ENG vs WI 2017, 1st Test: England Demolish Windies Inside three days to Register Massive Win
Dec 31, 2018 at 1:59 PM
West Indies were surely not expected to win the Test against England who was brimming with confidence after a thumping 3-1 series win over South Africa.
However, considering that Jason Holder & Co. had already played a day-night Test while the hosts were experiencing it for the first time, the visitors were expected to put up a brave fight. But barring the two early wickets on day one when Kemar Roach sent back debutant Mark Stoneman and Tom Westley cheaply, the Caribbean outfit proved no match for their formidable opponents, as they lost nineteen wickets inside a day to drop the series-opener at Edgbaston by an innings and 209 runs inside three days.
After seeing an Alastair Cook masterclass for the first two days of the game, West Indies began the third day on 44 for 1. Still, 470 runs behind England’s mammoth first innings score of 514-8 declared, they fell like a pack of cards to be all out for a paltry 168, as the hosts enforced a follow-on. Jermaine Blackwood waged a lone battle, scoring an unbeaten 79 but a lack of support from the other end did not allow to rescue the team.
James Anderson starred with the ball by taking three for 34 before Root asked the visitors to come out to bat for the second time.
After Anderson’s show, it was his bowling partner Stuart Broad’s turn to wreak havoc on the out-of-sorts West Indians, as the right-arm pacer took three for 34 to not only fire England to a massive win but also surpass the legendary Ian Botham to become England’s all-time second highest wicket-taker in Tests.
Many congratulations 'Broady' great effort really pleased for you !!!! Better have a good glass or two of the finest !!!!
🍷🍷🍷— BeefyBotham (@BeefyBotham) August 19, 2017
It did not take England long to draw the first blood in the second innings with Anderson striking once again to dismiss Kieran Powell with just 15 on the board. 26 runs later, West Indies found themselves two down for 41 when Test debutant Kyle Hope (12) was sent back by Toby Roland-Jones.
The writing was very much clear on the wall when Moeen Ali ended Kraigg Brathwaite’s (40) 107-minutes resistance by trapping him LBW, as the visitors were reeling at 76 for four at tea.
Any slim hopes of putting up a resistance soon ended when Ali struck again to send back first innings’ top-scorer Blackwood for only 12. Broad then all but sealed the game by dismissing Roston Chase (24) and captain Jason Holder (0) on successive deliveries with the scoreboard reading 104 for seven. The tail-enders could not delay the inevitable for long, as England wrapped up the victory when Roland-Jones had Alzarri Joseph caught out in the 46th over.
Brief scores:
England 514 for eight dec (Cook 243, Root 136) beat West Indies 168 (Blackwood 79*, Anderson 3-34) and 137 (Brathwaite 40, Broad 3-34) by an innings and 209 runs (Scorecard)