(CMC) – An all too familiar storyline played out at Lord’s yesterday as the West Indies suffered a first innings batting implosion to find themselves already battling for survival following the opening day of the first Test.
Carved open by a seven-wicket haul by debutant speedster Gus Atkinson (7-45), the Caribbean side were rolled over for 121 about 50 minutes before tea to post their third lowest total at the historic venue in north-west London.
Opener Mikyle Louis sparkled briefly on his debut for his top score of 27, while fellow rookies Kavem Hodge (24) and Alick Athanaze (23) got starts, but no other batsman passed 20 as the West Indies collapsed from 88 for three after lunch to lose their last seven wickets for 33 runs.
England’s batsmen then quickly gave them command of the contest, Zak Crawley (76) and Ollie Pope (57) pummeling half-centuries to lift the hosts to 189 for three at the close – a lead of 68 runs.
Seamer Jayden Seales, in his first Test for 19 months, led the West Indies attack with two for 31, getting the key wicket of top-scorer Crawley.
“I think they were fairly bowling-friendly conditions prior to and just after lunch, and added to that, I think England really exploited the conditions really well,” said West Indies assistant coach, Jimmy Adams.
“They were consistent, they got the ball to swing, they didn’t give us many free-bees, and maybe [there was] a little bit of inexperience on our part as well, so I think it was a combination of those issues.”
Louis looked the part in becoming the first Test cricketer from St Kitts, punching four fours and a six – an audacious whip over backward square off seamer Chris Woakes – as he dominated a 34-run opening stand with captain Kraigg Brathwaite (6).
With the first hour approaching, Brathwaite played on to a wide delivery from Atkinson to mar the occasion of his 90th Test, and his dismissal triggered a slide where three wickets tumbled for 10 runs.
Left-hander Kirk McKenzie (1) gave Atkinson his second wicket when he edged to Crawley at second slip, and Louis perished with the lunch interval in sight, taken low down at third slip by Harry Brook off captain and medium pacer Ben Stokes.
Hodge and Athanaze then combined in the best stand of the innings, putting on 44 for the fourth wicket to take the West Indies to lunch on 61 without further loss and deny England any immediate success after the resumption.
The right-handed Hodge faced 48 balls in just over an hour and struck three fours and a six, while left-hander Athanaze counted three fours in just under an hour at the crease.
Atkinson broke the stand then upended the innings altogether when he removed Athanaze and all-rounder Jason Holder in successive deliveries before also prising out wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva in the same over.
Athanaze squirted a straightforward catch to Joe Root at first slip, Holder edged to Brook at third slip after being squared up, while Da Silva inside-edged a catch to debutant wicketkeeper Jamie Smith also without scoring.
Tottering on 88 for seven, there was no recovery for the West Indies, even though Alzarri Joseph struck a few lofty blows in a nine-ball 17.
West Indies hit back before tea; however, with Seales getting Ben Duckett (3) to edge a drive behind in the final over before the interval with 29 on the board.
But Crawley dominated, belting 14 fours in an 89-ball knock as he put on 94 for the second wicket with Pope, who faced 74 deliveries and counted 11 boundaries.
Holder eventually hit Pope in front, and Crawley added a further 30 for the third with Joe Root (15 not out) before having his leg stump pegged back by a Seales yorker.
Brook arrived to deny the West Indies any further success, stroking an unbeaten 25 off 29 deliveries in a 36-run, unbroken fourth wicket stand with Root.
