England relaunch Bazball as Mark Wood and Ben Stokes bludgeon West Indies

We weren’t as disciplined with the ball as we should have been, to put a batting team under pressure for long periods. We have to improve on that. We weren’t as consistent as we needed to be, didn’t hit the top of off long enough. You give the batsmen momentum. We need to get back to where we were in Australia, hitting the top of off. 

We never gave up, always came back to fight. 

Kavem Hodge got his hundred, we got first-innings totals. Jayden took wickets, Motie as well. We need more cricket, playing against good players, and then we will improve. 

Yes I’m excited for the [forthcoming home] series against South Africa, we’ve got to have the right attitude and consistency. We have to see growth and improvement. Hit the top of off, stayed committed with the bat. Then we’ll see improvements.

The rewards that [Mark Wood] got there were later than deserved. The efforts he always puts in when wearing the England shirt is phenomenal. He has got the heart of a lion. That period [after lunch] when he had the ball is exactly what you want as a captain: fast and extremely skilful;. He really blew the game open for us. I’m just extremely happy for him. He deserved more than he got but it’s great to see him walk off with a five-for. 

He’s very, very important to us. That hour there shows why we want him in the team as often as possible. The skill and X-factor he possesses – every team wants someone like that. 

[Why did you open?] To keep everyone in the same position [with Zak Crawley in hospital]. We didn’t have that many to knock off. If it had have been 150 or 200 we would have just moved everyone up. A bottle of champagne rather than a message would be more appreciated from Beefy [after taking his England record for fastest Test fifty]. Pretty cool to go past Beefy. 

Gus and Jamie. What first series for those two. Gus’s debut couldn’t have gone any better and he’s improved with every spell. Jamie has played some exceptional knocks but as a keeper you want to be unnoticed. Behind the stumps he has been absolutely exceptional. He has filtered into this team perfectly.

[You have modified the approach?] We were 50 for five, 18 months ago we might have responded in a one-dimensional way. Now everyone knows what’s expected of them, and that is to play their way and make smart choices, put pressure back on. To come back from there and win in three days is exceptional. 

It’s very good to win, we walk out every time wanting to win. We focus on process and what will give us the best chance. But when we wear this shirt we give absolutely everything to win the game.

West Indies choose Gus Atkinson and England choose Jayden Seales. 

Atkinson: “To take 22 wickets is fantastic, I didn’t come in with expectations. I run in hard and hit the pitch hard, that’s all I tried to do. I have learned quite a bit, trying to swing the ball, use the crease, things like that. It’s fantastic, I love bowling with Woody.” 

Seales: “I’m proud of being able to represent West Indies, coming back and doing well for the team is rewarding, just looking to improve going forward. It was tough at times, they take opportunities to score if you give them a chance. I had to be on it all the time. I think once we grow and learn, we can be a force to be reckoned with.”

It’s a bit of relief. At lunchtime I was down and frustrated, but I had a good chat with Jimmy and focused on the skills side of the thing. The first wicket got me in the game and  gave me a lot of confidence and I went from there. 

I think you have to adapt to the conditions. My role in the team is to bowl fast. Hopefully I can do that for the rest of the summer. I was a bit down, not getting the outcome I wanted and Jimmy wanted me to focus on the skill rather than the outcome. 

That changed my mindset a little bit. It is hard and boring [getting your loads up to handle Test matches after the T20 World Cup] bowling in the nets by yourself. Bowl, walk, pick the ball up. Bowl again. But this is the reward back among the lads. Everyone wants to do well and I’m glad to be part of the team. 

For his spell of five for nine off six overs after lunch. 

The Wisden Trophy, now renamed the Botham-Richards Trophy, is coming back to England who lost it (1-0) in the Caribbean in Joe Root’s last Test series as captain. 

England last clean sweep of a Test series of more than two Tests was the inaugural away ‘Bazball’ Tests against Pakistan in 2022-23* and at home against NZ in 2022.

