West Indies make impressive start in third Test

BARBADOS: West Indies had the upper hand in the first session of their third Test against England as they removed three of their top-order batsmen with young Jason Holder taking two wickets.
West Indies certainly enjoyed the first two hours as they embarked on the mission to level the series.
Not all the wickets were down, solely to the quicker nature of the surface but one certainly was. The chances of Jonathan Trott’s Test career extending beyond this tour diminished further when he flapped alarmingly at a short delivery to fall for a third-ball duck.
It was his third nought of the series — the first England batsman to notch that unwanted record in a series of three matches or fewer.
Trot was not the only duck, though, on the first morning with Ian Bell also failing to score when he bunted a return catch to the impressive Holder.
Holder’s first wicket had come when he speared a full delivery between the bat and pad of the in-form Gary Ballance.
Captain Denesh Ramdin regularly took the ball on the rise as the bowlers were energised by bounce and a hint of swing.
After two maidens, one including the wicket of Trott, Cook scored England’s first runs with an example of how to play the short delivery. After two compact innings in Grenada he, by and large, was compact and showed good judgement. He was helped by a slightly off-target opening spell from Jerome Taylor, although there was a suggestion he may have edged a no-ball on 5 when a delivery climbed from short of a length.
As England did in Grenada, their intention was clearly to wear down West Indies’ attack in the hope they could exploit it later in the day.
For a while, it appeared Cook and Ballance were beginning that task after the early setback, especially when Ballance took Marlon Samuels for a four and a pulled six in the space of four deliveries.
Samuels had been introduced in the 11th over ahead of the specialist left-arm spinner Permaul, who replaced the injured Devendra Bishoo.
Holder, though, changed the complexion of the morning markedly. His delivery arced into Ballance who, to begin with, appeared to have the line covered but in a split second his middle stump was lying backwards.
In his next over, it was a batsman early on the shot which provided a wicket as Bell pushed forward at a delivery a touch slower at 75mph and Holder used his long reach to good effect as he grabbed the catch to his left.
It meant England were in a very similar position to the first morning of the series: 38 for 3.
Cook, who came very close to prodding a catch to short leg off Permaul, negotiated through to lunch.
Score Board
England won toss
England 1st innings
*A N Cook not out 31
I J L Trott c Permaul b Gabriel 0
G S Ballance b Holder 18
I R Bell c & b Holder 0
J E Root not out 19
Extras (nb 3) 3
Total (3 wickets; 25 overs) 71
To bat: M M Ali, B A Stokes, †J C Buttler, C J Jordan, S C J Broad, J M Anderson
Fall: 1-0, 2-38, 3-38
Bowling: Taylor 7-4-17-0(3nb); Gabriel 4-1-6-1; Holder 6-1-15-2; Samuels 6-1-18-0; Permaul 2-0-15-0
West Indies team
K C Brathwaite, S D Hope, D M Bravo, M N Samuels, S Chanderpaul, J Blackwood, *†D Ramdin, J O Holder, J E Taylor, S T Gabriel, V Permaul
Test debut: S D Hope (West Indies)
Umpires: B F Bowden (New Zealand) and BNJ Oxenford (Australia). TV umpire: S J Davis (Australia). Match referee: A J Pycroft (Zimbabwe)