West Indies go one-up over England

West Indies took a one-nil lead in the three-match test series, with a more than commanding 381-runs win over England at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

England was set the high ask of making 628 to win, but fell for 246.

The English batting was undone by off-spinner Roston Chase, who bagged a career best 8 for 60.

Rory Burns topscored with 84, with Ben Stokes the next best with 34.

The home side had put themselves in a winning position, when on Friday, Jason Holder and fellow Barbadian Shane Dowrich shared an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 295 in their team’s second innings.

Holder stroked 202 not out and Dowrich, 116 not out, to see the West Indies to 415 for 6 declared in their second innings.

Holder smashed 23 fours and 8 sixes in his maiden double century, while Dowrich’s 224 ball knock, included 11 fours and a six.

Before them, Shimron Hetymer’s 31, had helped stitch up the West Indies’ innings, which was tottering at 60 for 5.

Moeen Ali had figures of 3 for 78 and Ben Stokes, 2 for 81, bowling for England.

The West Indies had won the toss and batted first, posting a total of 289.

Hetmyer topscored with 81, and there were other good contribution from Shai Hope (57), Chase (54), debutant John Campbell (44), and Kraigg Braithwaite (40).

England’s lead bowler was James Anderson, who had 5 for 46 and Ben Stokes took 4 for 59.

Kemar Roach then tore into the England batting, taking 5 for 17, backed up by Holder’s 2 for 15, and Alzarri Joseph’s 2 for 20, as England crumbled for 77, giving West Indies a lead of 212.

West Indies go into the next test which starts Thursday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda, having  achieved largest margin of victory on home soil and third largest anywhere in their 91 years as a Test-playing nation.

Additionally, the West Indies silenced the English press, which had levelled several disparaging remarks at the regional team, ahead of the series.