England vs West Indies live: Score and latest updates from third Test ...

Alzarri also resumes and with a bouncer that climbs towards Woakes’ arm pit. But it was too wide from round the wicket and Woakes cuffs a pull fine for four. 

Woakes, having turned on his heel and scuttled back home after a back-foot punch to point which, he wrongly thought had warranted a single, then duck-hooks a single and both Smith and Woakes play forcing back-foot shots square into the offside to put England into the lead.

They bump fists for the 50 partnership, too.

We have had 52 overs before the start of this one and another 38 are to be bowled (or 36 with a change of innings) before 6.47pm, play extended by the 17 lost minutes. If one comes before the other, of course, play stops for the day at that point.  

Seales resumes and Smith works a full ball off middle through square leg for a single. Woakes rides the bounce of the half-tracker and rolls his wrist on a pull for a single.  

England will restart in the gloom. 

Not very heavily but there will be a further short delay. 

Covers came off – now they’re back on again, very frustratingly. But I’m confident we’ll be back on within 30 minutes, and hopefully much sooner.   

The lights will be on but they will be back out to play. 

So, they should be back on fairly soon, limiting lost time to about 20 minutes. 

Covers are coming on at Edgbaston at tea – some black clouds around and it is raining, though fairly gently. Expected to be only a light shower though, so shouldn’t be too long a delay after tea.  

Jamie Smith’s class came to the fore in spectacular style with stylish unbeaten fifty that blended grace and power to take England within sight of a first innings lead.

Smith played the shot of the Test, standing tall to pull Alzarri Joseph onto the roof of the Hollies Stand when he was just nine not out and unfurled a series of sumptuous on drives as he shaped up like the no 3 he really is rather than a no 7.

Ben Stokes fell into the leg side trap and Root looked to be easing to consecutive hundreds when he was leg before to Motie’s arm ball for 87 as West Indies kept their noses in front in a tight, entertaining session. 

Root shared stands of 115 with Stokes and 62 with Smith as he gave the England innings backbone in what is turning out to be a Test likely to be decided by the third innings.

The lights are on and there will be good bowling conditions after tea which could play into England’s hands.

Fairly even session after the loss of Stokes and then Root without reaching three figures ended their hopes of pushing on for a substantial lead after steadying the ship. But Jamie Smith is batting with great poise alongside Chris Woakes and should they stay together they will continue to accumulate at a decent lick. If Woakes is out first, Smith may well get his foot down which would be a joy to watch, if it comes off. Have enjoyed watching Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales bowl and it’s such a shame that Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph look so undercooked. 

Smith whisks two from middle and leg through midwicket and then stabs a single through point. Woakes pulls the flaccid bouncer for a single and while Alzarri makes Smith play and miss, they walk off to tea with the partnership unbroken on 42 and the deficit now down to eight. 

TEA. 

Nice shot on Sky of Ben Stokes ensconced with coaches Marcus Trescothick, Jeetan Patel, Paul Collingwood and Baz McCullum in the seats outside the dressing room. All are smiling. Holder seems to be struggling with soreness and his pace is down below 80mph. Still bowling tightly, though. Smith late cuts for a single and Woakes dabs two to the same third man area. 

Mikkyle Louis is having the time of his life out in the deep in front of the Hollies Stand. They have been chanting “Stand up if you love Louis” and “Louis, Louis” whenever the ball goes to him. He’s waving, and smiling at them. Fair to say he is having a different experience to Nathan Lyon last year, who was moved out of fielding in front of the Hollies because of the abuse he was copping.

Alzarri Joseph replaces Shamar of that ilk. He is wearing a beaut of a yellow watch on his left wrist. Shamar is wearing a white one. Given the number of clocks around Edgbaston and the two scoreboards and big screens, they can’t be for time-telling purposes. I think Phil Edmonds was the first bewatched bowler I remember. He started to sport a white Swatch for gelt in the mid to late eighties. 

