On day four in Barbados, the second draw of the series seems a safe bet, which would set up a decider in Grenada. Perhaps there will be a tumble of wickets, but few are holding their breath.
Those results mean it is unsurprising that it has been a good series for England’s batters, and a tough one for their seamers. That is a break from recent tradition and is not totally unwelcome, with Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence particularly provided opportunities to rack up big scores early in their career.
For Grenada, England will be piecing together what remains of their attack. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad were ignored before the tour, while Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Olly Stone and Sam Curran are injured. Ollie Robinson and Craig Overton should be available again after injury and illness respectively, but who knows how Chris Woakes, Matt Fisher and Saqib Mahmood will pull up after another long spell in the field.
If the pitch is anything like what we have seen in Antigua and Barbados, it is time for England to take what they would consider a radical option and play two spinners, handing a debut to Matt Parkinson.
Jack Leach is having a decent tour, although has not bowled quite as accurately in Barbados as he did in Antigua. He has enjoyed the tranche of right-handers in the West Indies’ top order, and has kept things extremely tight; his economy is below two. He would like more than the seven wickets he has taken (just three have been in the first innings), but he had chances missed in Antigua and has been consistent. It is right that he is England’s first-choice spinner.
On pitches that their seamers – Ben Stokes aside – have got so little from, they need another. With Leach capable of bowling so many overs, two seamers plus Stokes, who looks so much fitter than he did in Australia, is plenty.
Which two depends on exact conditions and who is fit, but it seems reasonable to expect Chris Woakes to miss out. England wanted answers about Woakes overseas on this tour. They have them. Handing him the new ball has not improved things, sadly. And, with runs easier to come by for the top order, the batting ability of the bowlers should not come into consideration.
Parkinson has trudged around the globe with England in the last couple of years, mixing drinks whatever the format. He has played nine white-ball internationals, and done pretty well. Now is the time to add a Test debut, and there are short and long term reasons for his selection.
England have an inherent mistrust of legspin. Adil Rashid played just 19 Tests, and Mason Crane (whose red-ball cricket is on the up) was given one in 2018. And, at times, they have appeared to mistrust Parkinson too; he did not even get a game for the Lions in Australia, where he and other second string players were left feeling a little listless.
But they are desperate for wickets – they had just six by the time they took the third new ball in Barbados – and Parkinson would add another attacking string to their bow.
Looking further ahead, it would be a decent favour for Interim Head Coach Paul Collingwood to do for the man who gets the job full time in the next couple of months. England go to Pakistan at the end of this year and, as Australia have learnt this month, will need two spinners on more flat pitches.
Moeen Ali has retired, it would be a pleasant surprise to see Rashid play much more first-class cricket, and Dom Bess just needs to get some cricket under his belt with Yorkshire. Parkinson seems a good man to find out about.
Parkinson, like Ben Foakes, arrives with huge expectation, having assumed messiah status among many fans.
Those obviously need tempering but, with Leach alongside him, he can attack. That said, he is not the sort of leggie who leaks runs at first-class level, where his economy rate is 2.77. He does not have the mystery or variations of Rashid or Crane, but is more attacking. He provides less variation than Rashid or Crane, but his loopy, slow pace has worked at first-class level, and there is only one way to find out if it can make the step up. Like Leach, he will enjoy all these right-handers.
The much-trumpeted reset was supposed to come with a spirit of adventure. The other three players who arrived uncapped, by accident or design, have now played Test cricket. Now, after a sleepy Test, it is Parky Time.
