After struggling at 34 runs for three wickets in the first Test match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, the English batsmen stood to anchor their innings with some intelligent batting from the number four batsman, Ian Bill and Joe Root coming in at number five. Their partnership was 177 runs for the fourth wicket before Joe Root fell for 83, bowled by Jerome Taylor.
Earlier, the West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin won the toss and elected to take the field first. West Indies fast bowlers Jerome Taylor, Jason Holder and Kemar Roach all took one wicket each at 34 for 3 before Ian Bell and Joes Root steadied their innings. England ended day one 34 runs for five wickets, this is a great recovery from 34 for 3. Ian Bell scored 143 runs with 20 fours and one six before he was bowled by fast bowler Kemar Roach. Ben Stokes ended day one on 71 runs not out.
England middle order batsmen have all scored useful scores in a remarkable recovery after a shaky start. West Indies lost the momentum as the England batsmen concentrated fully on their recovery on a flat wicket. The West Indies team was better off batting first because after a few overs, the wicket gets flatter and great for batting.
Why Is Sulieman Benn In The West Indies Squad?
Barbados left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn is not effective as a wicket taker in One-Day Internationals nor Test cricket. Benn bowls one type of slow bowling frequently without any significant change. No faster balls, no straight bowling and of course he has no extraordinary turn of the ball.
Benn was a World Cup failure and now he is a Test cricket failure. Since in South Africa with the last series West Indies against South Africa, Benn’s performance was very poor.
It is about time that Clive Lloyd selects a spinner who is prepared to take up tough challenges and one who uses his knowledge of cricket take wickets. Spinners must be wicket takers. Nikita Miller is a better bowler than Sulieman Benn? Miller is a useful batsman also Benn went wicket less for 85 runs on day one.