Good over from the man, nonetheless, tight to off-stump and at good pace. Smith manages just the single, squirted off the inside edge. 

Fifty for Jamie Smith, brought up with his seventh boundary, a straight drive past Holder for four. He has taken to Test cricket with such casual aplomb that it is hard to see a way back in at home for Ben Foakes.

Jamie Smith’s serene start to his Test career continues: another excellent half-century, sealed with a sumptuous on drive for four. Only the second of his nascent career, yet celebrated in a very low-key, matter-of-fact way: Smith, you suspect, is eyeing his first century. 

The last two overs have yielded 2.7° of swing compared with 0.8° for the preceding 52. As well as the outswingers, Seales tests Woakes out with the bouncer and he duck-hooks for a sickle. Smith glides one off the back foot down to third man and Woakes steals the strike with a midwicket flick.  This is only Woakes’ third home Test (ie at Edgbaston) and the first since 2019. 

Swing, too, for Jason Holder whose overs this morning were costly. Woakes watches one arc away then nails a cover drive for a single. Holder tries to tempt Smith into a waft and succeeds up to a point, Lord Copper. Smith’s eyes light up at a gentle outswinger, throws his hands at it and misses the ball entirely. 

Big swing for Seales at the end of the over, drawing Smith forward and attempting to nibble at the outswinger. But the ball stayed truer for Woakes two balls earlier and the Wiz, the home town hero, caressed an off drive between the cover sweeper and mid-off for a well-run three. There’s nowt wrong with his leg on this evidence. 

They’re rather feeding Woakes’ strengths so far. A fine, orthodox batsman who averages 32 in first-class cricket with 10 centuries, he drives beautifully and when Shamar gives him one in the slot, he creams it through cover for four. Such was the length of his stride, this layman would surmise that he had quad cramp last night rather than a twanged hammy. 

Woakes clips a single off middle and then Smith harpoons a cover drive for four more. 

England trail by 30. 

Motie, having dismissed Root and mission, therefore, accomplished, is replaced by Seales. Woakes may have mobility issues given the number of hamstring stretches he was doing after deliveries yesterday evening and they may well try to pepper him. 

Nope, not yet at least. Seales stays full and they work singles into the offside before Woakes exploits some width to punch four behind square. 

Woakes gets off the mark with a short-arm pull to midwicket off Shamar and Smith, having also pulled for a single, clubs a cut in front of square for two. 

Actually, on reflection, it was a genuine arm ball rather than the darted slider. Lovely delivery, pinning Root on the back foot. Root had batted beautifully and helmed England’s recovery from 54 for five. No point reviewing. Absolutely plumb. Falling 13 short leaves him one century behind Alastair Cook’s 33.  England trail by 51. 

Root lbw b Motie 87  Arm ball skidded on low and pinned him stone dead.  FOW 231/7

Shamar’s width on the crease is inviting Root to clip the ball off middle too often and he does so again here, flicking it for two and he then takes a single with a prod through point. 

The fifty partnership is brought up in style by Smith, collaring Motie, who is trying to attack leg stump, on the sweep for four. Two balls later he brings out the broom again and  sweeps another delivery pitched on leg fine for four more. 

Time for drinks. 

Shamar Joseph comes on second change at the Pavilion End. As Stuart Broad and Ian Ward point out, he has been delivering from wider on the crease so far in this Test. He tries to surprise Smith with an inswinging yorker  but doesn’t land it and England’s ’keeper-batsman chisels it out for a single, squirted to long leg. Shamar sprays his next attempted inswinging sandshoe crusher down the leg side and clangs Da Silver painfully on the finger end as he dived. England hare two byes. 

Smith doesn’t need to move his feet when Motie goes too short, flashing his hands through a punchy drive for four through cover. Too many four balls from Motie to back up his quicks. 

Seales errs on to Root’s middle pole and he uses the angle to flick it behind square for two. Seales has been the pick of West Indies’ bowlers but is not a short-ball merchant, more Kemar Roach than Shannon Gabriel. But he does have a good bouncer and when he unveils it he gets Root into a tangle, trying to pull but toe-ending it into the pitch. 

