West Indies continue to frustrate England in second Test

West Indies 188-5 (after day one of five)

England had marginally the better of the first day of the second Test against the West Indies yesterday. A rain-delayed start meant that only 70 overs were possible, with the hosts rallying at the end to push their innings out to 188-5 at stumps. The tourists had established a commanding position early on but were frustrated by an unbeaten innings from Marlon Samuels of 94 that brought his side back into the match. Once again, the Caribbean batsmen were more pragmatic in their batting than in years gone by, realising the importance of staying at the crease.

It meant that by normal standards the scoring rate became fairly pedestrian, as a result, for much of the day.

Alastair Cook's men would have been keen to put the disappointment of only drawing the first Test in Antigua behind them. They lost twenty overs in the day through a combination of rain at the start of play and bad light at the end of the day. In between the delays, England had moved into a commanding position after reducing the West Indies to 129-5. That was despite an unhelpful pitch in the main that seemed to do neither side many favours. There was little life in it to help the pacemen, and scoring seemed troublesome as well, until Samuels decided that it was time to strike the ball to the boundary near the end.

England won the toss and elected to bowl first at St. George's, Grenada. That seemed a sound decision as they took their first wicket with just two runs on the board. James Anderson adding one more wicket to his English Test bowling record, clean bowling Kraigg Brathwaite for just one run. Devon Smith soon joined him in the pavilion as Chris Jordan took his first of two wickets on the day.

When Darren Bravo (35) and the often awkward Shivnarine Chanderpaul (1) had been dismissed, the hosts were struggling at 74-4 and looking down the barrel. Respectability was ensured thanks to a battling stand of 55 between Samuels and Jermaine Blackwood (26) for the fifth wicket.

Samuels had been respectful of the bowling attack during the early stages of his tenure at the crease but expanded his array of strokes in the later stages.

That allowed the sixth wicket partnership with his captain Denesh Ramdin to put on an invaluable 59 runs, Ramdin's contribution being just six. They will hope to extend their stand on day two, as England look to quickly end their resistance and re-assert their superiority.