The first Test between England and West Indies at Southampton marked the return of international cricket in grand style as the fans of the game watched a brilliant encounter between the two sides despite rain playing spoilsport on day one.
England’s newest captain Ben Stokes won the toss and gambled by batting first under overcast conditions. England managed 204 runs in the first do with Stokes making 43 and Buttler and Bess making 30 odd. Jason Holder picked career-best 6/42, while Shannon Gabriel claimed four wickets.
West Indies dug in deep and answered with 318 runs as Kraigg Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich made half-centuries. Stokes starred with the ball, picking 4/49, while Anderson picked three wickets. West Indies earned a good 114-run lead.
England also performed much better in second innings as the conditions became favorable as they piled on 318 runs with Dom Sibley making 50, Zak Crawley making 76, and Burns and Stokes contributing as well. Gabriel proved to be the hero with the ball here as he picked 5/75 and 9/137 for the match.
ENG v WI 2020: Brathwaite thanks skipper Holder for support despite lean patch before UK tour
West Indies had to chase 200 runs for a famous win here. But Jofra Archer reduced them to 27/3 with John Campbell retired hurt after been hit on the foot by an Archer yorker. Then Roston Chase (37) and Jermaine Blackwood added 73 runs for the fourth wicket before Chase fell to Archer.
Stokes removed Dowrich for 20, but it proved to be too little too late, as Blackwood made 95 in 154 balls with 12 fours and took his team closer to the victory. Jofra Archer picked 3/45 and impressed one and all with his pace.
West Indies won the match by four wickets in the end with captain Holder at the crease and celebrations started as soon as the winning runs were hit.
Twitter was also full of praise from the cricket fraternity for the West Indies team especially after such a brilliant performance from the likes of Gabriel, Blackwood, Brathwaite, and Dowrich and the way Jason Holder led the team and his own performance.
Here are some tweets:
