Agencies
Jamie Smith’s dazzling 95 helped England seize control of the third Test against West Indies on a compelling second day at Edgbaston.
Smith’s aggressive knock, off 109 balls, included 12 fours and one six as England resolutely compiled 376 in response to West Indies’ first-innings total of 282.
West Indies lost skipper Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk McKenzie cheaply in the final hour of the day as they reached stumps on 33-2 – 61 runs behind England.
The tourists had earlier made an electric start in the morning session after they quickly captured the wickets of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook to leave England reeling at 54-5.
Calm heads were needed and England’s two most experienced batters – Joe Root and skipper Ben Stokes (54) – duly delivered a composed 115-run stand for the sixth wicket to spearhead the fightback.
Wicketkeeper Smith upped the ante as he and Chris Woakes (62) firmly wrestled the initiative in England’s favour with some fluent strokeplay, cheered on by a raucous crowd.
England’s day would have been even better had Stokes not dropped a simple catch to dismiss West Indies opener Mikyle Louis, who will resume on day three with Alick Athanaze.
Smith brought up his second Test half-century off 60 balls then took Joseph to the cleaners again, ruthlessly pummelling three wasteful deliveries on legs in the same over for four.
It was going to take a piece of fine bowling, or a freak dismissal, to dislodge Smith as he eyed a maiden Test hundred.
Shamar Joseph flummoxed him with the latter as a short-pitched off-cutter bounced low and went through to hit the stumps with Smith already committed to pull a ball he expected to be chest height.
Up on the England balcony Stokes theatrically threw his head back in despair, almost disbelief, before he too joined the rest of a well-oiled crowd in applauding a fine knock.
ScorescColor:> West Indies 282 and 33 for 2 (Louis 18*, Athanaze 5*, Woakes 1-8, Atkinson 1-16) trail England 376 (Smith 95, Root 87, Woakes 62, Stokes 54) by 61 runs.