You do not often seen a player from the fielding side invade the space of the not-out batsmen at a drinks break.... but Kavem Hodge did just now, going to talk to Joe Root. They were together more than a dozen years ago at the Adelaide Academy, and called each other “Alan”, as Will Macpherson relates in his fine interview with Hodge in this space. Symptomatic of the friendly relations between these sides. Ben Stokes and Jason Holder had friendly exchanges in the morning session.

Motie continues round the wicket to the right-handers. Smith reaches one that shoots a bit outside off and squirts it down to point for a single. Root goes down early to paddle a single round the corner for another. Jason Holder has a long look at this replacement ball and his face is a picture. Contempt more than disappointment for its condition and colour. 

Jamie Smith’s hook for six was, obviously, staggering – to hit it, when only nine not out, quite so far into the Hollies Stand. But his first four balls against Gudakesh Motie, the left-arm spinner, were just as impressive in a quiet way. Twice in those four balls he shimmied down the pitch, nothing fancy, the first a defensive stroke, the second a push. But by advancing down the pitch so soon in his innings, in his first Test series, which very few English batsmen do, Smith made Motie pitch his fifth ball shorter – and Smith pulled it, and he was away, up and running. 

Root makes point stretch his legs once more for a single and then Smith whisks a single off Seales. We had umpteen ball changes at Trent Bridge and none yesterday. But this replacement ball, necessary because its predecessor is atop the Hollies, has gone out of shape in four overs and needs to be replaced.  

Smith continues to use his feet to the spinner, taking a big stride to whisk a single between midwicket and mid-on. Motie drags the next one down and Root back-cuts him for four and then works a single off his toes to fine leg to bring up the 200. 

Smith punches a defensive to the left of cover and runs three as Louis chases it down and dives nose first to claw it back from the rope. 

Nice, tight returning over for Seales, back of a length and fourth stump rather than the Alzarri barrage. Root drives off the back foot for a single to the point sweeper and Smith works the last ball through midwicket for one more. 

Motie, who diddled Root at Lord’s, almost gets him again when he tries to late cut the arm ball and almost drags on. The ball whistles past off stump off the bottom edge and down to fine leg for a single. Jayden Seales to replace Alzarri Joseph. 

Joseph A really bends his back from round the wicket and gives Smith a nasty rib-tickler that he tries to pull and gloves wide of Da Silva wt full-stretch for four. Alzarri goes short again and Smith nails the pull to cow corner for six! He hit it so hard, the usually urbane Mike Atherton says only ‘Woof!’ The ball sails on to the roof and stays there. New ball, please. Good Lord. What a remarkable shot. Such bat-speed and raw power. Brutal. 

Lots of encouragement for Motie. Smith uses his feet to the left-arm spinner which excites Holder and Da Silva at slip and wicketkeeper respectively. But he cannot pierce the field. Motie then lets him off the hook with a drag-down and Smith stylishly pulls to deep midwicket for three. 

Alzarri ups the pace to bag Stokes, almost as if he was setting him up in the preceding over. We know he wasn’t because of his exasperation when collared but perhaps his annoyance enabled him to find more gas. The crowd falls silent on Stokes’ dismissal. 

Joseph stays round the wicket to the right-handed Smith and peppers him. After swaying out of the road of the perfume ball, Smith tucks a single off his ribs. Jason Holder is in the batsman’s ear. Having been told he has had his quota of bouncers for the over, Joseph pushes it a bit further up but still on the short side. Root pulls it witheringly off box-height for four. 

We often see Ben Stokes deploying the short ball ploy when he bowls. Now, he has succumbed to it himself: well-directed 90mph bouncer from Alzarri Joseph, hooked straight to square leg. Stokes got a healthy reception as he walked off - it was an excellent half-century - but you could also detect some frustration from the crowd at the end of their fun. West Indies are now in pole position to get a lead.

