Insipid with the new ball but at least determined thereafter, England began life on the road without Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad and on a stop-start second day of this first Test they required the generosity of their hosts for the incisions that came their way.
When the latest in a succession of squally showers brought the close, West Indies were 202 for four from 66.5 overs, 109 runs behind after Jonny Bairstow’s eventual 140 had helped England stick 311 on the board first up. Nkrumah Bonner, the late-blooming Jamaican No 4, was 34 not out from 103 balls, while Jason Holder responded to his elevation to No 6 with typical diligence and an unbeaten 43 from 104.
Though Anderson and Broad operating in tandem away from home may be one veteran too many these days, England’s decision to omit both from this tour has cast a long shadow over their replacements. It has also left Joe Root, a captain in desperate need of results after just one win from his last 14 matches, with no bankers.
It would be too soon to draw hard conclusions but against weaker opposition than the Australia side that forced this drastic change, this was a disappointing start. Chris Woakes, now the leader of the attack, found a consistent line elusive and went at four and a half runs an over for his one wicket, while Craig Overton is hardworking but not as skilful as Ollie Robinson, whose back spasms opened up the spot.
Instead it was the Durham pairing of Mark Wood and Ben Stokes who looked likeliest, enjoying reverse and conventional swing respectively. That said, the latter’s deployment for nine overs raised eyebrows after the pre-match chat that his return from a side strain would need him to be used sparingly. Root had little choice.
Both did manage to stem the flow. So too Jack Leach, who looks to have a first-innings plan and drift from the Caribbean breeze. In Bonner and Holder they met stiff, orthodox resistance. The latter’s double century in Barbados three years ago remains burned on English retina but West Indies (in theory) have a long tail and also bat last. As such, day three will begin pregnant with possibilities.
The names of Anderson and Broad cannot have been far from the lips of the travelling supporters at lunch as they made their way to the various bars and jerk shacks that line the grass banks on either side of the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. West Indies had won the first session, knocking over the final four English wickets for a cost of 43 runs – Bairstow was the last man out to a fine swirling catch from Holder before rightly lapping up the applause – with the openers Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell then cruising to 44 for no loss in the space of 10 overs.
England had at least passed 300 for the first time in 10 innings this winter. That said, this slightly meagre milestone was achieved thanks to Holder putting down a much simpler chance off his own bowling when Bairstow had 126 after Jayden Seales had removed Woakes (28) and Overton (0) in the space of three deliveries.
But the response that followed was not inspiring, Root forced to use four bowlers before the interval as Woakes and Overton struggled to replicate their decorated forebears. The analysts at CricViz had this down as England’s third least threatening new-ball burst in the past decade but good old eyesight was enough here.
Needless to say Anderson and Broad were in situ for the two ranked lower but on a couple of heartbreaking pitches at the MCG and the SCG during the 2017-18 Ashes tour; this surface, though slow, did offer a bit of nibble with the harder ball when West Indies bowled and the Dukes ball, though different to that in England, does swing.
This creeping dread continued into the early afternoon, Brathwaite shedding his barnacle tag with the fastest of his 33 scores above 50 in Test cricket. Last year one of the horses he owns, War Eagle, claimed victory in the 81st Barbados Derby and the West Indies captain flew out of the traps himself here, drilling seven fours and one booming straight six off Leach that shocked all who have followed his career.
England had hit the session with fresh energy, at least, and though not every move from Root made sense – such as Woakes bowling from the Sir Curtly Ambrose End, when the breeze was going against his outswinger – they went on to take four precious wickets through some limp batting from their hosts. First came a gift from Campbell, the aggressive Jamaican left-hander who had the temerity to ramp Anderson three years ago. He had just pulled Overton for a thundering four to reach 35, only to then glove a slightly shorter delivery from the Somerset man down leg. Then went Brathwaite, reaching for a wide, albeit 91mph, delivery from Wood that was almost guided to Overton at gully like it was catching practice.
Stokes then teased an edge to slip off Shamarh Brooks on 18, getting away swing from the Sir Andy Roberts End and meeting a loose drive. And though Ben Foakes had put down Jermaine Blackwood off Wood on nought – a tough one-handed chance down to his left from an inside edge – Woakes soon ended a personally chastening session with an inside edge off the Jamaican that flew to gully off the thigh pad. West Indies were 127 for four at tea and still 184 runs in arrears.
But in between cloudbursts during the evening session, Bonner and Holder gutsed it out and the ball went soft. No chance was offered in their unbroken stand of 75 that was mindful of Leach in particular; along with an economy under two, the left-armer got the odd one to grip in a way that augurs well for England come the fourth innings.
