Reuters/Antigua
West Indies’ Denesh Ramdin and Jason Holder frustrated England’s victory push to lift the hosts to 268 for six at tea on the final day of the first test in Antigua yesterday.
The pair shared an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 79 to give West indies, chasing an improbable 438 to win, a good chance of saving the match after England had taken four early wickets.
Ramdin and Holder were both unbeaten on 48 at the interval. James Anderson became England’s joint highest test wicket-taker when he dismissed Marlon Samuels in the morning and the touring side also removed Devon Smith and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to put West Indies in trouble at 162 for five at lunch.
West Indies’ first-innings centurion Jermaine Blackwood fell for 31 soon after the interval, aiming a wild heave at Chris Jordan and edging a catch through to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. But Ramdin and Holder comfortably held out on a flat pitch and England still need four wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-test series.
Fast bowler Anderson earlier equalled Ian Botham’s record England haul of 383 wickets when Samuels, on 23, flashed at a wide ball and was well caught by James Tredwell in the gully.
Off-spinner Tredwell had already tempted Devon Smith to try to drive him over the top but the opener holed out to Gary Ballance at mid-on for 65.
Tredwell should have dismissed Samuels in his next over, wicketkeeper Buttler missing a difficult stumping chance from a sharply turning delivery. But Samuels soon fell to a full delivery from Anderson before Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Blackwood dropped anchor. Chanderpaul looked well set for another marathon knock but, on 13, he was trapped lbw by part-time spinner Joe Root.
England’s James Anderson celebrates after taking the wicket of West Indies’ Marlon Samuels in Antigua yesterday. (Reuters)