*Thanks to Shanti Hunter, below, for pointing out my error. 

Brathwaite comes on and the spinner bounces Stokes who smiles broadly as it bounces over his shoulder. The next ball from his oppo as captain is a full toss and Stokes swats it for four down to long leg. 

England win by 10 wickets. It has taken them seven full sessions and 105 minutes. 

Great diving stop by fans’ favourite Mikyle Louis at long on, having sprinted from long off, saves two from Stokes’ blistering drive. The England captain smiles after ducking the bouncer and then has to watch as Joseph hides one outside off. 

Stokes has 44 off 23 and that means when he pulls the next ball for six to cow corner he has a 24-ball 50, beating IT Botham’s England Test record by four balls. 

Cover stops the next expansive drive and Stokes levels the scores with a pull for a single. 

Duckett now joins in, clipping Holder to fine leg for two, on driving him for four then pulling him for a two and two fours off pat-a-cake short balls. Twenty off the over. It’s as if West Indies want to be out of here asap, too. 

Shamar Joseph takes the ball and prepares to take his medicine, too. Ten to win. 

England bring up the 50 off a record-equalling 26 balls but Stokes won’t be beating Misbah in this innings, having cleared his front leg he can’t time his back-foot heave and plinks it for a single. Alzarri switches to dry mode and hides a couple down the legside. 

Jason Holder replaces Seales and Stokes charges him and even though Holder sees him coming he still manages to pull it from two yards down for four. The next ball is fuller and slower and Stokes hammers it without much of a stride for four over the bowler’s head. The final ball is a slow short one and Stokes swats it for two, one-handed, over cover for two. 

He has 41 off 18. The fastest Test 50 record is held by Misbah off 21 balls. 

Ben Stokes has started at such an explosive rate that in the last five minutes the Hollies Stand has booed a two, and a dot ball. January sales here: everything must go. 

Stokes is taking Alzarri Joseph apart. Extraordinarily disrespectful but not in a bad way, if you catch my drift.

Stokes pulls him for a pair of fours and then plays a gorgeous on drive for two. 

Alzarri is exasperated but Stokes keeps coming, moving to 31 off 14 balls with a cover-driven, no footwork, four. At last AJ has something to smile about when Stokes inside-edges a heave over midwicket into his inner thigh and hits the deck in some pain. 

Jayden Seales comes in from the Pavilion End to Duckett who gets off the mark with a midwicket flick for a single. Stokes is batting like he has a plane to catch, taking a big stride out to Seales and thumping him over cover for four. Two balls later he brings his bat through the plane, not moving his feet, and smacks it through extra for four more. “Stand and deliver,” says Michael Atherton. I had hoped Mark Butcher would chip in with “Qua qua da diddley qua qua” but he’s not an Antman. 

Ben Stokes clearly wants to be in the boozer by 5pm and on the golf course tomorrow. He is beaten by the Alzarri J inswinger that clatters into the pad but then punches four off the back foot through cover, whisks another boundary off his toes when AJ errs too full and then smiles as a big, hooping inswinger whistles past off stump and under Da Silva’s dive for four byes. 

It’s the first time he has opened the batting in a Test since he opened with Jos Buttler at Old Trafford in 2020 when England were looking to have a quick thrash to set up a chase. He made 78 against West Indies. 

With Zak Crawley in hospital, Ben Stokes is opening with Ben Duckett. I think that tells us a bit about England’s plans... 

What a spell from Mark Wood after lunch. He ends with 14-1-40-5 but after lunch it was 6-0-9-5. Three wickets in his final over to complete his fifth test five-for. Excellent bowling and good captaincy. It was a sensational spell and given everything he’s been through in recent years, hard not to have a lump in one’s throat writing about his success. The way he managed to arc the ball in to the right-handers at that pace and away from the lefties was as good as anything you could wish to see. Only Waqar before the first back injury comes remotely close. 

