England’s hopes of a famous rearguard in Barbados ended in a humiliating 381-run defeat in the first Test as unheralded spinner Roston Chase took remarkable figures of eight for 60.
Chase arrived at the Kensington Oval with a career bowling average north of 47, but played the role of languid assassin despite finding no appreciable spin.
England will look back in horror at their latest visit to Bridgetown, having been rolled over for 77 in the first innings and spent almost an entire wicketless day failing to part a seventh-wicket pair. But their capitulation at the hands of a functional off-break bowler who had expected to play a peripheral role was arguably the most surprising twist of all.
From 215 for four they were dismissed for 246 on the fourth evening, with Rory Burns’ career-best 84 the scantest of rewards.
Vic Marks’s report to follow …