Manchester: England won the first cricket series in four months when they defeated the West Indies in the deciding third Test by 269 runs on the last day Tuesday at Old Trafford here. England thus emerged victorious in the bio-secure series 2-1 after losing the first Test by 113 runs in Southampton.
The West Indies, resuming the fifth and last day on 10-2, had a tall order to bat out the day to force a series-saving draw, any hope of making 399 to win long gone. The weather wasn’t going to save the tourists, either, though they stopped for showers three times.
The visitors lost three wickets in the morning session, and the rest within 90 minutes after lunch to be all out for 129.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad’s first wicket of the day made him the seventh man in Test history to claim 500 test wickets. The series-winning last wicket gave Broad 4-36 in the innings and 10 for the match. It was his first 10-wicket haul in a Test since 2013. In between the milestones, Chris Woakes bowled for 11 straight overs and took 5-50. A run out led to the dismissal of the other West Indies wicket.
It was a bad end for the West Indies, but the team deserved kudos for agreeing to travel to one of the world’s worst hotspots in the pandemic, following the health protocols, and contributing to a gripping contest.
For this third Test, England chose a four-man pace attack and the West Indies couldn’t resist, falling for 197 and 129 against England’s 369 and 226 for two declared.
Broad, angry at being dropped for the first Test, proved his point by setting up this victory Sunday. He took four wickets to finish off the West Indies first innings, then the first two of the second innings in the evening to end West Indies’ slim hopes of batting to win. Instead, the tourists were made to bat to survive.
Brief scores: England 369 and 226 for 2 declared; West Indies 197 and 129 (Shai Hope 31, Chrish Woakes 5/50, Stuart Broad 4/36). England won by 269 runs.
