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Ton-up Stokes takes charge for England against West Indies
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, July 17, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Ben Stokes
piled on the agony for the West Indies with a century in the second
Test at Old Trafford on Friday after Dom Sibley’s painstaking hundred
finally came to an end.
England were 378-5 at tea on the second day, with Stokes 172 not out
in a match the hosts need to win to level the three-Test series.
Together with Sibley, he put on 260 for the fourth wicket after the
pair came together Thursday with England struggling at 81-3 following
the loss of returning captain Joe Root.
Sibley’s hundred was one of the slowest in Tests by an England
batsman, the opener batting for 471 minutes — nearly eight hours —
to complete a 312-ball century featuring a mere fours.
But the 24-year-old Warwickshire right-hander’s second hundred in
eight career Tests, following his 133 not out against South Africa at
Cape Town in January, was a valauble innings all the same.
And he made the normally reliable Holder pay for dropping him in the
slips on 68.
Run-scoring was difficult against a swinging ball and on a sluggish
outfield, with even the normally fluent Stokes taking nearly six hours
and 285 balls to complete his 10th Test century.
But, significantly, Stokes’ third fifty came off just 46 balls and,
having given Sibley a ‘head start’ of 31.2 overs, he overtook his
team-mate’s total.
England resumed on their overnight 207-3, with Sibley 86 not out and
Stokes, their stand-in captain when Root missed last week’s
four-wicket loss in the first Test at Southampton to attend the birth
of his second child, unbeaten in 59.
West Indies made a wayward start on Friday, with Shannon Gabriel
bowling several wide deliveries.
Stokes, 99 not out at lunch, went to three figures with a cheeky
reverse-swept four against off-spinner Roston Chase.
Holder delayed taking the new ball until the 94th over, perhaps
concerned it would make run-scoring easier for England.
As if proving that point, Stokes promptly clipped rival all-rounder
Holder through midwicket for four.
The left-handed batsman surpassed that shot when he a check-drove a
respectable Alzarri Joseph delivery for six over midwicket.
Having batted for over nine hours Sibley holed out to deep midwicket
off Chase on 120.
Stokes had moved on to 157 when a diving Shai Hope failed to hold a
tough gully chance off Gabriel.
But as can happen after a large partnership, the new batsman fell
cheaply, with Ollie Pope (seven) lbw to give Chase his fourth wicket
of the innings.
BSS/AFP/MRU/2126hrs