BRIDGETOWN (Barbados): James Anderson wrecked the West Indies but England were tottering at 39 for five in their second innings, a lead of 107 runs, on the second day of the third and final Test.
On a pitch that is rapidly deteriorating, 18 wickets fell in the three sessions yesterday, the most in a single day’s play in the 85 years of Test cricket at the venue.
After being the last wicket to fall in the tourists’ seemingly modest first innings total of 257 in the morning, the irrepressible Anderson claimed six for 42 — his 17th five-wicket innings haul — to mastermind the demolition of the home side for 189.
Only Jermaine Blackwood offered any substantial resistance with a counter-attacking innings of 85 before he was last out off Anderson, who is now just four away from becoming the first Englishman to take 400 Test wickets.
In 21 overs to the close, England lost half their side and will resume on the third morning with the pair of Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes at the crease.
They will seek to build a match-winning lead in pursuit of a 2-0 series triumph at a venue where the highest successful fourth inning chase is 311 by the Brian Lara-led West Indies against Australia in 1999.
Jerome Taylor extended Jonathan Trott’s miserable run of form and then consigned Ian Bell to only his second “pair” in Test cricket.
In between, first innings centurion Alastair Cook edged Shannon Gabriel to second slip while Jason Holder accounted for Joe Root in his first over as the West Indies bowlers strove to keep their team in contention.
In the penultimate over of the day, Moeen Ali played on to specialist spinner Veerasammy Permaul. (AGENCIES)
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