Eng vs WI 2nd Test: Sibley 14 runs away from ton, England 207/3 at Stumps
Manchester: Dom Sibley (86) and Ben Stokes (59) ensured that England didn’t lose any wickets in the third session of the first day of their second Test against the West Indies on Friday.
Sibley moved within 14 runs of his second Test century while Stokes finally scored a half century after being dismissed on 43 and 46 in the first Test. England ended Day 1 on 207/3 with West Indies’ Roston Chase picking two wickets and Alzarri Joseph dismissing the hosts’ captain Joe Root.
Sibley and Stokes dug deep in the third session to defy the West Indies bowlers. At Stumps, Sibley had faced 253 balls while Stokes had absorbed 159 deliveries.
Earlier, Roston Chase dismissed Sibley’s opening partner Rory Burns and Zak Crawley off consecutive balls either side of lunch.
Root then stuck with Sibley for a 53-run stand for the third wicket in the second session. But fast bowler Joseph ended Root’s 23 run vigil off 49 deliveries with a classic outswinger that grazed the right-hander’s bat and flew to his counterpart Jason Holder at slip.Shortly after the second session began, Zak Crawley was sent back for a golden duck by Chase who had the young No.3 batsman caught at leg slip by Holder.
Having removed Burns in the last ball before lunch, Chase was on a hat-trick but missed the landmark. Earlier, England openers Burns and Sibley got off to a cautious start but Chase provided West Indies with the crucial breakthrough at the stroke of lunch.
With rain playing spoilsport, the first session saw only one hour of play on the opening day of the second Test of #raisethebat series. England, who are gunning to level the series here in Manchester, were put to bat by Holder after he won the toss, which was delayed by more than an hour because of rain.
The run-up to the Test was marred by controversy surrounding fast-bowler Jofra Archer, who was ousted from the team for breaking the bio-secure protocol.
But England openers put the distraction behind them and put up a cautious performance in the first session of the day.
West Indies lead the three-match #raisethebat series 1-0.Brief Scores: England 207/3 (Dom Sibley 86, Ben Stokes 59; Roston Chase 2/53)
