The final instalment of this series opener in Antigua played out with a carnival atmosphere in the stands and commendable doggedness from both sides out in the middle until weary handshakes eventually arrived at 5.34pm local time.
Over the course of five days, on a largely lifeless surface, the players had given their all. And in the end, West Indies had the cool heads of Nkrumah Bonner (38) and Jason Holder (37) to thank, the pair holding firm for 144 minutes of defiance to take their side to 147 for four from 70.1 overs after England had set a target of 286.
This was an unfamiliar territory for Joe Root’s tourists during their winter of discontent, with the captain’s 24th Test century – 109 from 204 balls – affording him the rare luxury of a declaration at 349 for six shortly before lunch. It felt bold at the time, not least after losing Mark Wood to the elbow injury that puts his tour in doubt.
Jack Leach stood up for his captain here, claiming figures of three for 57 from 30.1 overs on the final day despite his main encouragement coming from the cage of catchers around the bat, rather than the surface. Ben Stokes was the standout seamer, notching up 13 overs of grunt work and 41 overall in a match where the all-rounder was supposed to be used sparingly.
England were certainly in the ascendancy when Bonner and Holder came together after tea and West Indies had slipped to 67 for four. It came through a combination of Leach’s persistence, the muscle of Stokes, and a couple of shots that had head coach Phil Simmons rolling his eyes on the home team’s room balcony.
Things had looked fairly benign out in the middle when Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell put on a 59-run partnership for the first wicket. Indeed it took a typical intervention from Stokes to separate them, the all-rounder pounding in from the Sir Andy Roberts end and pinning Brathwaite lbw for 33 with one that finally kept low.
This breakthrough was then compounded instantly when Campbell decided to take on Leach next over, only to pick out Craig Overton at mid-on. As a brain fade it rivalled the subsequent dismissal of his fellow Jamaican Jermaine Blackwood, when the No 5 played an awful swipe on two and was struck in front by Leach.
In between came the loss of Shamarh Brooks on the stroke of tea when Leach found a smidgeon of turn, the edge of the right-hander’s bat and Zak Crawley pouched a fine low catch at slip. Having earlier grassed Campbell on one – and reprieved Bonner on 73 during his first innings century – his relief was palpable.
A more diligent approach followed from Bonner and Holder, however, hunkering down for the second time in the match. England were patient and resourceful, even if Chris Woakes and Craig Overton were largely neutered and the loopy spin of Dan Lawrence threatened more.
But they were also left to rue Root’s decision not to use his final review in the 49th over when Leach pinned Holder on the back foot offering no shot on 13 and Hawkeye returned three reds.
When the England captain instead used this for a caught behind off Holder four overs later and snicko showed no spike, further agony followed. And so while England’s depleted attack surpassed the incredible energy levels of the local drummers on the grass bank, they hobbled off at the close with a tinge of regret.
This final outcome was not entirely unexpected when, at 11.38am local time, Root leaned out of the dressing room window and waved in Jonny Bairstow and Woakes. The pair added a sprightly seventh-wicket stand of 35 that calmed the seas after England lost four wickets in five overs during their pursuit of quick runs.
Root had earlier turned his overnight 84 into three figures, slotting six fours in a frictionless cruise and marking the milestone by kissing a necklace made by his children back home. He was also celebrating his 13th hundred as captain – surpassing the previous England record of 12 made by predecessor Alastair Cook – and a first since the end of last summer.
He and Crawley had also put on 201 runs for the second wicket, the latter adding four runs to the 117 he had so elegantly stroked the previous day only for Holder to detonate his off-stump with a lasered yorker. Lawrence then played a little gem of an innings, injecting impetus into proceedings with a 36-ball 37 and perhaps auditioning for Strictly down the line, such was his footwork and timing.
From 310 for three there was a wobble, Alzarri Joseph nipping in to claim three of the four middle order wickets to fall. But once the calm heads of Woakes and Bairstow had set up a satisfactory equation for their captain, it was over to Root’s bowlers to see if they could somehow force a positive result.
That they were in this position, and had seen three batters in Bairstow, Crawley and Root make centuries during this hard-fought series opener, pointed to, if not a total reset, then some green shoots of recovery on the road.