Key events
24th over: West Indies 51-4 (Athanaze 22, Holder 4). Stokes overpitches and Athanaze cashes in, clipping stylishly to the long-on boundary for four. He does similar with another cover drive for three, tigerishly chased and fielded by Sir Jimmy, to cheers. A rare chance for West Indies to release the handbrake, that over.
23rd over: West Indies 43-4 (Athanaze 15, Holder 3). Despite Motie’s success earlier, England still eschew spin, taking Atkinson out of the attack to enable Anderson to return. Jimmy continues to be probing and accurate, pushing it in to the left-handed Athanaze – because of course he is – but the latter manages to turn one round the corner for a single
22nd over: West Indies 42-4 (Athanaze 14, Holder 3). Stokes continues for his sixth over from the Nursery End – quite a long spell for him, but it’s been a smart and probing one. And this is another maiden.
A contentious suggestion from our old mucker Simon McMahon: “Sadly, it looks as though this Test could well be over before lunch on Day 3. Meaning no cricket at all over the weekend. I know it’s not how these things work, but I’m sure plenty of Day 4 / 5 ticket holders would happily watch a T20 between these two sides on those days..?”
21st over: West Indies 42-4 (Athanaze 14, Holder 3). Some welcome strike rotation as Holder flicks Atkinson to deep midwicket for a single, Athanaze pushes for another and Holder pulls round the corner for one more.
20th over: West Indies 39-4 (Athanaze 13, Holder 2). Holder hacks a single towards mid-on in an otherwise uneventful Stokes over.
“Well, this already feels a little inevitable doesn’t it?” sighs friend of the OBO Guy Hornsby. “Not only did Jimmy not get a chance to reverse sweep his last ball in Test cricket for 6 (take *that*, Stuart) but the West Indies top 6 has a rather brittle feel to it, even if England are bowling superbly here in helpful conditions. I find myself wanting a stirring rearguard, both for the touring side’s own confidence and the wider series narrative, because this isn’t about a strong WI, a slightly tired cliché, but competitive Test cricket in of itself. Come on Alick and Mickyle!”
We’re always saying this, because it’s always true. The big three v the rest inequality is the biggest problem Test cricket currently has. By miles.
19th over: West Indies 38-4 (Athanaze 13, Holder 1). Athanaze nudges Atkinson smartly off his hips down to fine leg before Hodge’s attempt at an aggressive counterattack is ended swiftly when he plays on. Some much-needed experience comes in now, in the form of Jason Holder, who avoids a pair with an unconvincing inside edge to fine leg for one. They’re scrapping for crumbs now.
“In this very uneven contest dominated by England,” writes Colom Fordham, “it’s a relief to observe the rare flashes of positivity for the West Indies, such as the batsman Athanaze who also played some dashing shots in the first innings, and the left-arm spinner Motie who clean bowled none other than two major English scalps Root and Stokes. Let’s hope, for the sake of test cricket and third day ticket holders (not to mention the OBO faithful), that Athanaze makes a big innings and helps ensure there is a smidgeon of play tomorrow.”
Wicket! Hodge b Atkinson 4, West Indies 37-4
Ouch! Hodge tries to pull an unpullable ball and hacks it onto his stumps. This could get very messy now.
18th over: West Indies 36-3 (Athanaze 12, Hodge 4). Stokes continues to prove he’s back as a fully-fledged all-rounder, angling in an outswinger to snare Louis. Kavem Hodge breaks with his side’s convention by pulling his first ball for four. But it’s a long, long way back for West Indies now and those Saturday tickets are at serious risk of being refunded.
Wicket! Louis c Smith b Stokes 14, West Indies 32-3
The change of ball works instantly – Louis prods tentatively at an away-nipper and edges to Smith. Again he’s cut off just as it looked as if he might build an innings.
17.1 overs: West Indies 32-2 (Louis 14, Athanaze 12). Louis shows his technical correctness again with a nice clip in front of square on the legside for two off Stokes, who wants the ball looked at. The umpires oblige and declare drinks.