Stokes c Brathwaite b Alzarri Joseph 54  Utter dross it may have been in the previous over but the strategy has b(r)ought him the England captain’s wicket, Stokes splicing a pull to square leg. Quicker and bounced higher than Stokes anticipated, cramping him at chest height. Stokes hangs his head. A hundredth Test wicket for AJ. FOW 169/6

Brathwaite sticks with Motie, the left-arm spinner coming in from the City End. Root whisks a pair of deliveries to midwicket who stops the single and then beats him with a straighter work-to leg to get off strike. Stokes sweeps straight to square leg and then strokes a controlled drive to cover for one. 

A few spots of rain during lunch have not delayed the resumption. I was at Edgbaston yesterday, in the Raglan Stand with some old friends. We have been going to the first day of the Birmingham Test for years. One of many noticeable things was the prevalence of the second iteration of official England reversible bucket hats. I counted more than 200 in our section and they must have sold as many as a thousand in the day. At £30 a pop, that’s some return for England and Castore. Knock-off versions outside for a tenner were also briskly bought as well as Barmy Army varieties. It’s a Bucket Hat nation in summer.

Two landmarks in Alzarri Joseph’s first over of the afternoon. Two powder-puff half-trackers that Stokes pulls for four to bring up his half-century and, after he short-arm pulls for a single, Root carts a rank long hop for four to raise 12,000 Test runs. After a rather sharper bouncer, Root tucks into another pat-a-cake short ones and rolls the wrists on it to pull a single. 

Utter dross from Alzarri. 

Thanks, Rob. Bagchi here for the final two sessions. Sky has been showing some remarkable short films about Bob Willis, the Bob Willis Fund and Space to Grieve during the lunch break and I highly commend them and the cause to you. 

Such an entertaining first session. England lost two early wickets through some loose stroke play but Joe Root and Ben Stokes responded with an enterprising century stand. Root passed Brian Lara to move into seventh on the all time run scorer’s list and went to lunch exactly two short of 12,000 in Tests.

Stokes needed an innings like this after a lean year with the bat. He lashed on Holder through the covers for four, and swept Gudakesh Motie for six into the Hollies Stand to signal a return to form, lunching two short of his fifty. There is still work to do with England 125 behind, but if West indies break this stand, it will be a chance to see what Jamie Smith can do with the bat for the first time in a difficult situation.

West Indies will rue not reviewing an lbw when Root was on three, a sloppy error to add to a long list in this series.

Root again accumulated with ease, hitting just four boundaries in his fifty but reaching it in only 68 balls, working the ball around adeptly. It was the epitome of risk-free batting.

It is a lesson to Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, both dismissed earlier trying too hard. Pope played on cutting a ball too close to him for the shot and Brook nicked off throwing a drive at Jayden Seales.

The pitch is still good for batting, although it is an overcast day, and if Root and Stokes stay in, Edgbaston will be at its full-throated, partisan best this afternoon.

Stokes bat-pads a fine delivery from Motie wide of short leg. I think it was bounce rather than turn that troubled him there.

Not much has troubled Root or Stokes, who batted with certainty and class to add 119 after the early loss of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook. At that stage England were 56/5, and it would have been worse had West Indies reviewed an LBW appeal against Root.

England trail by 125 runs. 

Alzarri returns for one over of short stuff before lunch. He goes round the wicket to Root, who was one of the players suckered out by Australia at Lord’s last year, and starts ramming the ball in.

Lunch or no lunch, both players are willing to take it on. A pull for two from Stokes brings up a calm, accomplished hundred partnership in less than 20 overs.

Time for one more over from Motie.

There he goes! Out of nothing, Stokes gets down on one knee to hoick Motie miles over square leg for the first six of the innings. He absolutely nailed that.

Stokes times Holder to the right of mid-on for four, another beautiful homage to Perth 2013. As Mark Butcher says on Sky, a whiff of danger tends to concentrate Stokes’ mind; he can’t be bothered scoring runs at 500/4.

