England Test captain Ben Stokes is back to bowling full tilt and picked two wickets for 25 runs in the 10 overs that he bowled on Day 2 of the first Test between England and the West Indies. Stokes dismissed Kirk McKenzie in the 12th over and West Indies opener Mikyle Louis in the 18th.
The wicket of McKenzie was Stokes’ 200th in Test cricket and that helped him join a list that has only all-round legends Jacques Kallis and Garfield Sobers. Stokes is the third cricketer to take 200 wickets and score over 6000 runs in Test cricket. His career wicket tally sits on 201 going into Day 3 at Lord’s. Stokes had earlier dismissed Louis in the first innings as well thanks to a one-handed stunner of a catch by Harry Brook at third slip in the 22nd over.
Stokes had 6316 runs to his name before this Test, his 102nd since making his debut in December 2013. He averages 34.48 with 13 centuries and 31 half-centuries. Stokes has eight four-wicket hails and four five-wicket hauls as well. Kallis and Sobers are regarded as two of the greatest to have ever played the game. Kallis scored 13,289 runs for South Africa with 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries at an average of 55.37 in 166 Tests. Kallis also took 292 wickets at an average of 32.65.
The legendary former West Indies captain Sobers, on the other hand, scored 8032 runs at an average of 57.78 with 26 centuries and 30 half-centuries. He also took 235 wickets in 93 Tests that he played and averaged 34.03.
England are set to mark veteran pacer James Anderson’s farewell with a huge win in the first Test. The West Indies were reduced to a score of 79/6 in their second innings after being all-out for 121 in the first. England were all out for 371 and West Indies still trail by 171 runs with just four wickets in hand.
England had resumed on 189/3 in the morning and Brook batted with attacking intent, reaching his 12th fifty in 13 tests before getting in a tangle over a short ball from Alzarri Joseph and skying a catch to wicketkeeper Da Silva. Stokes was bowled by Gudakesh Motie for four with a ball that spun sharply and struck the England captain’s middle stump.
Root eased to his 62nd test fifty and looked completely untroubled until just before lunch when Motie produced another fine turning delivery to bowl him for 68. The 23-year-old Smith, making his test debut, shared a 52-run partnership with Chris Woakes who was caught at square leg off Jayden Seales for 23. Fast bowler Gus Atkinson, who took seven West Indies first-innings wickets on his debut, fell first ball to Holder and Smith went on the attack, hitting two big sixes and eight fours in the sunshine to underline his potential.
Shoaib Bashir was run out by a brilliant throw from Louis and Smith became Seales’ fourth victim when he holed out to McKenzie on the mid-wicket boundary. Anderson did not face a ball in what may be his final test innings after receiving another warm ovation from the crowd as he walked out to bat. The 41-year-old started his last opening spell with a maiden, however, and produced a trademark delivery to breach Brathwaite’s defences and get England on a roll.
