Published: Aug 20, 2017, 01:51 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 20, 2017, 02:18 AM (IST)
The first day-night Test on home soil was surely a happy occasion for England, and they ended the match on a happy note, inflicting a defeat by an innings and 209 runs upon West Indies in the first Test at Edgbaston. The hosts thoroughly dominated the Test, first putting up a first innings total of 514 for 8 decl. and then bundling the visitors for 168 and 137 runs to post an easy victory. Kemar Roach, Roston Chase with the ball and Jermaine Blackwood with the bat were the two who delivered face-saving performances for West Indies but the rest of the team failed to put up equal competition.
Alastair Cook and Joe Root pulled England up with their spectacular performance despite losing two early wickets. Root and Cook put up a 248-run partnership to put England in the driver’s seat. Root was removed for 136 but a strong foundation was laid. Dawid Malan then partnered with Cook to build the second 100-run partnership of the innings. Though the majority of the runs were scored by Cook, Malan provided with strong support. He scored his maiden Test half-century while Cook scored his fourth double-ton. With Cook departing for 243, England declared the innings. West Indies’ Roston Chase had some late cheers as he finished with a 4-wicket-haul.
James Anderson-led English bowling did not let the West Indies batsmen set and that happened twice. West Indies lost their first wicket early before rain stopped play on Day Two. On Day Three, England bowlers ran through the line-up to bundle West Indies for 168. Only Blackwood impressed with his brave knock of 79 not-out, scoring the majority of his team’s score. England asked West Indies to follow-on; Anderson at the end of the innings had 3 wickets.
West Indies’ second innings was no difference. In third day’s second session, they had lost a total of 6 wickets which first ended their first innings and then reduced them to 76 for 4. Having removed the top-order cheaply, the rest of the work became cakewalk for the hosts’ bowlers. England reached their desired victory well before stumps, with Anderson, Stuart Broad and Toby Roland-Jones ripping apart the West Indies batting. Highest score by any batsman in the innings was Kraigg Brathwaite’s 40.
Stuart Broad bowled brilliantly in the final session of the day, bagging wickets for 4 runs. He surpassed Ian Botham, with 384 wickets in his kitty now. He finishes the match being on a hat-trick.
Former skipper Cook was adjudged the Man of the Match.
Brief scores:
England 514 for 8 decl. (Alastair Cook 243, Joe Root 136, Dawid Malan 65; Roston Chase 4 for 113) won against West Indies 168 and 137 (Kraigg Brathwaite 40, Roston Chase 24; James Anderson 2 for 12, Stuart Broad 3 for 24, Toby Roland-Jones 2 for 18) by innings and 209 runs