Ten minutes to go until lunch. I wonder whether West Indies will give England a dose of Bodyline after the break, perhaps even before.

Another pristine half-century from Joe Root, playing at his natural tempo; no improvisation but still very quick, getting there in 68 balls. How West Indies will rue not reviewing that lbw appeal from Jayden Seales when Root was 3: he would have been out, reducing England to 43-4.

A wide yorker from Motie to Stokes beats everyone and rushes away for four byes. He’s bowling quite nicely to the left-handed Stokes, who thick-edges a couple before keeping out a quicker ball with an awkward defensive shot. England trail by 149.

England having painted themselves into a corner with their feckless shot-selection, it is bubbling up into a fine game. The Hollies Stand is warming up and delighted to see Joe Root and Ben Stokes fight back, rather than another walk-over. They should be at full throttle if, or when, one of them reaches a century.

Stokes charges Holder and flat-bats a disdainful boundary through extra cover. That prompts Da Silva to come up to the stumps, so Stokes rolls his wrists to get a single on the leg side.

Root does likewise to reach a quietly brilliant half-century from 68 balls. He could have been out on three, when West Indies declined to review an LBW, but since then he has played flawlessly. Oh, and in his last four innings at Edgbaston, he averages 354.

One fascinating thing about this partnership is that it has felt low-key yet Root and Stokes are scoring at 4.3 an over. More than one way to trouble the scorers and all that.

Motie gets one ball to turn sharply but slowly into Stokes, who defends solidly. This is only the second morning so that’s an encouraging sign. All things being equal, he’ll be a factor in the fourth innings.

Holder has switched ends to replace Shamar Joseph. Stokes punches two or three pleasant drives straight to mid-off, then times a couple past backward point. He’s playing well - not quite with the same panache as Root, but with bed-and-breakfast intent. 

There’s no swing so Kraigg Brathwaite turns to his spinner Gudakesh Motie, who bowled Root and Stokes at Lord’s with lovely deliveries. He starts with a maiden to Root, who is annoyed to miss an attempted sweep outside leg stump.

There was a remarkable stat doing the rounds yesterday, showing that Root averaged 250 against good-length balls in the last two or three years. Nobody else in world cricket is in three figures.

He gives the average a little boost by forcing a length ball from Shamar for two, then flicks a fuller ball for two more. This is a study in low-risk, high-speed runscoring: he has 48 from 57 balls.

Jason Holder comes into the attack for the first time; he’ll be a threat if it swings. Stokes breaks his wrists to drive a straight half-volley through extra cover for three. Cracking shot.

Brathwaite tries to get the ball changed without success. It has barely moved off the straight in the last half hour or so.

West Indies review for caught behind against Stokes! Something about Stokes’s body language tells me this might be out; if so it’s a frustrating leg-side strangle.

Nope, as you were: it hit the pad and nothing else. Stokes pulls a no-ball for a single to bring up the fifty partnership; it’s been a triumph of experience.

Root reaches outside off stump to time Alzarri through extra cover for three, another high-class stroke. Those runs allow him to overtake Sir Alastair Cook as the leading runscorer in Tests at Edgbaston: 870 and counting. 

In each of the last two years Root has made brilliant unbeaten hundreds on this ground: 142 in that amazing run-chase v India in 2022, 118 on the first day of the Ashes series before he was sawn-off by Ben Stokes.

Stokes works a single to bring up the England hundred. This has been an excellent partnership, the template for the rest to flow. Root and Stokes have minimised risk while scoring at 5.12 an over.

And now, my friend, it’s time for drinks.

Shamar Joseph replaces Seales. His first ball is fractionally full, if that, and Stokes plays the most beautiful off-drive for four. That shots takes us right back to hiss first Test hundred at Perth in 2013-14, an innings full of gorgeous drives down the ground.