17th over: West Indies 30-2 (Louis 12, Athanaze 12). Hurrah! Some runs! Four of the blighters. Athanaze is off the mark, 15th ball, with a late dab beyond the cordon for four. Enthused, he does exactly the same next ball – four more. Better still is the leg-up swivel-pull he executes two balls later, which races to the square leg boundary. Lara-esque, as Andrew Strauss says on comms, burnishing the West Indies nostalgia industry as we’re all so wont to do. But it was a fine shot, in 2024, and the best of the innings so far.
16th over: West Indies 18-2 (Louis 12, Athanaze 0). In mitigation, England have had all the conditions in their favour – bright sunshine throughout their innings today, while it’s gone cloudy again in the past hour – but the hosts are totally on top. Louis tries to pull a shorter one but can’t quite catch it cleanly and Stokes has yet another maiden. Eighteen runs off 16 overs.
15th over: West Indies 18-2 (Louis 12, Athanaze 0). Athanaze is struggling with Atkinson’s pace and movement at times, making a hash of an attempted pull that grubs through to the keeper, and West Indies just can’t buy a run at the moment.
14th over: West Indies 18-2 (Louis 12, Athanaze 0). On the subject of West Indies past and present, I’m just trying to think of other international sporting teams so burdened by a contrast between a gilded glorious past and a straitened, struggling present. It can’t be easy dealing with all that, as West Indies players have had to for a generation now (while still sporadically excelling in other forms of the game). Anyway, another maiden is competently defended by their batters from Stokes.
13th over: West Indies 18-2 (Louis 12, Athanaze 0). A hurried and uncertain, but completed, single starts Atkinson’s second over – perhaps an indication of the deep bother West Indies are now in. But they play out the rest of a stern examination from the bowler with composure.
“Great to see Big Clive in the crowd at Lord’s 49 years on from his extraordinary century in the World Cup Final here,” writes Gary Naylor. “Batting from the future if ever there was such a thing. Three figures off 82 balls when anything above three an over was considered a decent rate.”
12th over: West Indies 17-2 (Louis 11, Athanaze 0). Stokes replaces Woakes at the Nursery End, and makes that instant impact he so often does, snaring McKenzie in front. He discomforts Athanaze straight off too, short outside off and jagging off the seam. He’s looking like the Stokes-the-bowler of yore here, as he has for a fair part of the county summer too.
It is a bit disconcerting to hear (or rather, not hear) so few West Indies fans in the crowd by the way. The days when they used to pack this place are very long gone.
Wicket! McKenzie lbw b Stokes 0, West Indies 17-2
Stokes slants one in at the left-hander, it straightens a touch, and up goes the finger. McKenzie reviews, but it’s clattering middle. Stokes has 200 Test wickets!
11th over: West Indies 17-1 (Louis 11, McKenzie 0). Now Jimmy has his reward, it’s in with the new, as Atkinson replaces him at the Pavilion End as he did in the first dig, and the change of pace offers new tests to the tourists – Louis has to step out of the way of a steepling bouncer outside off, first up. He also faces a zesty lbw shout third ball from an inswinger which is turned down but England review (Ollie Pope making the call as Stokes is on the boundary’s edge in the process of returning to the field). It’s a waste though, as it was going a bit too high and a bit too far down the slope, and Louis marks his reprieve by slightly awkwardly nudging a shortish ball all the way to the Tavern boundary for four. Atkinson again making things happen though.
10th over: West Indies 13-1 (Louis 7, McKenzie 0). Woakes is doing his bit here to keep things tight and in control, conceding only a leg-bye.
“Not to be pedantic (OK, to be pedantic),” writes Simon Lacey (and 1,057 others) “but that Withnail quote in the 4th over is originally from Hamlet – ‘What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god!’”
I know I know, but sampling is an art form too. And in all honesty, Withnail’s version of that Hamlet soliloquy is the best I’ve seen. Perhaps he could have made it on the stage after all, rather than just cigar commercials, and his agent really should have licked 10 per cent of the arses.
9th over: West Indies 12-1 (Louis 7, McKenzie 0). Jimmy castles Brathwaite for Test wicket No 702, eight of which have been the Windies captain – it had been coming. The left-handed McKenzie then plays out the wicket maiden, and warm applause cascades around Lord’s
“The obo is keeping me company at work, as ever,” writes Debbie Valentine. “It’s not a Withnail quote but the quote that keeps coming into my mind about Jimmy’s retirement is the great philosopher Winne the Pooh, saying “how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”.
