Bashir bowls England to series-deciding victory over West Indies

Shoaib Bashir produced his finest Test performances as England crushed the West Indies by 241 runs to secure a crucial win at Trent Bridge on Sunday after the tourists suffered a spectacular collapse.

The 20-year-old off-spinner finished with a superb return of 5-41 – his third five-wicket haul in just five Tests, but the first in England – as the West Indies, who were set 385 to win, slumped to 143 in the second Test.

The West Indies made a solid start to their tough comeback, reaching 61-0, but then collapsed in stunning fashion, losing all ten wickets of their second innings in 23 overs.

The victory, secured more than a day before play began, gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match series following their innings and 114-run victory at Lord’s.

“I felt I was a bit inconsistent in the first innings,” Bashir told Sky Sports.

“In the second, I saw a couple coming from a little outside off and Joe Root told me to bowl an attacking line. I was rewarded for that.”

– ‘Top class’ –

England captain Ben Stokes praised Bashir, saying: “On a wicket that didn’t necessarily offer much to the spinners in play, his ability to change his pace and line and manipulate the reaction of the ball on the surface was first class.”

West Indian captain Kraigg Brathwaite and his opening partner Mikyle Louis survived some difficult early overs from an England attack without retired pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad – for the first time in a home Test since 2012.

But when Chris Woakes (2-28) caught Louis with the first ball behind him after the drinks break, it was the start of a spectacular collapse by the top order, losing six wickets and scoring just 30 runs.

“We were good with the bat in the first innings but couldn’t build on that in the second innings,” said Brathwaite, whose team led by 41 runs after scoring 457 runs in reply to England’s initial 416.

Bashir struck with his third ball on Sunday, dismissing Kirk McKenzie cheaply for the second time in the match when wicket-keeper Jamie Smith held a good catch off the edge of a pulled-down delivery.

Brathwaite slipped within sight of the fifty for the second time in the match as the experienced opening batsman was run out by Woakes.

And 74-3 became 75-4 when Kavem Hodge, who had just hit his maiden Test hundred in the first innings, hit a clear LBW for a duck to Bashir on the return play.

Bashir struck again with a classic delivery that drifted and spun, allowing Alick Athanaze, who scored 457 in the West Indies’ first innings, to score 82 and be caught by Joe Root at first slip for just one.

Gus Atkinson’s two wickets in three balls brought the West Indies to the brink of defeat at 113-8.

But it was Bashir who ended the game, bowling Jason Holder (37) with a full and flatter ball before knocking over the stumps of No. 11 Shamar Joseph.

The West Indies were completely eliminated after 37 overs, having lost 17 wickets on a faultless pitch that day.

England’s Ollie Pope was named player of the match after scoring a total of 172 runs, including a hundred in the first innings.

Both Root and Harry Brook scored hundreds earlier on Sunday when England scored 425 in their second innings.

Root scored 122 and Brook 109, with the Yorkshire duo reaching a partnership of 189 after they came together on Saturday when England were just 99 runs ahead at 140-3.

With his century, Root was just one cent short of the English record of 33 Test hundreds held by the retired Alastair Cook.

England started Sunday’s match at 248-3 and were already 207 runs ahead, with Brook not out on 71 and Root unbeaten on 37.

With a quick single against Alzarri Joseph, the 25-year-old reached his fifth hundred in 14 Tests – albeit the first in England – off just 118 balls, including 12 fours, before being caught behind the ball by Jayden Seales.

Root’s typically stylish square-hit boundary against Alzarri Joseph – only his seventh four in 158 balls – gave the former England captain a quiet but valuable century.

The third test at Edgbaston begins on Friday.

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