Root looks so secure at the crease; nothing frivolous at all. And he’s still scoring at almost a run a ball. When Joseph overpitches, Root scrunches a risk-free square drive for four. If he reaches 60 today he’ll also break 12,000 Test runs.

Stokes purses his lips after being surprised by some extra bounce from Seales. He defended the ball solidly, then walked down the track to clip the next ball for a couple. Finally a stylish drive is well stopped by Athanaze in the covers. England trali by 200.

Stokes rams the word ‘strokeless’ down my throat with an emphatic cut for four. He slips trying to defend a shorter delivery, after which he complains to the umpires about something, and then edges this far short of Hodge at first slip. Close close close.

Incidentally I missed some big stats news a couple of overs ago: Root has gone above Brian Lara and into seventh place on the list of leading Test runscorers. He needs around 450 to go above Kumar Sangakkara in sixth.

An uneventful over from Seales. England’s two batsmen are approaching the rebuild differently: Root is busy, Stokes strokeless. For now.

Ollie Pope should smack himself after a shot like that. It’s the 11th over of England’s innings, three wickets down, and Shamar Joseph has gone wide of the crease, probably to angle the ball in. Pope then tries to cut/steer/dab a ball heading for fourth or at any rate fifth stump… and lo and behold he drags it on. Who would have thought it? Whatever happened to refined Bazball?

Alzarri Joseph replaces Shamar. His first over is a bit of a mess in which Root hits successive boundaries to fine leg and deep point. He looks in good touch.

UltraEdge suggests that the Seales bouncer to Root didn’t hit anything, though I could’ve sworn there was a deviation.

Complacency. End of term. Slaphappy. All four wickets of England’s specialist batsmen have been principally batsman-error. What would have changed this complacency and prevented it setting in? Well, it is difficult to prevent once a series has been won, But one way to deter it would be to bring in a new, fresh, far from complacent player – in this case Dillon Pennington instead of Mark Wood to encourage the others as they say in French.

Excellent work from the Sky Sports team, who show that Seales dismissed Brook in almost identical circumstances last Sunday. 

Root pushes Seales watchfully through the covers for two. “Compare and contrast,” says Mike Atherton on commentary, referring to Brook’s attempt to larrup Seales for four. Another soft-handed push, this time behind square, gives Root two more runs. After all the indulgent dismissals, England have their two most level-headed players at the crease.

Saying which, Root tries to hook Seales and is beaten. Was there a noise? That definitely hit something, either the top edge or the helmet, but West Indies barely appealed.

Looks a fine batting day – lovely conditions, sun’s out, full house – but England are now 54-5. West Indies have bowled terrifically, both last night and this morning, and have prayed on England’s tendency to attack impulsively; this can be dangerous when the West Indies, and especially Jayden Seales, generate such swing. Harry Brook’s dismissal, driving extravagantly, fit within the English template. 

Stokes chases a very wide yorker from Shamar and misses. The length made it a safe enough shot, and that aside he has defended or left everything so far.

Loose, loose batting from England. Too complacent? Hubris? It is a bowling attack that commands respect and Brook and Pope failed to do that. At least this gives a chance to Jamie Smith at some point today to show his potential.

England are five down and it should be worse: West Indies didn’t review an LBW against Root in the second over of the day.

Brook c Da Silva b Seales 2 West Indies are rampant and England are officially in all sorts! Brook tries to drive a tempting outswinger from Seales and snicks it through to Joshua Da Silva. Again, not a great shot in the circumstances; England are drowning in their own testosterone. FOW: 54/5

That was clever bowling from Shamar Joseph, who went wider on the crease to cramp Pope for room. It wasn’t the greatest shot, mind.

Pope b S Joseph 10 Goddim! Another drag-on leaves England in trouble. Pope tried to cut a ball from Shamar Joseph that zipped through to take the bottom edge and flatten middle stump. FOW: 51/4

Jayden Seales’ first ball is a nice awayswinger that beats Root, who then falls over a straighter delivery and is hit on the pad. West Indies plead for LBW without success; it was probably just missing leg. 

