NORTH SOUND: Jonathan Trott’s return to international cricket lasted just three balls as England struggled after being put into bat in Antigua. Alastair Cook and Gary Ballance also departed against some probing quick bowling from West Indies’ trio of pacemen as the visitors limped to 49 for 3 at lunch.
Ramdin’s desire for his pacemen to exploit some early movement was handsomely rewarded as Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and Jason Holder offered barely a poor delivery between them and the pressure paid off - never better illustrated than when Ballance, who had been worked over outside off stump, edged a wide delivery the ball before a shower briefly halted the action.
Trott’s return was rubberstamped when he was named to open alongside Cook. He was soon on strike, but facing his third delivery, which straightened a touch off the seam from Taylor, he could do no more than edge to first slip as he hung back in the crease.
Cook came close to following Trott in the second over when Roach pushed a delivery across which was edged fractionally in front of first slip. A dive from Ramdin would have been a better option.
With the threat of a scudding shower looming, Ballance fell to the sucker blow of the fuller delivery as he reached out at Holder and gifted Darren Bravo his second catch of the morning. He was followed to the dressing room by the rest of the players although the stoppage was brief.
On resumption it was the extra-tall attack of Holder and Sulieman Benn who both caused some uncomfortable moments.
Score Board
West Indies won toss
England 1st innings
*A N Cook b Roach 11
I J L Trott c Bravo b Taylor 0
G S Ballance c Bravo b Holder 10
I R Bell not out 10
J E Root not out 11
Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7
Total (3 wickets; 25.1 overs) 49
To bat: B A Stokes, †J C Buttler, C J Jordan, S C J Broad, J C Tredwell, J M Anderson
Fall: 1-1, 2-22, 3-34
Bowling: Taylor 5-1-17-1 (1w); Roach 8-4-8-1;
Holder 8-3-13-1; Benn 4.1-1-9-0
West Indies team
D S Smith, K C Brathwaite, D M Bravo, M N Samuels, S Chanderpaul, J Blackwood, *†D Ramdin, J O Holder, J E Taylor, K A J Roach, S J Benn
Umpires: B F Bowden (New Zealand) and S J Davis (Australia). TV umpire: B N J Oxenford (Australia). Match referee: A J Pycroft (Zimbabwe).