“How lucky all England cricket fans have been over the last 21 years to have such a great player in the team. Jimmy’s first test summer in 2003 was the year as a bored teenager after my GCSEs that my much-missed dad told me to watch the cricket on channel 4 to fill some time. I wasn’t sure but gave it a go & fell in love with this ridiculous, beautiful sport. Thanks to my dad for nurturing that love, thanks to Jimmy for all the love he put in.”
Aw, welling up a bit here, which may not be for the last time in this Test. Is there a finer sight in all sport than an on-song seamer inducing an edge with a forensic outswinger? And no one has ever done it better from these shores than Anderson.
Wicket! Brathwaite b Anderson 4, West Indies 12-1
Oh yes! Jimmy has the opening scalp he’s deserved – full, darting in, down the slope, stump splattered. Brathwaite goes, dismissed by the great man for the ninth time.
8th over: West Indies 12-0 (Brathwaite 4, Louis 7). I like the look of Louis. Good technique and stance, sensible and strong on the offside, as he demonstrates by creaming Woakes through the covers for four. Literally, textbook.
7th over: West Indies 8-0 (Brathwaite 4, Louis 3). This Anderson spell deserves a wicket, and Brathwaite has certainly missed/left more than he’s hit off him, but the West Indies captain will be content enough with his defensive work. Anderson’s figures so far: 4-3-2-0.
6th over: West Indies 8-0 (Brathwaite 4, Louis 3). A nudge off his hips brings Brathwaite a single as the West Indies try to whittle down this formidable lead in cautious fashion. The England seamers aren’t giving them anything to be fair.
Overseas TMS link klaxon! Thanks Raiza Billam
5th over: West Indies 7-0 (Brathwaite 4, Louis 3). Jimmy foxes Louis with a beautiful late away swinger, then nips one back, then an out-seamer in a proper showreel of why we’ll miss him so much. Louis does get bat and ball crisply for a drive through the covers for two
“Surely the Withnail quote required for the melancholy mood of Jimmy’s last game is this: ‘But old now, old. No true beauty without decay.’” says Peter Salmon. I fear we’ve started an unstoppable conversational thread now. We’re coming back in here …
4th over: West Indies 5-0 (Brathwaite 4, Louis 1). Brathwaite gets the first boundary of the innings, seizing on a full delivery from Woakes to cover drive for four.
“Given Ali Martin’s Jimmy Anderson/ “hippy wigs in Woolworths” allusion,” writes Jonathan Post “and the proximity of Lord’s to London Zoo – wasn’t there also room for Withnail’s elegiac description of Jimmy’s art: ‘in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel!’”
3rd over: West Indies 1-0 (Brathwaite 0, Louis 1). Anderson continues on a good probing line and length – no extravagant swing but no room for Brathwaite to score. And it’s another maiden.
“Imagine if WI score 251…then Anderson could open and score the winning run,” suggests Brendan Large. “Although in that situation against the new ball he may well get a duck anyway. Has he ever scored the winning runs in a test?”
I don’t believe he has. He came close in a losing Test in New Zealand last year, and has been involved in some memorable and decisive rearguards, but no. This could be his final chance.
2nd over: West Indies 1-0 (Brathwaite 0, Louis 1). Louis gets West Indies’ second innings up and running with a push through the offside for a single off Woakes. It’s the only scoring shot of a tidy over.
“Hi Tom.” Hi Phil Russell. “While Jimmy didn’t get to face a ball in what is in all probability his final innings (unless he is on nighthawk duty!) He has at least added another onto a record possibly even more impressive than his wickets tally – his Test ‘not outs’ record. Unlikely to ever be beaten you would have to think!”
1st over: West Indies 0-0 (Brathwaite 0, Louis 0). Off we go again then, with Jimmy Anderson’s final bowling innings in Test cricket. From the pavilion end as per. And he begins with a grubber that keeps inordinately low outside off stump and sends down a tidy maiden that has enough in it to make Brathwaite look uncomfortable. And the capricious elements in this pitch should help England see this job through
More on Peter’s Lord’s trip. I’d definitely recommend bread and fine cheese and generally bringing your own sarnies. A bottle of wine gives you better value than cans of anything, and though excess fancy dress can sometimes be a pain, the ban seems a tad churlish. And certainly less antisocial than the tedious Lord’s ritual of ostentatiously popping Champagne corks off the top tier of the Nursery End stands onto the outfield.
