Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope share another century stand for England
The pair shared an unbroken 108 at the tea interval.
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Your support makes all the difference.Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope shared their second century partnership of the match as England bounced back from a frustrating third morning against the West Indies to move ahead at Trent Bridge.
The tourists made life hard for the English attack as a last-wicket stand of 71 between Josh Da Silva and Shamar Joseph gave them an unlikely first-innings lead of 41.
England then lost opener Zak Crawley in the softest possible fashion, run out for four at the non-striker’s end after Duckett’s straight drive flicked Jayden Seales’ fingertips and cannoned into the stumps.
But, just as they had done on day one, Duckett and Pope turned the pressure right back on the West Indies attack as they carried the hosts to 116 for one.
Duckett, who sprinted to 71 first time around, was unbeaten on 61 from just 68 deliveries and Pope followed up Thursday’s hundred with a knock of 48no.
The pair put on 105 off 112 in their previous stand and were going even better with an unbroken 108 at the tea interval.
The West Indies resumed on 351 for five, well placed to convert their 65-run deficit into a strong position. But it was England who enjoyed the best of some cagey initial skirmishes.
A rejuvenated Chris Woakes shouldered a 90-minute spell at the Radcliffe Road End and came up trumps, finding just enough nip under murky skies and overhead floodlights to pick off Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph and Seales.
With Gus Atkinson having Kevin Sinclair well caught by Harry Brook at gully, England were still 30 ahead with one more breakthrough needed.
That is when things started to take a turn for the worse. First Stokes kept Woakes on too long, an apparent attempt to guide the all-rounder to a five-wicket haul on his 50th appearance. Then, he took an uncharacteristically defensive stance as he abandoned the idea of removing the solid Da Silva.
By spreading the field as soon as Da Silva faced up, he set up a game of cat-and-mouse that the Trinidadian emphatically won. He kept the strike meticulously well as he helped Shamar Joseph get up to speed and treated himself to a couple of lavish moments, launching Mark Wood for sixes over extra cover and deep third.
The number 11 annoyed England even more, blocking out the full deliveries and showing enough endeavour to pick up five fours and two sixes of his own off Atkinson – the second of which hit the roof of the Larwood and Voce tavern. His shot had enough power to dislodge the roof tiles, which rained down on the fans below.
England needed the extra half-hour to end their stay, Wood finally getting his first of a match that has seen him bowl at furious speeds when Shamar Joseph flubbed a catch to mid-on. He made 33 while Da Silva finished 82 not out.
The hosts had cleared just eight off their deficit after lunch when Crawley departed, failing to get his bat back behind the line after backing up.
Pope, buoyed by his sixth Test ton, got off to a rapid start. He hit five of his first 11 balls for four, including three in a row off the wayward Seales.
While he went back down the gears, Duckett increased his rate. The left-hander began to lean into his drives and pick out gaps behind square, then welcomed Sinclair’s spin by sweeping three successive boundaries. The third took him past 50 for the second time in the game, before rain delayed the start of the final session.