Ollie Pope‘s century in the first innings followed by heroics from Shoaib Bashir, Joe Root and Harry Brook in the second innings helped England registered a massive win by a margin of 241 runs in the second Test at Trent Bridge by the end of Day 4 to clinch the series. Ollie Pope , Joe Root and Harry Brook all scored centuries in respective innings as England overcame a rear West Indies fight back in 1st innings to set up a series winning win.
Pitch and Toss
The last time England played here was when the idea of the ‘Bazball’ style of play was beginning to take shape. It was at this venue where the hosts pulled off a chase of 299 against New Zealand, riding on Jonny Bairstow’s exceptional batting in the final innings. It was a high-scoring game with both teams crossing 500 in the first innings and the ground has been good for the batters in recent times as well, going by the County matches played here. On the weather front, rain is forecast for the third day
A sunny morning in Nottingham as the players walk out to the field. Perfect batting conditions on one of the best batting wickets in England. West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bowl first and made one change in the squad replacing Gudakesh Motie with Kevin Sinclair. England skipper Ben Stokes batting first post James Anderson bought in Mark Wood for the legendary pacer.
Day 1 : Ollie Pope ton headlines England’s dominance on Day 1
A century from Ollie Pope and contrasting half-centuries from Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes put England in a dominant position as they scored over 400 runs on the opening day of the second Test at Trent Bridge. England kept the tempo up throughout the day like they have been doing under Ben Stokes in recent times and eventually, they finished with 416 on the board by stumps.
They did get off to a false start as Zak Crawley got squared up very early in the day, getting dismissed for a three-ball duck. But that didn’t deter Duckett from launching into the West Indies attack as he smashed his first four balls for boundaries. Duckett hit a thrilling 32-ball fifty and in the process, helping England break the record for the fastest team fifty in Tests as well.
Ollie Pope, who took a backseat initially, got going as well with an array of strokes before Duckett at the other end edged Shamar Joseph behind to the slip cordon for a 59-ball 71. West Indies did get their hopes up in the post-lunch session when they managed to get rid of Joe Root cheaply but Harry Brook came out all guns blazing to quickly turn things around again. Brook raced to 24 off a mere 12 deliveries at one stage but one shot too many led to his downfall.
Ollie Pope, who had received a couple of reprieves by this time, regained his composure once again and took on the mantle of being the aggressor in the second session that led to a three-figure score. Stokes, who was batting on 2 off 19 at one stage, eventually got into the groove as his partnerships with Ollie Pope initially and then Jamie Smith later, gave England total control.
At one stage, England were cruising at 342/4 with Stokes looking good for a century. However, against the run of play, the skipper mistimed a half-tracker and failed to get enough connection to get caught at the boundary. To West Indies’ credit, they did seize on that opportunity to pick up the remaining wickets at regular intervals before the close of play. For a side that didn’t even post 150 in the first Test, 416 will indeed be a tall order when they commence their innings on the second day.
Day 2 : Kavem Hodge, Alick Athanaze lead WI’s strong fightback on Day 2
A maiden Test century from Kavem Hodge and a brilliant 82 from Alick Athanaze helped West Indies stage a strong fightback against England in the second Test at Trent Bridge. West Indies made a jittery start to the day but recovered in terrific fashion on the back of a 175-run stand between Hodge and Athanaze that has now reduced the deficit to 65 with five wickets still in hand.
The morning session was a tale of two halves. West Indies made a promising start in the first hour without losing a wicket as skipper Kraigg Brathwaite took charge of the scoring duties with plenty of boundaries. However, the momentum completely changed post the drinks break as England struck. Shoaib Bashir broke the opening partnership and just moments before the lunch break, he was gifted another wicket as Kirk McKenzie played a rash shot to get out.
Sandwiched between those two wickets was Brathwaite’s dismissal that rocked the visitors big time. Gus Atkinson bowled a well-directed bouncer that the batter tried to fend away but he was unsuccessful in his attempt with the short leg fielder completing the simple catch. 53/0 quickly became 84/3 and the West Indies needed a rearguard action from the middle order.
After a quiet couple of overs to start with post Tea, Hodge was on the move again as he took on Bashir for four boundaries in the space of two overs to go past Athanaze. Finally, it was the golden arm of Ben Stokes that broke the 175-run partnership much to England’s relief as Athanaze edged the bowler to the fielder at gully.
