- The tourists pegged back England with the ball as hosts ended on 38-3
England were pegged back by a resurgent West Indies as the hosts ended day one on 38-3 after a fascinating opening day at Edgbaston.
Ben Stokes’ side had seized the advantage when bowling the tourists out for 282 on a friendly pitch.
But two wickets in two balls, including those of openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, helped West Indies fight back and set up an intriguing second day.
England will be hoping Joe Root and Ollie Pope can steady the ship when play resumes.
Here, Mail Sport columnist DAVID ‘BUMBLE’ LLOYD takes you through some of the stories you may have missed from day one in Birmingham.
WHAT A WASTE
Slightly disappointing that neither Dillon Pennington nor Matthew Potts got a game here with England 2-0 up. I can’t help but feel that they’ve had three weeks wasted in the middle of the season. What advantage has there been in leaving them not doing much?
It is disappointing that neither Dillon Pennington (pictured) nor Matthew Potts got a game
ATKINSON’S TEST OF STAMINA
On the other hand, Gus Atkinson has been looked after carefully by Alec Stewart at Surrey. They have been working on his stamina and making sure he’s able to put back-to-back matches together. He’s a bowler who’s suffered injuries in the past, and so if he comes through this Test it will tell England he is up to the rigours of five-day cricket.
BOWL LIKE BOB… AND ANNOY FRED
It’s Blue For Bob day on Saturday raising money for prostate cancer, in memory of Bob Willis. At the back of the stands, you can even try to bowl like him. Not that Fred Trueman was a fan when he first saw him. Never one to mince his words, he once said Willis was the only bowler he’d seen who ran away from the wicket before running towards it. Another member of the Test Match Special team suggested he was still rather fast, only to be rebuked by our Fred: ‘I can bowl quicker in my wellies!’
TONS OF RUNS AND LARA LAUGHS TOO
Brian Lara was back at the site of his first-class record score of 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham 30 years on yesterday, signing copies of his book during tea. Now he was a player that kept you on the edge of your seat. Absolute box office, and really good company too. He’s had a lifelong friendship with Dwight Yorke and one of similar length with Michael Atherton — they first came up against each other as teenagers.
Gus Atkinson showed his stamina as he took four wickets to help bowl the tourists out for 282
TAUGHT A LESSON BY THE SHERIFF
Up at Sheriff Hutton Bridge’s Wednesday night practice, I was giving a coaching tip when a schoolboy error was exposed: I’d turned my back on the nets. The ball was drilled with some force to a cry of ‘heads’. I never moved. Didn’t have time. It struck me between the shoulder blades and took the wind out of me. Now I have one of those badges of honour fast bowlers like to dish out. The one Mark Wood gave to Kevin Sinclair last week resulted in a broken arm. It reminded me: it’s a hard ball.
MY NIGHTMARE OUT IN THE FIELD
The weather has been very good in Yorkshire and so Margaret, our next-door neighbour, asked if I would be so kind as to cut her field while she was on holiday. Margaret is 86 and didn’t fancy doing the job herself. There was a lot of ragwort to get rid of. And seven llamas to negotiate. Smelt like they needed a wash. To top it all, the jockey wheel fell off my mower. Is there a welder out there? Offering mates’ rates, of course.