The West Indies close the third day at 288-4, cutting England’s lead in the second Test to 219 runs after centuries for Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood, who was saved by England without review and was brought down by Saqib Mahmood off the ball with 65
Ben Stokes could have picked Jermaine Blackwood for a duck if England had used a review on a lbw holler
Spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel feels England paid a heavy price for the two mistakes they made in a difficult third day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
England took just three wickets on the day as they toiled for 90 overs on day three, with Kraigg Brathwaite (109th) and Jermaine Blackwood (102nd) scoring centuries as the West Indies closed the day at 288-4, still trailing by 219. careers .
Things started on a positive note for the tourists when Jack Leach converted on a loose shot from Shamarh Brooks (39) and Ben Stokes picked up Nkrumah Bonner (9) for a disputed lbw decision in the morning session.
Stokes should have picked Blackwood for a duck too, but England did not review his lbw appeal when DRS would have confirmed the cry. And Saqib Mahmood bowled Blackwood for 65, only to have his first Test wicket overturned because he stepped out of line and hit a no-ball with his front foot.
“You look at those moments and we made two mistakes today,” Patel said. “We didn’t check a lbw that was probably out and then there was the no-ball.
“But if we only make two mistakes a day, we are doing well.
“Nobody wants those stories. It’s not good for Saqib, but I’m sure he’ll learn his lesson in the future.”
“We did a lot of good things and we hope to come back with the same attitude and effort.”
While the chances of a second straight tie in the three-game series increased considerably over the course of another bat-versus-ball-dominated day, Patel saw glimmers of optimism and believes there are small signs that conditions are changing.
“I still think there’s a chance, everyone saw it move at times,” he said.
“There’s a little bit of bouncing up and down, a little bit of spin, a little bit of back — I think there’s a huge opportunity to move this game forward. I wouldn’t say it spins anymore, but it’s drying up at the top.”
Blackwood continued his happy ability to challenge England, a team against whom he is now averaging 45.77 in Test Cricket against a career mark of 30.66. He scored a second hundred against Joe Root’s side, having scored just one in his other 34 Test caps.
Blackwood shared a few words in the middle with Stokes at one point, and referee Joel Wilson finally stepped in and tried to take the heat out of the exchanges.
“For a long time, Ben Stokes has liked coming to me,” Blackwood said. “It’s a bit of a joke, I love it.
“I think that’s good for cricket. I have no problem with it and it also boosts my confidence.”
“Every time I hear someone speak and come towards me, it makes me focus more, so I’m really glad he did that.”
West Indies and England will resume the second Test at 2pm UK time on Saturday. Follow the text commentary one after another from 1:45pm on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.
