Jamie Smith struck a half-century in his first Test before Ben Stokes took his 200th wicket and James Anderson his 703rd as England closed in on a resounding victory over West Indies at Lord’s.
Smith’s 70 from 119 balls, in which he pulled a six out of the ground, followed Surrey team-mate and fellow debutant Gus Atkinson’s seven-wicket haul on day one of the opening Test as West Indies were skittled for 121.
Smith was one of five players to pass fifty in England’s 371 all out in reply, with Joe Root (68) and Harry Brook (50) also backing up opening-day half-centuries for Zak Crawley (76) and Ollie Pope (57).
England’s lead was 250 when Smith was last man out, and West Indies crumpled to 79-6 in the final session to trail by 171 at stumps.
With the tourists reeling at 38-4 when Atkinson bowled Kavem Hodge (4), there was a realistic chance of a two-day finish, and England were sensing that again when Anderson (2-11) made it 55-5 by nicking off Alick Athanaze (22) for his his 703rd wicket, in what is his 188th and final Test match after 21 years of service.
Jason Holder (20 off 59) and Joshua Da Silva (8no off 16) – both of whom were out to Atkinson for ducks in the first innings – battled to take the game into at least a third day, although England appear nailed on for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series ahead of next week’s second Test at Trent Bridge.
The final moment of the day was Holder fencing Atkinson (2-27) to Pope at short leg – Stokes rewarded for adopting a short-ball ploy on the day he became only the third player, after Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis, to complete the double of 200 Test wickets and 6,000 Test runs during a lung-busting 10-over spell.
Anderson, meanwhile, ousted Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite (4) for the eighth – and last – time in the format while passing the milestone of 40,000 balls bowled in Tests.
More to follow.
Watch day three of the first Test between England and West Indies at Lord’s live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Friday.
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