England need 82 to win. We’re not sure whether Zak Crawley is ready to open after that blow to his finger. 

Shamar Joseph c Brook b Wood 4  Brillant! Came round the wicket to the left-handed Shamar, angled it in and made it reverse away late to kiss the edge as the No11 tried to drive. Terrific catch from Brook low to his right at second slip.  FOW 175 all out

Seales b Wood 0  Hit him a horrible blow the previous ball and then swings one away from the left-hander from over the wicket to knock off stump out of the ground. Classic enforcer’s two-card trick. From nowhere to the threshold of a five-for in 55 post-lunch minutes.  FOW 171/9

Hodge c Smith b Wood 55  Another all but unplayable delivery in this superb spell from Wood. Full, fast, inswinging and then just straightening to graze the edge.  FOW 171/8

Motie works a single to square leg and Hodge does likewise off Atkinson. 

A rare fifth over in a spell for Wood who is understandably keen to continue. Motie defends, leaves ones, sways out of the road of the perfume ball and then pinches the strike again by opening the face and gliding a single down to third man. Starved of the strike, Hodge has not scored a run for 36 minutes. He’ll have to play himself in again!

Motie steers four off Atkinson who has also come round the wicket to the left-hander, using the edge to chip it down to the third-man boundary. Next ball is short and Motie ducks into it. It hits him on the crown of the helmet but oddly there is no concussion assessment either asked for or compulsorily delivered. It’s the ICC protocol that all head blows have to be looked at and the helmet checked but the umpires let it go. 

Motie clips the full ball off middle to square leg for a single. 

Shoaib Bashir did a good job in holding one end (the City End) until the ball reverse-swung, but it would have been nice if he had bowled slightly slower – with so many runs to play with. Now he probably won’t get another chance as the long tail has been exposed. 

Stuart Broad commends Ben Stokes’ decision to review a leg-before call on Alzarri Joseph when Mark Wood wasn’t interested. Given there was a thick inside edge we can tell that that Broad is no better judge a year on…

Another big inswinger clips the pad above the ankle and scuttles away for four leg-byes. Wood pushes Joseph back with a pair of bouncers and then castles him with a ripper, the fastest ball of the over. 

Motie gets off the mark with a clip to square leg as Wood comes round the wicket to the left-hander. 

WI lead by (Sham) 69. 

A Joseph b Wood 2  Sends middle stump cartwheeling towards the keeper with a huge, inswinging 93 mph yorker.  No more glorious sight. FOW 162/7

At the fall of the wicket, Stokes brings back Atkinson. Stuart Broad points out that Atkinson barely uses his arms to generate momentum in his run-up. They’re very static and by his side. A touch of Robin Jackman? Wonder if it’s a Surrey thing. 

Alzarri whisks a single down to fine leg. 

Da Silva defends two fuller inswingers and wears the shorter ball in the midriff. Wood has been setting him up for the yorker ever since lunch and Stokes, like George Peppard, loves it when a plan comes together. He looks even more delighted than Wood. 

Alzarri Joseph chisels out the inevitable inswinging yorker and earns a single off the inside edge. 

Da Silva lbw b Wood 5  It’s been coming. Hooping, inswinging yorker that hits him on the back foot via a deflection off the front. About as plumb as you can get.  FOW 156/6

Da Silva takes on Bashir’s invitation to drive and strokes a single through cover. Hodge is kept down at the striker’s, tied up by bounce and conscious of the leg trap, opting wisely not to play and forcing strokes that would bring the bat-pad into play. 

The problem Da Silva has by pacing his right big toe on off stump and his left on middle and leg is that he is already squared up. So it doesn’t take much in way of movement or lift on a fourth-stump line to make Da Silva look as if he is groping for the ball with his bottom hand. Wood duly whistles one past the splice as Da Silva was drawn towards it. When he pitches up, though, Da Silva squeezes a drive through point for a single. 

