West Indies secured a 1-0 lead over England breaking a bad run of luck that has plagued them since 2000 which can be attributed, in no small part, to the outstanding performance of Jermaine Blackwood who lead them to the 200 mark on the last day.
Jermaine Blackwood scored his eleventh Test 50 that helped the West Indies mark up a four-wicket victory over England in Southampton. Pursuing 200 for the success on the last day of first Test, Blackwood was very much upheld by Roston Chase as the team put on 73 runs for the fourth wicket.
For England, Jofra Archer gave England a glimmer from the get-go by getting two fast wickets as he expelled Kraigg Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks in progressive overs. Bowman returned with another blazing spell and bowled a sharp bouncer to dispose of Chase. With eleven runs required for the success, Blackwood hit the ball straight under the sure hands of James Anderson. John Campbell, who went off hurt early on, came in to join his captain in the center and pair ensured the guests went over the line without losing additional wickets.
The West Indie’s seamers had set up the success with an eruption of five wickets on the fourth night as the game had begun to look like it was diminishing into a draw, yet it was Blackwood who managed the decisive blow with a fantastic thump on the last day.
Coming in at twenty seven for three with Campbell resigned hurt soon before lunch, Blackwood made England pay for their misses. He was put down twice, and offered ordinary run-out possibilities a few times in his time at bat and, he batted splendidly, playing against a flurry of short-ball blasts from Jofra Archer he really got into his stride driving balls to the boundry. He narrowly missed out on his second Test hundred when at 95, returning Campbell mixed a single into the leg side not long before 6pm to take West Indies to the finish.
The final day saw Archer blazing hard to get three boundaries to secure that all important 200. Mark Wood did edge a slice through to Dowrich stepping back before Archer glanced a short ball behind, giving Gabriel a five-wicket take and nine in the match in his first top game for ten months.
That left 200 to win. Phil Simmons was sure that Kraigg Brathwaite would be “the glue” in the fourth innings, with others batting around him, they went at it with grim determination.
Yet, maybe Simmons hadn’t factored on Archer. Campbell endured an leg before wicket yell when Archer skewered a ball in at his feet, but managed to injure his foot in the process, and went through the vast majority of the day sporting and ice pack. Archer knew this was chance and puncturing Brathwaite’s speculative guarded shot as he hauled one on before catching Shamarh Brooks in front with a full inswinger.
Shai Hope got off with a couple of exquisite drives off James Anderson as though to entice West Indies supporters into longing for a Headingley rehash, yet a free drive before long finished which Wood burst a full ball that hit the seam. The West Indies now only needed 27 for 3 minutes before lunch, with Campbell resigned hurt, and it was hard to visualize some other outcome than an England win.
Yet, Roston Chase and Blackwood came out after lunch with enough grit between his teeth to keep the game ticking down. Blackwood had fortune on his side an the West Indies took the first test.