Southampton, July 11 (IANS) Joe Denly (29), Dom Sibley (50) and Zak Crawley (38) helped England take a lead of 54 runs going into Tea on Day 4 of their first Test against West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Crawley is holding fort with captain Ben Stokes, who has faced 15 balls and is yet to get off the mark.
England lost Denly and Sibley in the second session of the day with Shannon Gabriel and Roston Chase claiming their wickets respectively on a day when the momentum slightly shifted towards the hosts’ corner. Sibley and Denly started the session with England on 79/1.
Sibley went on to reach 50 for the second time in his Test career before nicking Gabriel down the leg side into wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich’s gloves.
Denly’s vigil then ended 13 overs later when he chipped Chase straight to West Indies captain Jason Holder at short midwicket. Denly was Chase’s second wicket with the all-rounder having provided West Indies the breakthrough in the first session with the wicket of Rory Burns. England are 168/3 at the end of the second session.
Brief Scores: England 204 and 168/3 (Sibley 50, Burns 42; Chase 2/45); West Indies 318 all-out (Brathwaite 65, Dowrich 61, Stokes 4/49)
–IANS
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