Most would have presumed that Stokes would have gone with seam at both ends given the degree of reverse swing but it’s Bashir and after every delivery he receives praise and encouragement for his excellent line and bounce. Hodge leans forward to drive a single to cover and Da Silva punches a defensive through mid-off for another. 

Wood has two slips and three men out on the hook. The second ball veers in and Hodge inside-edges it into the pads which stifles England’s appeal midway up the captain’s throat. 

Wood continues with his reverse-swinging inswingers and pins Da Silva, too, low on the shin but the ball was only kissing leg stump. When Da Silva chisels out another yorker, this one on off-stump, he chips a chunk off the toe of his bat. Da Silva’s two-eyed stance to the quicks is putting bullseyes on his left knee roll and toes.

England opener Zak Crawley has left the venue for a scan after receiving a blow to his right index finger while attempting a catch in the first session of the day.

Umpire’s call. You win some, you lose some as Jason Holder knows only too well. 

Da Silva lbw b Wood  Sliding down just? 

The players are coming out and Mark Wood will open the bowling after decent but luckless spells yesterday evening and this morning. 

Gus Atkinson and Shoaib Bashir continued the rise of the new generation with two wickets in the morning session as England advanced towards a series whitewash over West Indies.

Stokes started the morning with Bashir who bowled a nice line and threatened both edges of the bat in an accurate spell that brought the wicket of Alick Athanaze lbw sweeping. Atkinson was held back until just before lunch but struck with his fourth ball, a big inswinger at pace that beat Jason Holder, who failed to overturn the leg before decision. It was Atkinson’s 22nd wicket of a remarkable debut series.

Mikyle Louis made a fifty, his highest Test score, but his weakness outside off stump led to his downfall again, caught in the cordon off Stokes for 57. England took three in the session, West Indies are 151 for five, 57 ahead at lunch, but another three day Test is looming. England missed three chances in the slips, their bowling creating openings but the fielders failing to back them up. 

West Indies have had good phases in the last two Tests, but are not strong enough to sustain pressure for long with the bat or ball. Wood looks to be tiring and Chris Woakes is carrying a thigh strain so if West Indies could string a partnership between Kavem Hodge, not out on 52, and the stubborn Josh Da Silva, they could yet make England work hard for their victory. 

They lead England by just 57 runs. But in and of itself that was a decent morning for the inexperienced tourists. They put on 118 for three. England managed to bowl 27 overs, indecent haste by today’s standards. Fifties for Louis and for Hodge, who is still there. England dropped a couple of sharp chances. Jason Holder got a correct but hard-luck lbw call against him. Still very difficult to see anything other than an England win but the operators of the bar concessions in the Hollies Stand will be pleased at least, this match should now go into the evening session today.

We will get the views of Nick Hoult and then it’s over to the esteemed Mr Rob Bagchi for the rest of today’s action. TTFN.

Atkinson to bowl the last over before lunch, there are two singles and a no ball in it, as well as a very good bit of fielding by Pope out in the deep.

Da Silva gets a spiteful lifter from Stokes third ball. Climbs and dings his right elbow. Ow. He survives the rest of the over.

Also in that over, Hodge went past his fifty. A winning return though for Gus Atkinson first over of his spell.

Holder given out but he reviews. Atkinson the bowler. Not hit the ball. Hits him on the knee roll, and when you are six foot plenty then that’s significant. It might be going down as well. Some reprieve? No. The upshot is that it is umpire’s call, clipping the upper and outer bit of the leg bail. I’m saying that’s a bit of a harsh one to give from Umpire Menon. Holder trudges off. FOW 146/5

Jason Holder tries to hook a short-ish ball from Stokes and misjudges the pace, getting and 85 mph armpit tickle in the process. But he gets it right next ball, with a short armed pull up and over for four. Stokes tumbled over in bowling it and things get a little worse yet when he draws the edge from Holder next ball. Poor shot from Jason, fiddling at the wide ball and Crawley has dropped it at second slip. Seemingly hurting his finger in the process, he is going off the park.