And Julian Menz is asking for the overseas TMS link, which I don’t have to hand. Can anyone oblige?
“I fear that I have seen the last of Jimmy’s batting, even if there is play on Saturday,” sobs Peter Gibbs. “I too have tickets for then, and praying RAIN RIGHT NOW. I’m okay about drawing if Stokes decides to play out all the wickets rather than declare. Jimmy’s goodbye should not be truncated for a quick win.
“On another note, wonderful Lord’s being the only one that allows food and (limited) drink to be taken in…but no fancy dress. You get one bottle of wine or such each….what should one choose?. Food wise, I’m thinking: great bread and cheese but fancy dress…I wanted to honour the great retiring man himself but all I can smuggle in is a cardboard mask. Are there any suggestions for fancy dress get-arounds….or plausible excuses for something more….well, “fancy”? Lots of questions, sorry.”
I have many opinions on Lord’s etiquette and refreshment. In the meantime, remember Jimmy’s batting this way:
So, England lead by 250. And they’ll take an early tea. You fancy Ben Stokes would have wanted to have a crack at the West Indies batters again in the evening session anyway, so he’ll be looking forward to this.
In the meantime, some interval reading – from Tanya on the struggles of Afghanistan’s women:
And another re-up for Ali’s day one match report, simply for surely having the most Withnail and I allusions in any cricket report ever. My boys, my boys, we’re at the end of an age …
Wicket! Smith c McKenzie b Seales 70, England 371 all out
90th over: England 371-9 (Smith 70, Anderson 0) Seales has almost everyone on the boundary, a gauntlet laid down to Smith, who seizes it with relish and a glorious swivel-slog over midwicket goes straight over all of them, bringing SIX more. He tries to go big next ball too, this time into the offside, but it falls short and Louis then runs out Bashir with a magnificent opportunistic pick up and throw. It brings Jimmy Anderson to the crease for perhaps the last time with bat in hand and is suitably cheered. Smith then carves out another four before holing out to McKenzie on the square leg boundary, ending a fine debut innings from the Surrey man. And it’s four wickets for Seales, the pick of the West Indies quicks. And Jimmy never even got to face in what is probably his last Test innings.
Wicket! Bashir run out 0, England 367-9
Brilliant fielding, as Smith launches another slog high over cover point, it’s then picked up by Lewis, who hurls down the stumps from distance, running out Bashir by a distance. The celebrations are suitably raucous
89th over: England 360-8 (Smith 59, Bashir 0) Motie is the new bowler at the Nursery End now. Smith takes a single, giving Bashir a closer look at his fellow spinner, who’s still mixing it up nicely and must fancy his chances of cleaning up the tail. In the meantime, Sky comms chat once again drifts into almost treating this summer’s series as pre-Ashes friendlies. This series-stratification does no one any favours.
88th over: England 359-8 (Smith 58, Bashir 0) The game could really do without another promising fast bowler’s career being perpetually injury-blighted so let’s hope Shamar J’s pains can be eased. Bashir’s doggedly convention No 10’s innings continues with a series of leaves and misses at Seales before he drives to point for no run, prompting sarky cheers at bat finding ball.
87th over: England 359-8 (Smith 58, Bashir 0) Shamar Joseph returns from the Nursery End but Smith continues the quite old-school tactic of turning down singles to protect the tail-ender from the strike. A dab beyond gully brings Smith two though. As the camera pans across the crowd to two of the sport’s ultimate alpha-Gods, Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd, Smith pulls one right out of Sir Viv’s copyback with a fearsome bludgeon into the grand stand for SIX. Shamar is moving gingerly and it looks as if this might be a one-over spell. Off he trudges again.
86th over: England 351-8 (Smith 50, Bashir 0) Seales is doing all the things you’d expect to do against an inexperienced tail-ender – a couple straight at the stumps, a bit of short stuff – but the Somerset spinner is equal to it, even if he essays a slightly risky leave at an in-swinger. Smith gets the strike back and might have a bit of a go now.