England’s four-pronged pace attack prevailed to take charge of the game. It was almost a mirror image of the 1980s when Clive Lloyd had to decide whether to start with Mikey, Malcolm or Joel while his opposite number was having to desperately shuffle a makeshift attack. Joe Root’s quartet does not possess the same searing pace Lloyd had at his disposal, but it bristles with quality and energy.
A first-innings total of 369 may have been a mild disappointment given England’s starting point but it was enough to boss the game as the pacemen turned the screw. Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson were miserly, on target and keen to justify possession of the new ball; their sidekicks, Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes, were a little more expensive but always dangerous.
When the umpires and their ultra-sensitive light meters left the field just before six o’clock the West Indies were 137 for six. They need another 33 to save the follow-on. But for a very poor forecast for Monday England supporters would have every right to be supremely confident of winning the series. Instead, any concerns stem from the weather and those meters.
Broad led the way with bat and ball. A quickfire 62 restored a flagging innings and then he made the initial breakthrough with the new ball, finding the edge of Kraigg Brathwaite’s bat with his fourth ball of the innings. Soon after, Anderson, bowling towards his End, usually the less-favoured one here, found the edge of John Campbell’s bat, which produced the most startling blemish of the day. Ben Stokes at second slip spilled a regulation catch.
Thereafter Campbell, easy on the eye, scored more freely than any of his colleagues until he was stunned by one of Archer’s lifters. The ball sprang from the pitch devilishly and Campbell could only fend it to gully.
Next Anderson, now operating from his own end, intervened. Shai Hope after 63 balls of determined defence, edged a fine delivery to the keeper. In his next over Anderson sent Shamarh Brooks on his way this time via an inside edge.
Broad returned to have Roston Chase lbw – once again he only just remembered to look at the umpire while delivering his appeal/celebration and West Indies were rocking.
There was a mini-recovery until Woakes penetrated the swinging, open gate of Jermaine Blackwood. While the promoted Jason Holder stood firm, Shane Dowrich wobbled against a stream of short deliveries and both were grateful when the umpires headed for the pavilion.
England were in charge, even though the morning session, when they lost four wickets for 22 at the start, had not gone quite as planned.
Olly Pope revealed on Friday night that in the current rarified atmosphere he takes sleeping tablets when not out overnight. Here he needed nine runs for his second Test century after a night’s sleep but he gave the impression that he might have got the dosage wrong.
Pope was unable to get back in the groove. He was dropped by Rahkeem Cornwall at first slip off Shannon Gabriel but was unable to capitalise on that reprieve. Soon he aimed a drive towards the leg-side and the ball crashed into his middle and off stumps before he had added to his score.
Woakes, whose batting prowess has been well hidden in this series, was bowled off the inside edge by Kemar Roach, the 200th Test wicket for this engaging, stalwart cricketer.
Jos Buttler clipped two crisp boundaries before a superb catch by Holder at second slip – he is 6ft 7in tall and the ball sped to him two inches off the ground – gave Roach his 201st victim. Archer departed in similar fashion and England were 280 for eight. Any sane groundsman would have started to crank up the roller now.
As it turned out this would have been a terrible waste of energy. Broad hit his highest score since the Trent Bridge Test of 2013 against Australia. He reached his half-century in 33 balls, the third-fastest by an Englishman, the two quicker ones having been struck by Ian Botham.
His innings was a great spectacle, containing a stream of audacious strokes, which restored England’s crumbling ascendancy.
One theory about Broad’s performances since his omission at the Ageas Bowl is that it confirms the benefits of being dropped, though the validity of this argument only strikes those who are retired. Do not expect Broad to give Ed Smith a call to thank the selectors for having to sit out that first Test.
All quality cricketers bounce back with venom at the indignity of being left out. In recent times these have included Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Joe Root. Broad can easily be added to that list.
He suggested something special with a superb pulled six over midwicket off Roach. An array of cover drives and improvised cuts followed and West Indies were rattled.
At the other end Dom Bess wisely sat on his bat handle and admired the derring-do of his partner and together they added a vital 76 runs in 15 overs.
After a series of sublime strokes Broad’s departure was faintly ridiculous. He opted for a premeditated sweep against what turned out to be a full toss from Chase and spooned a catch straight to Blackwood at deep midwicket.
Not long afterwards Anderson edged to slip off Holder. But by then the damage had been done.