Leeds: England captain Joe Root threatened to make the West Indies pay for giving him another reprieve in the second Test at Headingley after opposing skipper Jason Holder starred with both bat and ball.
England were 171 for three in their second innings at stumps on Sunday’s third day, a lead of two runs, after the West Indies had made an impressive 427 in their first innings.
Root, dropped on 10, was 45 not out on his Yorkshire home ground, with Dawid Malan unbeaten on 21.
Their unbroken stand was so far worth 77 runs.
Pace-bowling all-rounder Holder who had earlier made a valuable 43, captured the key wicket of Alastair Cook and removed Tom Westley on his way to stumps figures of two for 44 in 17 overs.
England, facing a large first-innings deficit of 169 runs, saw Cook and Mark Stoneman, who along with fellow batsman Westley and Malan is looking to cement his Test place ahead of the upcoming Ashes tour of Australia, start steadily.
Stoneman, Cook’s 12th opening partner in five years since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, did, however, hit three fours off as many balls from Kemar Roach.
But the more defensive Cook, England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, fell for 23 to end a stand of 58 as Holder, maintaining an excellent line and length, eventually found the left-hander’s outside edge and had him caught behind. Number three Westley should have been run out for six after a mix-up with Stoneman.
He failed to cash in though, falling for eight when caught behind driving loosely at Holder.
But Stoneman, hit on the left hand by Holder on 35, completed a maiden Test fifty in his third innings at this level.
The 30-year-old Surrey left-hander was bowled soon afterwards, however, for 52 by an excellent delivery Shannon Gabriel that pitched in line and hit off stump. The fast bowler had an anxious wait as the umpires checked for a no-ball before it was confirmed that England were 94 for three.
Malan had a lucky break on four when the West Indies opted against reviewing a rejected caught behind appeal off Gabriel, although technology indicated a thin edge.
While the West Indies’ batting and bowling has improved markedly this match, their fielding remains fallible.
For the second time in the match they dropped Root early in his innings when he fended at the luckless Roach only for Kyle Hope to floor the gully chance.
Root, dropped on eight en route to 59 in England’s first innings 258, drove Holder for four and struck Roach through the covers for another boundary. AFP
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