SOUTHAMPTON, England, July 10 (Reuters) – West Indies moved within 45 runs of England’s first innings total, with Kraigg Brathwaite’s 65 helping the tourists to 159 for three at lunch on the third day of the first test at the Ageas Bowl on Friday.
Resuming on 57 for one, Brathwaite and Shai Hope made steady progress for the first hour, but Hope was fortunate that a plumb lbw to Jofra Archer was overturned when the review found that the England paceman had no-balled.
Hope departed not long after, however, when he attempted to drive off-spinner Dom Bess, edging straight to England captain Ben Stokes at first slip for 16.
Brathwaite’s 125 ball, 184 minutes innings came to end when he was ruled lbw to Stokes with the umpire’s decision standing after a review despite the West Indian being struck high on the pads.
Shamarh Brooks struck four boundaries in his lively 27 seeing things through to lunch with Roston Chase.
England were bowled out for 204 on Thursday with West Indies skipper Jason Holder taking a career best six for 42.
The test is the first international cricket-match after a 117-day absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three-match series is being played without fans in a “bio-secure environment” with daily health checks, home umpires and a ban on shining the ball with saliva. (Reporting by Simon Evans, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
