West Indies pulled off a stunning comeback on Day 2 of the second Test match against England at Trent Bridge on Friday, July 19. Kavem Hodge registered his maiden Test hundred and Alick Athanaze smashed quick 82 runs as West Indies posted 351/5 at the end of the day's play and are trailing by only 65 runs.
Replying to England's big first innings total of 415, West Indies struggled for a good start with early collapse but a match-defining 175-run stand between Hodge and Athanaze kept the visiting side alive in the match and three-match series.
Openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Loouis added 53 runs for the opening wicket to give the Caribbean side a strong start but England were quick to his back with three wickets in quick succession. The returning pacer Mark Wood struggled but England managed to make a comeback through spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Bashir dismissed Mikyle Louis to give the Three Lions an opening and then also removed Kirk McKenzie. Brathwaite seemed in a good rhythm for a long innings but was dismissed by the first Test's hero Gus Atkinson. West Indies skipper scored crucial 48 runs off 72 balls but was not able to convert it into a big innings.
Both Athanaze and Hodge dominated the second session and accelerated their innings after putting West Indies on track for a big total. However, England tried to make a comeback with Athanaze's wicket early in the third session and Chris Woakes removed Hodge after the latter's century to raise hopes to bowl out the visiting side before the stumps.
But Jason Holder displayed his batting skills and added unbeaten 46 runs for the sixth wicket with the wicketkeeper batter Joshua Da Silva to boost West Indies to 351/ in 84 overs.
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.
West Indies Playing XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Kevin Sinclair, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales.
