ST. GEORGE’S: After being put in to bat, England slipped to 46 for three before lunch on the opening day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at the Grenada National Stadium on Thursday. Kyle Mayers instantly justified his selection with the wickets of Zak Crawley and Joe Root.
Mayers struck in his second over when Crawley drove carelessly at a full-length delivery to be collected at short extra-cover by Kraigg Brathwaite after an opening stand of 23 runs on a wicket that aided seam bowlers.
Two overs later, West Indies skipper Brathwaite was even happier when England’s Root was dragged hesitantly forward by Mayers’ shaky medium-pace and offered a simple catch to wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva before scoring.
Kyle Mayers bowled five straight maiden overs in the session, replacing left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul from the team that played in the two drawn Tests in Antigua and Barbuda.
His deft variations and movement through the air and off the seam have posed a different challenge than the frontline bowlers’ faster pace.
After the opening burst from Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales failed to create the anticipated breakthrough, he was called into the attack after half an hour of play.
After Crawley’s opening partner Alex Lees and new batter Dan Lawrence tried to settle the innings, Seales was summoned out for a second spell and struck straight away, trapping Lawrence lbw for just eight runs to reduce England to 46 for three.
Lees will resume in the afternoon session on 26 with Ben Stokes in his debut series, despite the fact that he has yet to achieve a major individual score.
England, like the West Indies, made one alteration to their lineup for the second Test.
In a seam bowler switch, Craig Overton replaced Matt Fisher. Only because Overton fell unwell the night before the match, did Fisher make his Test debut at Kensington Oval.
With the series still undecided, a repeat of England’s victory at the venue in 2015 would give them a first Test campaign triumph in the Caribbean since 2004.
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