The hosts were only able to make 204 in their first innings with stand-in skipper Ben Stokes recording a top score of 43. Despite the all-rounder taking figures of 4-49 with the ball, the Windies held a lead of 114 thanks to two knocks of over 60 from Kraigg Brathwaite and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich.
That meant England were playing catchup in the second innings. They made a better fist of things at the crease with 313 courtesy of Zak Crawley’s 76 and a half-century from Dom Sibley, but that left the West Indies only needing 200 to win on the final day.
They got that with something in hand as Jermaine Blackwood led the way with the bat, making 95 en route to this major upset. England were long odds-on with bookmakers to beat the visiting side from the Caribbean, so now must come from behind by winning the two remaining Tests at Old Trafford if they are to save the summer series.
Australia are now 1/2 favourites in the cricket betting on The Ashes in 2021-22. England are out to 13/5, with another tie which would see the hosts retain the famous urn Down Under priced at 11/2.
The West Indies were far from full strength for this Test or the tour in general. That makes defeat for England all the more galling, and they are developing a bad habit of starting a series on the wrong foot.
Regular captain Joe Root didn’t play as he was on paternity leave, and the decision to drop experienced bowler Stuart Broad looks to have backfired on the selectors. England appear too heavily reliant on Stokes – the hero of last summer and that incredible Cricket World Cup triumph. One man doesn’t make a team.
Neither side even managed to hit a six between them, so Australia, with their powerful batting line-up, will be licking their lips on this evidence. Reigniting The Ashes rivalry cannot come soon enough for them, while England are still plagued with issues in that area.
“Joe Denly” by Blue Square Thing (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Crawley did enough to justify another look at what he can bring to the Test cricket arena, but Joe Denly attracted criticism from pundits including former captain Michael Vaughan. His international batting average is under severe scrutiny, so he looks the obvious batsman to step aside when Root returns from celebrating the birth of his child.
In respective innings, England’s openers and tail-enders struggled with the pace of Windies bowler Shannon Gabriel as he took nine wickets in total including a five-for. All-rounder Jason Holder also got joy in attack early in the Test with career-best figures of 6-42.
Just as the West Indies raised their game here to scalp their hosts, so must England in the 18 months between now and the next Ashes series. If they don’t, then it will be a winter of discontent.
