West Indies v England
2nd Test, Day 2: Blackwash Incoming!
February 1st 2019
Having seen John Campbell survive three false shots in one over
yesterday evening, any one of which could have led to his dismissal then, in
the next over, play and miss five times, today Stuart Broad saw him reprieved
on review (catch by Root at 2nd Slip), saw Keaton Jennings just miss
out on a brilliant catch at Square Leg and saw Jos Buttler make a horrible hash
of a dolly at 3rd Slip, followed by a top edge that dropped safe in
his next over. Then Campbell top-edged just out of reach of a chasing Jonny
Bairstow. Poor Broad must have been wondering just what he has done wrong. And
all the while the score mounted. However, it was also true enough that had
Broad pitched a yard further up, he might have conceded more runs, but could
have converted a dozen deliveries into wickets. Off came Broad. On came Stokes
and, almost immediately, Campbell played the same shot to Buttler, now at 2nd
slip, only for him to hold on this time. Broad’s thoughts must have been
unprintable. However, with just a single wicket falling before Lunch, things
were looking increasingly black for England. Buttler’s drop was the
ninety-seventh catch dropped off Stuart Broad in his Test career: Jos Buttler
would make it ninety-eight soon after the new ball was taken after Tea.
It was a day when a batting side could be forgiven for
falling to 77ao. It was also a day when taking chances was critical: England
had the most awful luck – two decisions overturned (correctly) on review, balls
flying just out of reach of fielders, delivery after delivery passing a groping
outside edge – but also missed critical chances... the two drops by Buttler and one by Rory Burns. By one count, Stuart Broad
could have taken as many as eighteen wickets between balls that beat the
batsmen all ends up, edges that just evaded fielders and dropped catches. It
did not take long for the feeling to pervade play that this was just not
England’s day. And, all the time, John Campbell rode his luck and refused to give it
away. It was a lesson in batting for England. This has been one of the biggest differences between the sides: the West
Indian batsmen have gritted it out, ignored the near misses - the count was 103 "plays and misses" - and got on with it,
while the English batsmen have either fallen to the first chance that they
offered, or survived one and then, given it away.
The match situation at the start of the day was that
whichever side won the day would win the match. West Indies have won the day
clearly and are in pole position to seal the match and the series. England’s
only slight hope is to knock over the tail quickly – although there are few
signs of that happening – and that one of the top five makes a century. With a
lead of 150, which means scoring 250+, the side batting last will have a
tremendously tough task. Batting last is going to be very, very tough. It is
hard though to avoid the feeling that England will need to do something very
special to avoid a 3-0 blackwash as a prelude to the Ashes.
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