A sixth Test hundred from Joe Root helped England to a position of increasing dominance in Grenada, as they wore down West Indies during an extended day in the field. Almost 50 overs were lost from the match over the first two days but with cloud cover and swinging conditions replaced by unbroken sunshine and a flat, if slow, surface, England were approaching a position from where they could bat once and then push for victory.
England's old guard had set the tone at the start of the day, then left it to two of the youth corps to press home their advantage. Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott both recorded fifties during a century opening stand - England's first since 2013 - and although Cook fell short of reaching three figures himself, another strong showing from Root and Gary Ballance in the middle order helped England to a 74-run lead at the close.
“I was surprised when Chris (Gayle) was not playing, but Virat (Kohli) is a guy who always thinks positively for the team. The other guy, (Rilee) Rossouw, has played many good knocks for South Africa. But still I would say they didn’t start well in the first six overs. The credit for that goes to Ashish Nehra, he bowled in good areas.”
That was Suresh Raina, speaking immediately after he had played the starring hand in Chennai Super Kings swatting Royal Challengers Bangalore aside for a 27-run victory at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday (April 22).
(REUTERS) – England openers Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott made a solid start in reply to West Indies’ total of 299 by reaching 74 without loss on the second day of the second Test yesterday.Skipper Cook and Trott, returning after a lengthy absence from the team, failed to get scores in the drawn first Test in Antigua but will take much confidence from the final session. Cook, who has not scored a Test century for nearly two years, finished on 37 not out with Trott on 32.
The West Indies attack lacked penetration in the absence of injured Jerome Taylor and with batting conditions improving, as the damp and overcast weather made way for bright sunshine, Cook and Trott made good progress before stumps.
However both parties have declined to comment on the specifics of the agreement following their meeting which ran for nearly five hours at the upscale Spice Island Beach resort in Grenada’s southern tourist belt late Monday.
WICB president Dave Cameron and Grenada’s Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said details of the agreement will be contained in a joint press release to be issued yesterday.
“We also agreed that we will have a joint press release from the West Indies Cricket Board and of course the Prime Minister’s team,” Prime Minister Mitchell told the media at the end of the meeting.
“I believe we have reached a positive conclusion which will chart the way forward. We will be working together with the board and all concerned to move West Indies cricket forward.”
The portents had been more promising for England, after winning the toss and inserting West Indies in helpful conditions. Having called correctly, Alastair Cook then received a second stroke of luck, with the news that Jerome Taylor, who menaced England's top three in the first Test, had been ruled out with a shoulder injury.
When James Anderson produced a sonic-booming inswinger in his second over to remove Kraigg Brathwaite it appeared everyone had received the script. The sight of England's leading Test wicket-taker bending the ball adroitly in either direction was doubly heartening for the tourists, after his struggle for lateral movement in Antigua.
