Chris Woakes snared the key wicket of Kavem Hodge thanks to a clever set-up. He bowled outswingers all over in the preceding over, so Hodge thought he had another one coming as it was in the channel. However, the wobble-seam delivery cut back in off the deck as Hodge haplessly watched it crash into the top of off-stump. He made a heroic century in the last game, but there have been no such exploits this time around. The West Indies are in trouble, having lost five wickets in no time despite a very good start.
Earlier, an opening session of two halves transpired on Day 1 of the third Test between England and West Indies after the visitors opted to bat on a flat track. The scoreline read 49/0 in the first hour and 48/3 in the next.
England started off nicely by stitching 3 maidens in the first 7 overs, but their lengths were found to be on the shorter side which allowed the opening duo of Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis to see through the opening hour without too much fuss.
England beat the bat over a dozen times during that phase, but the Windies duo looked really solid and showed good judgement to the balls in the outside-off channel. With the surface not offering a great deal, Gus Atkinson tried a bumper on the second ball off his second spell which planted a seed of doubt in Louis’ mind, who, ultimately, perished chasing a wide tempter few balls later.
McKenzie then hit three boundaries off four balls against Atkinson, but Wood’s pace proved too hot to handle for him. Athanaze’s wicket was just the icing on the cake as England fared much better in the second half of the session.