SOUTHAMPTON, Saturday: Shannon Gabriel took five wickets as West Indies were set a target of exactly 200 runs to win the first Test against England at Southampton on Sunday's fifth day.
England were bowled out for 313 in their second innings, with fast bowler Gabriel taking 5-75 in 21.2 overs -- his sixth five-wicket haul in 46 Tests.
The hosts resumed on their overnight 284-8, with all their specialist batsmen dismissed.
Gabriel had tailender Mark Wood edging a cut to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich on two to leave England 303-9 in good batting conditions beneath sunny blue skies.
Barbados-born fast bowler Jofra Archer drove Gabriel down the ground for four in spectacular style to extend England's lead to 199 runs.
But next ball Archer was out for 23, caught behind after gloving a hook off Gabriel.
England, chasing the game for most of this match, had been recovering well during a fourth-wicket stand of 98 between Zak Crawley, whose 76 was his highest Test score, and stand-in skipper Ben Stokes on Saturday.
But when Stokes, captaining England in the absence of Joe Root, fell to opposing skipper Jason Holder for 48 -- the second time in the match he had been dismissed by his rival all-rounder -- it sparked a collapse that saw five wickets lost for 30 runs.
This opening match in a three-Test behind closed doors series marks the return of international cricket from the coronavirus lockdown. West Indies captain Jason Holder removed opposing skipper Ben Stokes to trigger an England collapse that saw a late flurry of wickets fall on the fourth day of the first Test at Southampton on Saturday.
England were 284-8 in their second innings at stumps, a lead of 170 runs in a match that marks international crickets return from lockdown.
England fought back during a fourth-wicket partnership of 98 between Zak Crawley and Stokes.
But their 249-4 was soon transformed into 279-8 as five wickets fell for just 30 runs inside the final hour.
No sooner had stand-in England skipper Stokes (46) fallen to rival all-rounder Holder for the second time in the match then Crawley was caught and bowled by paceman Alzarri Joseph for a Test-best 76.
Jos Buttler then fell for nine when bowled through a huge gap between bat and pad by Joseph, who had stumps figures of 2-40.
And there was still time for Windies spearhead Shannon Gabriel (3-62) to bowl Dom Bess and Ollie Pope.
West Indies hold the Wisden Trophy but they have not won a Test series in England for 32 years.
Victory on Sunday, however, would put them 1-0 up with two to play.
“All you can do is get the two remaining wickets and bat normally,” West Indies coach Phil Simmons told reporters. “If we bat for five hours tomorrow to chase 180-190 it's a normal batting day, not a chase where you have to go at it.”
But teams have faltered before facing seemingly modest fourth-innings chases and Crawley told Sky Sports: “It should be tight if we bowl well tomorrow. “We've definitely got the bowlers to take 10 wickets on there.”
England were still one run behind West Indies’ first innings 318 when Crawley came to the crease.
But the 22-year-old, in his fifth Test, completed a well-made fifty when he reverse-swept off-spinner Roston Chase for four before surpassing his previous best of 66 against South Africa at Johannesburg in January.
Stokes, skippering the side in the absence of Joe Root, had already top-scored with 43 in England's meagre first-innings 204 before leading their attack with 4-49.
But towering paceman Holder, number one ahead of Stokes in the ICC's Test all-rounder rankings, squared up the England talisman and had him caught by Shai Hope, cleverly positioned as the finer of two gulleys for the left-handed batsman.
It was a tactical as well as personal triumph for Holder, with Simmons saying: “It's what he does. He comes back and puts in the big spells for the team -- that's how he leads. I didn't expect anything different.” There was more joy for the Windies when Crawley, aiming legside, was caught and bowled by Joseph.
AFP
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