West Indies win the Southampton Test.The goal is not too big, but the pressure of the last day’s wicket and run chase was the main challenge. West Indies lose 3 wickets for 27 runs to take that challenge. Jermaine Blackwood rescued the team from the backfoot and got a great victory.
Jason Holder’s side advanced to the three-match series by winning the first Test by 4 wickets. West Indies reached the target of 200 runs in the last session by crossing various turns.
The victory of the Caribbeans was not as easy as the result says. The West Indies batsman had to struggle against English great fast bowling for every run. The English are quite good at fielding; However, the day did not go well for them. Several easy-hard catches have been dropped.
In the fourth innings, Archer shook the West Indies, who had never lost, chasing 200 or less. John Campbell left the field after being injured in one of Archer’s high-speed deliveries. Another opener, Craig Brathwaite, became bold. Shamarah Brooks out by LBW before opening the scoring.
Mark Wood quickly returned to shai hope. 3 wickets for 27 runs on that situation West Indies were in great danger as Campbell was out of the field with an injury.
The Caribbean handled the initial push with the determination of Roston Chase and Jermaine Blackwood. They make good use of the hosts’ bad fielding opportunities.
Blackwood got chance twice by Ben Stokes bowling. Keeper Jos Butler and Rory Burns missed the catching opportunity. No one was able to take advantage of the opportunity.
Archer broke Chase’s resistance with a great bouncer. The pair broke 73 runs. New batsman Shane Dowrich suffered by Archer. The West Indies went ahead with Blackwood’s partnership with the batsman who survived with a 5-run review.
Ben Stokes broke the 68-run partnership back in the attack. Dowrich survived for a ‘no’ ball with a catch in the slip. But the keeper-batsman was caught by Butler’s gloves with the next ball.
Blackwood was leading the team with Holder. Was on the way to the second century. Stokes’ ball was caught by midfielder James Anderson for 95 runs.
Earlier, Blackwood got the boundary by sending the ball over Anderson’s head twice. Couldn’t do it for the third time. At the time of his departure, the visitors were 11 runs away from victory.
The team did not break down under pressure. Campbell, who was injured in the beginning, returned to the crease. Wood’s speedy delivery hit the grille of his helmet. Yet he did not give up. Take the team with the holder to the port of victory.
England, who started the day with 284 for 8 in the Rose Bowl Cricket Stadium on Sunday, were bowled out for 313 in the second innings. Shannon Gabriel took the last two wickets of the hosts. Cut behind Wood and Archer, the two unbeaten batsmen of the previous day.
Gabriel is the best bowler in the Caribbean with 5 wickets for 75 runs. He took five wickets in the innings for the sixth time in his career.
Cricket returned to the field with this match after about four months due to coronavirus situation. Bat-ball fights are fierce, thrilling. The return is majestic. The Southampton Test will attch in history as the first match to be played in a sterile environment.
News Room, july 13,2020