Seales briefly loses patience, spearing in a yorker outside leg stump that Root puts away for four.

Hang on, Root would have been out had West Indies reviewed! There were three reds on the replay, so England coulda shoulda woulda been 43/4. West Indies didn’t really discuss a review; both bowler and keeper concurred that it was going down the leg side.

Shamar Joseph, who didn’t bowl last night, is surprisingly given the first over. The move almost pays off when Pope tries to drive a very wide delivery and is beaten. A decent start from West Indies, who have a real chance to hurt England this morning.

The players are all wearing special blue caps to highlight the work done by the Bob Willis Fund in the fight against prostate cancer. They are led onto the field by Bob’s daughter and two grandchildren, one of whom has ‘GRUMPS 43’ on the back of their England shirt. (The 43 refers to how many runs he conceded in that epic spell at Headingley in 81; his daughter Katie’s shirt has ‘DAD 8’ on the back.)

After 45 seconds of heartfelt applause from everyone at Edgbaston, the players scatter to get ready for the cricket.

[On Bob Willis] I played a game against South Africa at Trent Bridge when I was struggling with my boot, bowling at around 77-78mph. I turned on The Verdict and Bob was on: ‘Mark Wood, fast bowler? I don’t think so!’

[On the state of play] We were pleased to bowl them out yesterday but it was disappointing to lose three wickets last night. We’ve got some quality players in the shed so hopefully we can get a partnership going and put them under pressure.

[On the short-ball ploy] People think we just thump it in but there is a bit more to it than that. By the third or fourth over Jason Holder is trying to swipe one, so you think, ‘Okay, we’re breaking them mentally.’ It takes a lot out of you but there was a quote from Bob there: ‘Never, ever give up.’ That’s how I feel.

When I swing the ball I really feel in the game. I’ve been trying to work on a wobble ball as well, even though it doesn’t come naturally to me.

After five innings in Test cricket, Gus Atkinson has an incredible 20 wickets at 16.45 and it was no surprise one of the first to slap him on the back at the end of another solid England bowling performance on a flat pitch was Mark Wood, giving the seal of approval form fire-breathing fast bowler to fire-breathing fast bowler. Their partnership promises so much in Australia.

Mark Wood is a national asset. Like a Holbein or an original copy of Magna Carta, he should be treasured, not carted round the country to be exhibited at every meeting of the Rotary Club.

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As he often has, Woakes has grown beautifully into this series. He was rusty during Anderson’s Testmatchimonial at Lord’s, having played little cricket this year, a period in which he has lost his father.

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Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live, over-by-over coverage of Not The Olympics, also known as the third Test between England and West Indies. Day one was a slow-burning cracker, with 320 runs scored and 13 wickets taken. The last three came in a dramatic 13-ball spell which challenged the widespread assumption that England were cruising towards a series whitewash.

England will resume on 38/3, 244 runs behind West Indies, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root at the crease. Based on yesterday’s play, anything is possible. When the ball swung, batting was precarious at best; when it didn’t, bowling was a bit of an exercise in futility.

“It was a bonus to get three wickets,” said the West Indian allrounder Jason Holder. “We played that passage really well. At that stage the runs are irrelevant, we could just attack. With 40 minutes to bowl you can run in and give everything you can. It’s really set up for a nice one now.”

Holder made a fine 59 before falling to a jaffa from Gus Atkinson, whose four wickets took his total to 20 in just two and a half Tests. “He’s making it look quite easy isn’t he?” said Chris Woakes, who continued a personal return to form with figures of 3 for 67. “He came in at Lord’s and did fantastically well, got his rewards, and he’s also done it now on back-to-back flat wickets. Trent Bridge was hard work for the seamers last week, especially in the beating sun on day two, but he’s really showcased his skills.

“He’s got the ability to swing the ball and a good wobble seam, he’s got some pace behind him so he can use the short-ball ploy well. He looks the all-round bowler.”

Atkinson can bat a bit too. England might need his runs today.