That wicket didn’t deter Hodge who looked in fluent touch. He hit Stokes for a couple of boundaries to bring up his maiden Test century, eating into the deficit in the process. England brought back Chris Woakes and Wood post the drinks brink and their persistence finally resulted in a dismissal as the centurion got trapped for 120 after the visitors had gone past the 300-run mark. That was a significant achievement in itself for a side that failed to make even 150 in both the innings of the first Test.
Jason Holder was then content in staying at the crease until stumps but Joshua Da Silva kept the pressure up on the bowling side as he made a rapid start to his innings. In no time, he raced to 17 off 11 to keep England on their toes. Taking the new ball just before stumps didn’t work either but England would bank on it heavily on the third morning to ensure they don’t concede a lead.
Day 3: Harry Brook and Joe Root leads England’s charge as lead goes past 200 on Day 3
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope were amongst the runs again and Harry Brook smashed a blistering unbeaten half-century as England finished the day with a lead of 207 at Trent Bridge in the second Test. West Indies were bowled out for 457 earlier in the day thanks to Joshua Da Silva’s unbeaten 82.
West Indies lost Jason Holder early in the day and Kevin Sinclair returned to the pavilion for a single-digit score as well. England took total control of the proceedings when Chris Woakes picked two wickets in two balls to leave West Indies nine down for less than 400. However, the last wicket pair of Da Silva and Shamar Joseph frustrated the home side with a vital partnership.
Da Silva opened up to fetch a couple of sixes and bring up a fifty in the process whereas Shamar went on a boundary hitting spree to overturn the deficit. The last wicket pair’s entertaining stand finally came to an end with Wood removing Shamar. In reply, England took only 7 overs to overturn the 41-run deficit as Duckett and Pope were at it again.
Zak Crawley’s frustrating Test match saw him get run out at the non-striker’s end in an unlucky fashion but the script was very similar to the one we witnessed in the first innings. Duckett and Pope unleashed themselves on the visitors, scoring boundaries at will in a century stand. With the ball going out of shape after 25 overs, there was a forced change of the red cherry and that resulted in a wicket as Alzarri Joseph got rid of Pope for 51.
Alzarri appeared to have brought West Indies back into the contest when he removed the other set batter Duckett for 76, trapping him lbw before Joe Root and Brook joined forces to steady the ship. The batters hit boundaries at the start to get into the groove and then went through a watchful period on either side of the drinks break.
Both Root and Brook then batted in fluent fashion once set and the latter even brought up a fifty off just 62 deliveries. The pair added over 100 before the close of play and with the lead over 200 already, a couple of fruitful sessions tomorrow, the game could be well and truly in the bag.
Day 4: Shoaib Bashir bowls England to series win with five-fer
England registered a massive win by a margin of 241 runs in the second Test at Trent Bridge by the end of Day 4 to clinch the series on the back of a five-wicket haul from Shoaib Bashir. England set West Indies a target of 385 to win the Test after Joe Root and Harry Brook hit centuries before their bowlers engineered a collapse in the final session to bowl West Indies out for just 143.
West Indies kickstarted the run chase in fine fashion to put England on the backfoot early in the chase with Kraigg Brathwaite dealing in boundaries in the first ten overs. In contrast to his usual approach, Brathwaite raced to 30 off just 24 balls as the openers put on 54 in the first ten overs – their second half-century stand in the Test match.
However, once England struck first ball after the drinks break, West Indies suffered a monumental collapse to lose all their momentum. Bashir took just three balls to make a breakthrough and Chris Woakes got one to slightly move off the surface to find the outside edge of Brathwaite. That big wicket reduced West Indies to 74/3 from 61/0.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors as Bashir struck again to make it four wickets in four overs for the bowling side. Alick Athanaze, who struck a fluent 82 in the first innings, edged one to the slip fielder to give Bashir his third wicket. And with first innings centurion Kavem Hodge also in the pavilion prior to that, there was literally no way back for West Indies. Gus Atkinson dented them further with a double-wicket over before Bashir completed his five-fer to put an end to West Indies’ misery.
