Cricket: West Indies Still Have Hope As Anderson Strikes Again

Shai Hope continued to defy England as West Indies wickets tumbled around him in the third and deciding Test at Lord's

LONDON, Sept 9, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Sep, 2017 ) - Shai Hope continued to defy England as West Indies wickets tumbled around him in the third and deciding Test at Lord's on Saturday.

West Indies were 153 for six at lunch on Saturday's third day, a lead of just 82 runs in a series all square at 1-1. Hope was 60 not out, his latest impressive innings this series, with West Indies captain Jason Holder -- dropped off the last ball before lunch -- eight not out.

James Anderson, fresh from taking his 500th Test wicket on Friday, had lunch figures of four for 29 in 16 overs. West Indies resumed on 93 for three after Anderson had become the first Englishman and only the sixth Test bowler in history to reach the 500-wicket milestone.

Play started in bright sunshine, a marked contrast to the grey skies that had encircled Lord's during the first two days. But despite the improved batting conditions, it only needed four balls on Saturday for Anderson to take another wicket.

Bowling from the Nursery End, where the eight-foot slope across the ground naturally takes the ball away from a right-handed batsman's off stump, Anderson found Roston Chase's edge and wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow held a simple catch.

Chase was out for his overnight three and West Indies were 94 for four. - Reprieve came to nothing - ============================ Anderson should have had another wicket when Jermaine Blackwood, on two, mistimed a drive only for Stuart Broad to drop the catch at mid-off.

Broad then had Blackwood given out lbw by but the batsman successfully reviewed after replays confirmed an inside edge. It all made little difference when Blackwood was dismissed for five, caught behind off Anderson after pushing well away from his body.

Anderson, bowling from the Nursery End after being warned for running on the pitch at the Pavilion End by umpire Marais Erasmus on Friday, had taken two wickets for four runs in 23 balls and West Indies were 100 for five.

Shane Dowrich was then given a reprieve on nought when Broad, in a series littered with dropped catches, failed to hold a diving caught and bowled chance. But Dowrich fell for 14 -- his first double-figure score this series -- when trying to pull a Toby Roland-Jones ball that climbed off a length, he succeeded only in splicing an easy catch to Broad at mid-on.

The rather more patient Hope, 35 not out overnight, took 54 balls to score his first boundary on Saturday but a resounding cover-drive off Ben Stokes was worth the wait. A four off his legs against Roland-Jones then saw Hope to a 127-ball fifty including eight boundaries.

It was yet another significant contribution from the 23-year-old Barbados batsman, whose twin hundreds -- including a maiden Test century -- had provided the backbone of West Indies' series-levelling victory at Headingley.

Hope, who also made a stylish 39 in difficult conditions in the first innings at Lord's, then drove Roland-Jones past backward point for a third four in five balls. England captain Joe Root brought himself on for the final over before lunch and the occasional off-spinner's move nearly worked when the final ball of the session saw Holder slice a drive.

But Alastair Cook at gully was unable to react in time to hold what would have been a spectacular catch.