West Indies were 196 for three, replying to England’s first innings total of 507 for nine declared, at tea on the third day of the second Test on Friday at Kensington Oval.
At the break, Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was not out on 79 and his deputy Jermaine Blackwood was not out on 50, after the Caribbean side continued from their lunch total of 114 for three.
The pair have shared 95 – unbroken – for the fourth wicket and condemned the English to a fruitless toil between lunch and tea with both batsmen passing the 50-run mark during this period of play.
Brathwaite swept left-arm spinner Jack Leach to the deep fine leg boundary for the sixth of his eight fours to reach the half-century mark from 167 balls in the third over after lunch.
Blackwood reached the landmark from 113 balls, when he drove the same bowler off the back-foot through cover in the final over before tea.
The Windies have not lost a Test to the English in nearly two decades at Kensington Oval, and they have lost only twice – in 1994 and 2004 – in the history of Tests between the two sides at this ground.
The first of three Tests in this series ended in a draw this past Saturday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, and the final Test will be played from March 24 at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada.
Summarised scores:
ENGLAND 507 for nine declared (Joe Root 153, Ben Stokes 120, Dan Lawrence 91, Chris Woakes 41, Ben Foakes 33, Alex Lees 30, Jonny Bairstow 20; Veerasammy Permaul 3-126, Kemar Roach 2-68).
WEST INDIES 196 for three (Kraigg Brathwaite 79 not out, Jermaine Blackwood 50 not out, Shamarh Brooks 39).
(AR)