Bit leg-sidey from Woakes and Holder helps himself to four. Windies are going along at a decent clip and their lead is already 47.

Stokes plays with such a joyful, uncomplicated commitment to everything. Holder knocks one for a single and Stokes chases down the ball himself, throws himself through the air, gathers, fires at the stumps in Tiggerish fashion. There was never any doubt that Holder was getting home there.

Woakes comes on and, as you’d imagine from a Warwickshire man, gets to grip with the conditions right away. Getting the ball to swing both ways 

Big Jason Holder is the new man. Stokes is getting some reverse here.

What a shame, an attractive innings comes to an end via a smart catch at second slip. He did not have to play that, he followed the ball with his eyes and, fatally, with the outside edge of an angled bat. FOW 125/4

That innings represents real progress from Mikyle Louis across his first Test series. He’s defended bravely and well on the front foot all series, but hasn’t been able to get to 30. Now he’s kicked on to a maiden 50, before a familiar foible returned as he is taken at second slip. Can the West Indies’ engine room prevent a collapse?

Towering six from Lewis, and well held by a chap in the crowd down the ground. I was just looking up Test cricketers from Dominica. Daffy Defreitas, for one.

Hodge with a, dare I say, flamboyant square drive that would not have disgraced many of his illustrious predecessors in the Windies five berth.

Peculiar shot from Hodge as he comes forward and then plays back, if you see what I mean, and gets three behind square on the offside. Nothing fishy about this strike from his partner though! Bashir gives the ball some air and Louis launches it for six! Shot, sir!

Half century for Mikyle Lewis. Go on lad, convert it.

Stokes nearly yorks Hodge. Louis meanwhile shows some class with a drive through the covers for four. Clunks a two shortly after from a ball that seemed to keep a little low. That is the 50 partnership.

Four singles take the West Indies past England’s score, and take us up to drinks.

England rattling through their overs; they will bowl 15 in the first hour - a world away from the slow over rates that are the norm, generally only 13 an hour. Not that England do many draws anyway, of course. Mikyle Louis has his highest Test score; he’s dug in impressively this season, without going on. Now he has the chance to make a substantial score, with conditions excellent for batting.

Dear old Mark Wood hurling himself after the ball in the outfield - don’t do yourself a mischief son - but he cannot stop a firm drive down the ground netting Hodge four. 

Very attractive shot from Louis as he strokes the ball through point for the same result. A useful wee stand this already and taking Windies to the threshold of compelling England, at the very least, to win the match with bat in hand.

Couple of the Bashir over.

An interesting bowling chance from BA Stokes as he brings on the bowler Stokes BA. Somewhat unusual for Ben to bowl himself first change of a day? I’d need to look through some scorecards but encouraging to see viz a viz the skipper’s fitness. He’s bowling it full and straight so I wonder if he’s looking for a bit of reverse. Just one scoring shot in the over when Hodge plants the ball into the covers for two.

Bashir with some nice variety again. He looks to have more than one route to getting a wicket and that is great to see.

Hodge carrying the fight to Wood. Attacks a short ball with a crisp pull and now the shot of the morning as he drives through the covers. Four well earned runs for each stroke.

Presumably less of a potty mouth than Emburey as well. He is indeed bowling most pleasingly. Varying his pace in this over.

What a lovely line Shoaib Bashir is bowling to righthanders this morning, having bowled too straight at them in the first innings at Trent Bridge. He is challenging both edges, like John Emburey when he really spun it, or - even - like a taller, bouncier Nathan Lyon. Still a very long way to go of course but he has all the ingredients. 

Wood unlucky once again, he gets Louis to pop a ball up and it lands short of midwicket. Think the fielder might have seen that late, he was back on his heels. He and bowler laugh.

Wood’s patience is further tested off the last ball of the over when Hodge edges between third slip and gully.

That brings Kavem Hodge to the crease, the West Indies are still 41 behind.

