ENG vs WI: Kraigg Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich propel West Indies to a solid first-innings lead
Kraigg Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich (Image Source: Twitter)

Caribbean opener Kraigg Brathwaite and wicket-keeper batsman Shane Dowrich shimmered on Day 3 of the first Test against England at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Both scored vital half-centuries and guided West Indies to a 114-run lead. Brathwaite smashed 65 off 125 balls, while Dowrich brought up his 10th Test half-century, scoring 61 off 115 deliveries.

Middle-order pair of Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase supported well with their crucial 39 and 47, respectively. West Indies resumed Day 3 at 57 for 1, trailing England by 147 runs and in the end, they were bundled out for 318.

For England, their stand-in skipper Ben Stokes led from the front as he bagged four important wickets. He bowled 14 overs in the innings and gave 49 runs. These were the fifth-best figures for an English captain in debut innings.

Veteran pacer James Anderson also enjoyed excellent sessions as he earned three scalps in the innings. The highest wicket-taker for England bowled 25 overs, conceding 62 runs at an economy of 2.50.

Apart from Stokes and Anderson, spinner Dominic Bess claimed two wickets. Mark Wood, on the other hand, finished the proceedings by taking the last wicket of West Indies’ first innings. However, speedster Jofra Archer didn’t have any success as he went wicketless. He bowled 22 overs and gave 61 runs.

Some interesting statistics brings positives for West Indies side. There have been only three instances when the Caribbean team have lost a Test after taking 100-plus runs lead in the first innings. The last occasion when WI lost the game in this situation came in 2000 at Lords against England.

In the second innings, England have posted 15 runs on the board at stumps with no loss. Openers Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns remained unbeaten on 5 and 10, respectively. Hosts trail by 99 runs with two more days remaining in the match.

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