Chase stars as West Indies close in on dominant win

AFP  |  Bridgetown 

took three wickets with his off-spin in the afternoon session as the closed in on a massive victory over England on the fourth day of the first Test at in on Saturday.

Set the improbable target of 628 to win, or more hopefully required to bat two days to save the match, the tourists lost four wickets in the middle period of the day to limp to tea at 217 for six.

Chase, who ended opening batsman Rory Burns' quest for a maiden Test century off the final delivery in the morning period of play, was persisted with by for the next two hours and earned the reward of the wickets of England Joe Root, and

Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who would have had the wicket of Root but was called for a no-ball when the batsman gloved a sharp lifted to Holder in the slips, made amends by dismissing to a leg-side catch by stand-in wicketkeeper Shai Hope.

Regular wicketkeeper has yet to take the field for the day due to back stiffness.

In contrast to Holder's outstanding performances in front of his home crowd, this match has been a miserable experience for Root.

Reprieved by Gabriel's front foot indiscretion, he failed to take full advantage of the let-off. Partnered by Stokes after Bairstow's demise for 30, England's never looked settled at the crease and eventually wafted outside the off-stump at chase to give a straightforward catch at slip to depart for 22.

Stokes, clearly out of form, laboured through his innings of 34. Given out leg-before off Chase early in his innings he was rescued by a television review which showed an inside-edge onto the bat. But the tall spinner's perseverance eventually paid off when another lbw shout went in the West Indies' favour nearing the end of the session.

There was more celebration to follow for Chase and his teammates minutes later when an indecisive Moeen followed an innocuous delivery angled cross him and guided a catch to a jubilant Holder at second slip.

Dismissed first ball in the first innings rout for just 77, Moeen suffered the indignity of a pair for the first time in his Test career.

and wicketkeeper-batsman were left with the task to keep the waiting in the final session of the day.

Burns played attractively, if sometimes riskily, in getting to 84 in the morning session, the highest score of a young Test career which is just into its fourth match.

But he lost opening partner for 14 after a stand of 85, driving at Alzarri Joseph in the lanky fast bowler's first over of the morning for Holder to pull down a sharp catch high to his left at third slip.

Bairstow joined Burns and the two instinctively attacking players mixed discipline with aggression in a partnership of 49 which took them to the verge of the lunch interval when another change by Holder brought a second wicket, Chase striking with his fifth delivery as Burns left a gap between pad and pad pushing to a straight ball which hit the top of off-stump.

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First Published: Sun, January 27 2019. 01:00 IST