West Indies vs. England, 2nd Test, Day 3: Highlights, Scorecard and Report

England established a first-innings lead on day three of the second Test against West Indies in Grenada.

Joe Root scored an unbeaten century as the visitors reached 373 for six at stumps, a lead of 74 at the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Cook		b Gabriel	76	191	211	8	0
Trott	c Blackwood	b Bishoo	59	142	147	7	0
Ballance		b Samuels	77	183	188	8	1
Bell		b Gabriel	1	9	3	0	0
Root	not out		118	179	165	13	2
Moeen	run out (Blackwood)		0	8	4	0	0
Stokes	c Blackwood	b Bishoo	8	30	23	0	0
Buttler	not out		4	15	17	0	0
Extras		18nb 1w 9b 2lb	30
Bowler			Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Roach			24	4	77	0
Gabriel			19	3	60	2
Holder			18	6	49	0
Bishoo			41	10	124	2
Samuels			21	4	38	1
Blackwood			1	0	14	0

The tourists resumed on 74 without loss, and openers Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott made painfully slow progress before lunch.

Trott made his first Test half-century since August 2013 from 137 balls but perished for 59 when he was caught at second slip in attempting to drive leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Just 69 runs were scored in the morning session, and Shannon Gabriel made a double breakthrough after lunch as Cook and Ian Bell both played-on, attempting cut shots.

Skipper Cook’s wait for a Test century extended to 34 innings as he was dismissed for 76 with Bell (1) departing in Gabriel’s next over, having faced just three balls.

However, Root had few problems in scoring quickly, and his presence saw England up the tempo and reach 253 for three at tea.

Root reached his half-century off 70 balls, 59 fewer than Yorkshire colleague Ballance, as the duo put on 165 for the fourth wicket.

Ballance was deceived by a slower ball from Marlon Samuels on 77, and his drive only ended in an inside edge onto his leg stump. 

Just 11 balls later, Moeen Ali was back in the pavilion as he set off on a quick single, attempting to get off the mark, and was short of his ground having been sent back by Root.

That did not affect Root, who brought up his first Test century overseas from 125 balls, a ton that featured 13 boundaries and two sixes.

West Indies picked up another wicket later in the day as Ben Stokes (8) attempted to pull Bishoo into the crowd and only succeeded in picking out Jermaine Blackwood at deep mid-wicket.

However, Root stood firm and finished unbeaten on 118. England will look to put the pressure on the hosts by building a sizeable advantage on day four as they aim to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after the drawn opening Test in Antigua.