England win by 241 runs to clinch Test series

Shoaib Bashir helped himself to a flurry of West Indian wickets after hundreds from Joe Root and Harry Brook set up England’s series-clinching 241-run win at Trent Bridge.

Root and Brook, the long-reigning king of England’s batting unit and his heir apparent, reeled off classy centuries to pave the way for a sprint to victory on the fourth evening of this second Test.

Chasing an unlikely target of 385, the tourists were demolished for 143 in just 36.1 overs as rookie spinner Bashir claimed five for 41.

The 20-year-old, who did not get a single over in the first Test at Lord’s, justified the selection gamble that saw him fast-tracked ahead of the established Jack Leach this summer as he took the role of fourth-innings finisher.

He bowled with subtlety and skill, teasing his opponents with dip and drift to register his third five-for in five appearances for his country.

It was a perfect finale for England’s first home Test without Stuart Broad or James Anderson since 2012. England’s attack was in clinical mood as they forced a dramatic Caribbean collapse from 61 without loss.

Chris Woakes got things moving by dismissing both openers, Mark Wood added a dash of raw pace and Gus Atkinson picked up two.

But it was fitting for Bashir, the youngest member of a revamped XI, to applying the killer blow as he clean bowled Shamar Joseph to the delight of the Nottingham crowd.

England are 2-0 with one to play at Edgbaston next week, securing their first series win since December 2022.

The hosts already had a healthy lead of 207 and seven wickets in hand at the start of play, a handsome position that Brook and Root refused to waste as they notched up 109 and 122.

The Yorkshire duo stretched their partnership to 189 as both men progressed to impressive hundreds. Brook had been the aggressor on the third evening and continued to play with a greater sense of adventure, converting his overnight 71 with a sense of inevitability.

There were a couple of booming drives on the way, while a sprinted single on 99 proved his hunger to experience a first Test hundred on home soil. Brook’s four previous tons had come at Rawalpindi, Multan, Karachi and Wellington, but his fifth will go down as a special one in front of his own fans.

Root was more measured, scoring with a gentle ease that made the job look remarkably straightforward. The shot that took him to three figures was just his seventh boundary, though he quickly followed with a trademark reverse scoop to remind onlookers of the higher gears at his disposal.

By the end of his stay Root had moved up to eighth on the all-time run-scorers list, just 13 away from West Indies great Brian Lara and another seven from the 12,000 mark. He is also just one more century away from levelling Sir Alastair Cook’s English record of 32.

Both fell softly, Brook flat-footed on the cut and Root chipping to cover, but they had already done more than enough. The hosts finished on 425 all out, taking a slice of history as the only England side to pass 400 in both innings of a Test.

It was an unlucky 13 overs for England with the new ball as the West Indies openers rode their luck to make a bright start to their chase.

But when it changed, it changed fast. England took wickets in each of their next four overs, turning solid foundations into sand.

Woakes flipped his fortunes with a change of ends, Mikyle Louis a little too careless as he fenced one through to the keeper to get England up and running. Kraigg Brathwaite, captain and elder statesman of an inexperienced line-up, was undone by a beauty as Woakes threatened the off stump and found just enough shape to take a thin edge. He took 47 runs and much of his side’s belief with him to the pavilion.

The initial breakthrough opened the door for Bashir to get into the contest and he accepted it with both hands. His third delivery turned sharply away from the left-handed Kirk McKenzie, pranged the bottom of the bat and gave Jamie Smith his best catch yet as England’s new wicketkeeper.

Next up, and next out, was Kavem Hodge. Having chiselled out a gutsy 120 on day two he followed with a four-ball duck, stepping deep in his crease and falling lbw as the off-spinner dragged it back towards leg stump.

Bashir was warming to his task now and soon added another notch on his belt, Alick Athanaze a willing accomplice in a classic dismissal. Bashir drifted one in from round the wicket, turned it out of the rough and got his reward with a low nick to slip.

Wood finally got some payback for his back-breaking efforts, bombing Kevin Sinclair with a bouncer and taking the wristband of glove before ballooning to slip. Atkinson was too quick and too good for Joshua Da Silva and Alzarri Joseph, and Bashir supplied the dream finish.

Published: 21/07/2024 by Radio NewsHub

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