Earlier in the day, Root and Brook continued to milk the West Indies attack, continuing from where they left on day 3. Brook eventually went on to complete his century but West Indies appeared to stage a fightback in the second half of the session by picking three crucial wickets, including that of the centurion. But with the lead already beyond 300, England were certainly in a safer zone. Root rallied with the lower order in the post-lunch session, to complete his ton and drag that lead to 384, ensuring England were firm favourites to get the job done.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Kraigg Braithwaite the loosing skipper said : Decently happy, could have been better with the ball. Probably 100 runs too many conceded specially square of the wicket. With the bat, we were good in the first innings but we weren’t up to the mark today. You see the efforts the guys have put in, so we have the fitness but we need to show better discipline. England showed us how we should be bowling on a flat wicket to contain the runs.
The guys will learn. We need to stay mentally tough and learn from this for future Test matches. (On fielding) We did agree we dropped a few crucial catches. However, what we can control is our line and length, and true that catches win matches at the end of the day.
(On the collapse) We weren’t expecting it after a decent start, but it is history now and we need to look for the future. We need to stay mentally tough and we have a number of Test matches remaining this year. (On if England had mentally worn them down before the 4th innings) No, I don’t think so!
Ben Stokes the winning skipper said : Amazing, the comeback we showed after the opening partnership was remarkable. Bash showed the world what he is about on a wicket that wasn’t offering too much to spin. (On the collective performance) In team sport, you want a few individuals to stand up. What shouldn’t get lost in all this is that partnership between Brook and Root last night when the ball was swinging.
We played well today again and if we are being brutally honest, we could have got more in the first innings. Nevertheless, chasing 380 odd in the 4th innings is never easy. (Any changes in the Bazball approach?) This week has been great for the progression as a team and as individuals. Ben Duckett in the second innings was a good example, they changed their plans for him but he still stuck to his strengths and got runs.
Duckett is at his best when he is putting pressure on the opposition. Root was dependable as usual and Brook just got the house down with his knock. (On Mark Wood) I think he hasn’t got the rewards this game, but look at the amount of wickets Woakes got from the other end.
He was bowling his heart out ball after ball, and his pace is phenomenal and to consistently hit the right areas is remarkable. I’m sure he’ll get his rewards later on. (On Woakes) Woakes found his rhytmn on Day 2 and stuck to his guns. He changed the game today with that first wicket. Coming into this game with the external noise of leading the attack didn’t phase him, he is our Mr Dependable.
Ollie Pope Player of the Match for his century in first innings said: Stokes snuck off and we got a couple of wickets. I was keen to keep him out a little longer then. (On changing conditions) We saw it last night, it nipped a bit and Brook and Root did brilliantly in the evening. And then they came out attacking today morning again. That’s how it is in Test matches, we need to make the most of situation. Feel really good about where my game is at the moment.
So after 3 and a half days of grueling Test cricket, a case of 45 minutes of bad cricket has spoiled the game for West Indies as England claim a 241 run win at Trent Bridge. It was a fourth innings that started so well for West Indies, as Louis and Brathwaite bunted out the new ball and got the score to 61. However, Woakes struck first ball after drinks and that started the collapse. West Indies lost five wickets in six overs, as Shoaib Bashir chipped in with three in that spell.
Athanaze and Hodge – who combined to score 175 together in the first innings – got a sum total of 1 run in the second innings. Jason Holder tried to give some fightback to West Indies after they were reduced to 91/6, but his vigil didn’t last too long as England clawed closer to victory. There was also a snorter of a delivery from Wood to Kevin Sinclair, and then Bashir cleaned up the tail to finish with 5/41 as England wrap up the series.
For England, the Bazball machine is chugging down the track once again after a bit of a derailment in India. Ollie Pope got twin fifties and so did Duckett, while Harry Brook claimed his first hundred on home soil. Joe Root got number 32 as well as the batters seem to be going along nicely.
A lot was asked about what after Broad and Anderson, but Chris Woakes stepped up as the leader of the pack with his consistent line and lengths, while Gus Atkinson impressed again. Mark Wood steamed in ball after ball in this Test, and Shoaib Bashir claimed a historic fifer on a ground where many more experienced and celebrated spinners have struggled in the past.
So a few positives for West Indies as their batters turned up, at least in the first innings. They have an opener in Mikyle Louis with the temperament for batting long in tough conditions, and Athanaze and Kavem Hodge proved they can be real fighters too. Their bowling was better than the first Test, but they’d still crave for a bit more discipline when they travel to Edgbaston. A better display in this second Test but still a fair way short for West Indies.