England 257 and 39-5
West Indies 189
Day two of the third Test between the West Indies and England seems to have guaranteed a result at least, but for which side? In an amazing day of Cricket, 18 wickets fell and the match hangs intriguingly in the balance. With just five wickets remaining in their second innings, Alastair Cook's side has amassed a meagre advantage of just 107 runs in this crazy encounter.
England had resumed their first innings on day two at 240-7, with their headline act Cook being dismissed at the close of play after scoring a century.
They could never have envisioned what would occur in the next three sessions of play though. Especially that they would not only be batting again, but be staring down the barrel of a potentially humiliating second innings' score.
They added a paltry 17 runs for their last three wickets in their first knock during the morning's play. Jerome Taylor ripped into their tail-enders in the style of the great Caribbean fast bowlers of yesteryear. His lively spell of 3-3 extinguished any aspirations that the tourists might have had about pushing on towards the 300 mark.
Not that Taylor's batting compatriots fared much better when they faced the English quickies though. Their total of 189 owed much to the outstanding contribution made by Jermaine Blackwood.
He was unfortunate to not quite match Cook in claiming a century, falling on 85 to James Anderson.
England's bowling success was again dominated by their hero from the second Test victory over the same opposition. Anderson moved on to 396 wickets during his Test career, thanks to a scintillating 6-42 haul, which represents his best bowling numbers overseas.
At one stage he took 3 wickets for 2 runs to emulate Taylor's earlier analysis.
Leading by a handy 68 runs on first innings, the visitors would have hoped to press home their advantage with plenty of time left in the match. This is supposed to be a five day contest between bat and ball after all. Perhaps unsettled by the thought of 13 wickets having already fallen during the day's play, they seemed hesitant at their second attempt.
Although clearly not a 'run-fest' of a pitch, the surface is not believed to be as treacherous as the English batsmen portrayed it to be. Early wickets can often unsettle a dressing room and such was the case again.
Jonathan Trott's time at the top of the order must surely have ended, after he was dismissed for 9 by Taylor. Cook failed to reproduce his performance from day one, scoring just 4 second time around. When Ian Bell, like Trott before him, was trapped LBW by Taylor for a duck, England had made just 18-3.
England's fortune did not improve as Jason Holder removed the usually reliable Joe Root for one. With Moeen Ali (8) being bowled by Veerasammy Permaul, England's despair for the day was complete.
They can only hope for some sort of partnership between Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes for the sixth wicket. Ballance will need to put a sore wrist to the back of his mind, after being struck while fielding during the opposition's innings. Failing that, Jos Buttler and Chris Jordan need some timely runs to confirm their credentials in the line-up.
More likely they will require some sort of miracle from Anderson once more. Without that, England's much-needed away series victory could be in extreme jeopardy. They also still need another 7 runs to match their lowest ever Test score in the West Indies. A sobering thought after the elation in Grenada.