Hodge plays back when he should have gone forward, gets an edge and it flies past Root at slip, on the keeper’s side. Would have been a worldie to grab that. Bashir is bowling really well, he beats Hodge with a nice delivery that rags back in. 

It is quite unusual these days to see an lbw not reviewed when three are available, but Athanaze knew he was toast there. It looked very out. He ends his series as one of those players who obviously has a bit of talent and plenty to work with, but is not ready to perform consistently. Bashir is bowling beautifully - every ball in the over tested the batsman, whether the right- or left-hander.

Shame, he’s survived the pacer but got out trying to sweep the spinner. Athanaze with a big shot across the line, fails to connect, and that’s a simple leg-before decision. The ball was too full for the shot. FOW 47/3

If you’re going to flash, flash hard. Mark Wood’s rather luckless trot continues as Athanaze flays at a wide, quick delivery. It flies fast and true to third slip, where Brook fails to take what would have been a really smart catch.

One off the Bashir over.

The Windies pair generally play Woods 93mph offerings ok apart from one ball that climbs on Louis. Hits his gloves. Short leg would have had that had there been one.

Turn for Bashir first ball! And an appeal for a catch at short leg a couple of balls later, but no bat. Decent sweep from Louis fifth ball yields four.

Good morning from a very sunny Edgbaston. The walk from the ground this morning was warm, and lots of lads who have since deposited themselves in the Hollies Stand were already on the cans. The place has been in good voice early in the day. 

Pavillion End, three slips. Wood is up to 90mph from ball one. Ball four is a horrible skiddy bouncer that Athanaze tries to bunny hop under but it doesn’t get up all that high and it deals him a glancing blow on the top of the shoulder.

Momentary excitement for England when they think Louis has feathered it down legside, not that anyone caught it. But it was leg byes anyhow. Couple singles. A quiet start. Hint of a suggestion of turn.

General Stokes is directing operations. Looks a lovely day there.

Alick Athanaze is on strike.

Overnight: West Indies 33/2 (Louis 18* Athanaze 5*) off 14 ov, trail by 61.

Looks like it will be Bashir to resume. Whether that’s Stokes man-managing the youngster to reinforce that belongs/is important, or a little mental game as the West Indies batters would presumably be thinking about Wood etc, or simply that he fancies his off-spinner against the leftie Athanaze we can only speculate.

today in the Olympics obviously, and you can follow that with our blog here if you like. 

Hello, Tyers here, welcome to our live blog coverage of the third day of the third Test between England and West Indies. The action comes to us from Edgbaston, where it is perfect weather for creeekeet, mid 20s, bidda breeze, no rain forecast. West Indies will resume on 33/2, still 61 runs in arrears. It would be a cheap shot to say that the first goal is to make England bat again but stranger things have happened.

The not out men are Mikyle Louis and Alick Athanaze. AA was heavily touted, including by Brian Lara as a young man but has yet to really crack it, averaging 35 in his 41 first class matches and one fifty in his first six Tests. Louis, 23, has played fewer than ten first class games so this is obviously a massive ask against a decent Test attack in their home conditions. Wishing them both a lot of luck today.

Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite would have been hoping to lead from the front but got a duck, completing a modest return of 166 runs across the three Tests, average 28, one fifty. The middle order of Hodge, Holder, Da Silva and Motie has done alright actually, with contributions throughout including of course a ton for Kavem Hodge, but the top order not so much. 

The weather is set fair for tomorrow and I don’t realistically think that West Indies can bat for four sessions-plus and force a draw so I would think they might go out and play their shots, try to somehow set England 180 to win and hope that an inspired spell of bowling and the hosts losing focus can see them to a win.

For England, Test cricket is unlikely really to get much easier than this and it’s another opportunity for Shoaib Bashir to advance his claims and for Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson to prove that England haven’t moved on from James Anderson too hastily. The bookies have England 1/33 to win this match and the draw 175/1 so clearly Windies need something like a miracle.