On the same day that Bangladesh saved their run-fest Test against Pakistan, the other international taking place followed a very different path as 18 wickets tumbled on the second day in Barbados – the most ever to fall in a day at the famous venue

The Report by Andrew McGlashan02-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:24

Dobell: Ridiculous day leaves Test delicately poised

On the same day that Bangladesh saved their run-fest Test against Pakistan, the other international taking place followed a very different path as 18 wickets tumbled in Barbados – the most ever to fall in a day’s Test cricket in the Caribbean. James Anderson took 6 for 42, earning England a first-innings lead of 68, but they stumbled badly in their second innings as they were left tottering on 39 for 5, the advantage extended to 107 on a surface where every run was at a premium.West Indies were superb in the final period of the day: the five bowlers used conceded just four boundaries in 21 overs. Jerome Taylor, who set the tone with three morning wickets to end England’s first innings, again found the fast, full swing which can make him so dangerous, Shannon Gabriel pushed 93mph and Veerasammy Permaul probed out of the rough.Amid the many subplots to the day there was the likely last innings of Jonathan Trott’s Test career as he failed for a second time, completing a poor series where he has made double figures just once, when he was lbw to Taylor. His Warwickshire colleague Ian Bell completed the second pair of his Test career when he went the same way. Bell’s previous pair was ten years ago, in a certain Test at The Oval.Meanwhile, Alastair Cook could not build on his cathartic hundred when he edged Gabriel to slip and Joe Root was also caught in the cordon, driving at Jason Holder. It is fair to say the quality of batting throughout the day was not the highest, but there was some impressive pace bowling (England’s spin less so) and, above all, it made for thoroughly entertaining cricket – a value that should not be underestimated.Extraordinarily, when Moeen Ali dragged on a ball from Permaul which skidded low out of the footmarks in the penultimate over, West Indies could be considered to have evened the ledger for the day. If England find another 100 runs from the last five wickets chasing 200 will pose tough questions, but they will take some gouging out on the third – and probably last – day.It is worth a reminder that England resumed on 240 for 7, but they could only add another 17 runs and in all the last six wickets fell for 68, although when West Indies slipped to 21 for 3 in the face of Anderson’s opening burst that became more than competitive. Anderson picked up where he had left off on the final day in Grenada; his first spell was a classy 6-4-4-3 and after tea another three-wicket burst wrapped up West Indies’ innings and pushed Anderson closer to his next milestone: 400 wickets.West Indies would have been further adrift on first innings had it not been for Jermaine Blackwood’s punchy 88-ball 85. It has been a mixed series for him, a maiden hundred interspersed with some reckless shots, but these were priceless runs made in a wonderfully free spirit – including three sixes, the best a straight drive off Ben Stokes – having walked in with his team a mess at 37 for 4. He was the last-man out, lofting to long-off, to give Anderson his sixth wicket.Blackwood and Shivnarine Chanderpaul hinted at a fightback after Anderson’s first spell, but the latter fell to another stunning slip catch by Chris Jordan, then Stokes and Stuart Broad made good use of a ball that started to reverse to further work through the middle order.Jerome Taylor spearheaded West Indies’ fightback in the final session on a bowler-dominated day•Getty ImagesAny disappointment England felt after a poor early morning was soon evaporating as Anderson quickly found his groove – fittingly from the Malcolm Marshall End. The removal of the openers was skilful, but the stand-out wicket was that of Marlon Samuels who was dissected with the precision of a surgeon in a series of deliveries that should be shown to any aspiring swing bowler. It was the fast-bowling version of what Shane Warne used to do to batsmen.Samuels was keen to counterattack, but Anderson had the ball on a string: five outswingers, of varying width outside off, one which beat the edge, were followed by an inswinger which Samuels did not spot, at least until he was beyond the point of no return as he padded up. For some reason, that only the batsman will know, he used up a review – which confirmed middle stump was the destination. The same could be said of Bell later in the day.The way Anderson worked over an experienced player highlighted how the inexperienced openers – including one on debut – need feel no shame in their troubles against him. Anderson continued his hold over Kraigg Braithwaite, with a perfect full outswinger second ball which was edged to third slip, then in his third over he ended Shai Hope’s first Test innings when the 21-year-old nicked very low to first slip.Cook, who moments earlier had dropped a chest-high chance to give Darren Bravo a life on 0 off Broad, was confident he had claimed the catch but as so often it went upstairs. Cook, himself, had benefited from third-umpire uncertainty when he nudged to short leg on 22 yesterday but this time the catch was given. The difference between the two, it emerged, was the emphasis of the on-field umpire when asking for the TV: in the case of Cook’s catch they were confident it had been taken, whereas in the case of yesterday’s they believed it was not out.The chance Cook shelled did not prove costly as in the first over after lunch Bravo fiddled outside off at a delivery which spun from Moeen but could have been left, presenting a comfortable catch to Jordan at slip. Better was to come later from Jordan. But Moeen then began to struggle with his length, dragging the ball down as he tried to hit the pitch hard, and was taken for 26 off two overs largely by Blackwood who latched on with the pull.Root replaced Moeen and his golden arm came to the fore again, although as in Antigua it owned everything to Jordan’s reflexes at slip. Chanderpaul was playing off the back foot, Jordan was anticipating any potential edge would go wider then sprang back to his left to pluck off another eye-popping catch. It will, perhaps, go unnoticed but Jordan had also helped reassert England’s control with a six-over spell which cost just four runs.England’s quicks kept the ball full, a tactic that paid dividends for Broad when he found the edge of Denesh Ramdin and then for Stokes, in his first over, when a delivery tailed away from Holder to give Jos Buttler a second catch. After tea, it was clear that attack, led by Blackwood, was West Indies’ preferred mode and it made for exciting viewing as they added 50 in 40 balls.Moeen continued to struggle for the right length, leaving Anderson to carry the burden. Permaul was well held at short leg by the substitute, Adam Lyth, who was on for Gary Ballance – a victim of a short ball from Root that was cracked into his wrist. Taylor drove Anderson effortlessly over long-on for six before being bowled off his pad in the same over to complete Anderson’s 17th five-wicket haul. Would that be followed by England steadily building on the lead? Nothing of the sort.