritional 31 and Jonny Bairstow chipped in with 22 but the pair were the only ones to make it to double figures.
West Indies have beaten England in a series only once in the last 12 years and needing just two wickets to wrap up the touring side’s innings, will fancy their chances of a victory today.
“Hopefully we can [wrap up the innings] as quickly as possible and not let it slip away like we did in the first innings,” Da Silva said.
“We’ve definitely got to keep the pressure on and not let it slip away. That’s most important. Just get the wickets and get the runs down as quickly as possible but work hard at the same time and stay patient.”
None of the drama that unfolded was envisioned when Da Silva stretched his overnight ninth wicket stand with Kemar Roach to 68 before adding a further 52 for the last wicket with close friend and Trinidadian club teammate Jayden Seales (13).
Roach, unbeaten on 25 at the start, failed to add when he brushed leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Ben Roakes off a short ball from pacer Saqib Mahmood (2-45) in the fifth over but Seales arrived to further frustrate England, occupying the crease for 59 balls and nearly two hours.
When Roach fell, Da Silva was still well adrift of three figures on 65 but Seales repelled England’s attack to ensure his partner reached his landmark safely.
Unbeaten on 54 overnight, the unflappable Da Silva showed little sign of aggression before suddenly changing gears, with the half-hour extension to the session before lunch.
He drove left-arm spinner Jack Leach to the cover boundary and then slog-swept for another four in the same over to move to 90, before marching to his hundred in style, two overs later.
Da Silva guided seamer Craig Overton (2-81) behind point for a brace, drilled the next delivery to the cover boundary before slapping the following ball for a straight four to reach three figures.
Following an emotional celebration, he nicked the very next delivery behind, reviewed the decision more out of trivia than sincerity and walked off – along with the England players – believing he was out.
However, DRS subsequently overturned the decision, forcing Da Silva to return to the crease but the innings lasted only another four deliveries before Seales drove a return high return catch to part-time off-spinner Joe Root.
All told, Da Silva faced 257 deliveries in just shy of six hours at the crease and struck ten fours.
Beginning their second innings after lunch, England lost Zak Crawley for eight in the fourth over, edging Seales to Jason Holder at second slip with 14 runs on the board, before the impressive Mayers unveiled his magic in a maiden Test five-wicket haul.
He claimed the prized wicket of captain Joe Root with only his third ball for the second time in the game, caught head high at first slip by John Campbell for five, 45 minutes after lunch and was in action again in his next over, Dan Lawrence shouldering arms to one that nipped back to hit the outside off-stump to depart without scoring.
With tea approaching, Mayers grabbed another key wicket when left-hander Ben Stokes attempted to leave alone but feathered a catch behind to stand-in gloveman Shamarh Brooks, who replaced the injured Da Silva for the last five overs before the interval.
Tottering on 43 for four at the break, England fared little better despite Lees and Bairstow adding 41 for the fifth over, to keep West Indies without success in the first hour.
Alzarri Joseph eventually got the breakthrough in the third over after drinks, Bairstow playing an ill-advised cross-batted shot and edging behind to Da Silva.
In the same over, Ben Foakes (2) found himself short at the striker’s end hunting a second run – beaten by Mayers’s razor-sharp return to Da Silva – and Lees’s near 3-¾ hour vigil ended when he lost his off-stump to one from Mayers which kept low.
The Barbadian then wrapped up his five-wicket haul when Holder pouched Overton (1) on the third attempt at third slip in the fourth over before the close.
