England vs West Indies (ENG vs WI) 2nd Test Day 2 Live: England are in command. (File Photo)
England vs West Indies (ENG vs WI) 2nd Test Day 2 Live Cricket Score Online Updates: Dom Sibley furnished a splendid account of old-fashioned Test batting and handed out England the honours on the first day of the second Test in Old Trafford. After 82 overs, England were 207 for 3, with a 126-run unbeaten stand between Ben Stokes (59*) and Sibley (86*) frustrating West Indies.
The opening session was delayed for more than an hour by rain. West Indies won the toss and elected to field first. England reached the lunch break at 29/1, with Roston Chase’s spin bringing the first breakthrough at the stroke of the interval. Chase brought up a hat-trick ball by removing Zak Crawley for a golden duck as play resumed in the second session. Joe Root got a start but fell for 23 to Alzarri Joseph, who has now dismissed him in 4 of the last 5 Tests they have crossed swords.
The Day 2 will witness a tug-of-war between the two to make thing fall in their favour. Windies would aim to settle England for a small total and the host would eye a bigger total on the board.
How refreshing to see a session of good old fashioned Test batting from two England players. Sibley took his time (312 balls) and got to his second Test century with a good-looking straight drive. Ben Stokes looks set to join his teammate soon as England continue to dictate terms.
Dom Sibley brings up his second Test century. Coming off 312 balls, it's England's slowest Test hundred since 2000. Dom Sibley has scored just five boundaries on route to his century. The last ENG batsman to make a ton with fewer boundaries was Graham Thorpe, against PAK in 2000 - who hit just one four.
"The concentration from Dom Sibley is extraordinary and impressive. I'm was one of Alastair Cook's great underrated strengths and I reckon it's an underrated skill for Test Match cricket," writes Rufus on Twitter.
Ben Stokes' longest Test innings by balls faced:
94* (239* balls) v West Indies, TODAY
128 (235 balls) v India, 2016
135* (219 balls) v Australia, 2019
120 (214 balls) v South Africa, 2020
258 (198 balls) v South Africa, 2016
If Dom Sibley reaches his century, it will *now* be his slowest first-class century, outdoing his 301 ball effort against Yorkshire, in Surrey colours back in 2013 - when he went on to make 242 (536).
Drinks: West Indies have decided to take the second new ball in hope of breaking the partnership between Sibley and Stokes that is on the verge of crossing 150 runs.
It’s been a steady start to the second day thus far. Stokes and Sibley have stood firm against some decent new-ball bowling from the West Indies.
With over 140km/h speed delivery to Ben Stokes, Alzarri Joseph bowled a maiden over. The last ball of the over was clocked 143km/h. Landing that back of a length ball that pitched on off and squared up Stokes by moving away with the angle, past the outside edge of his half-cocked defence!
ENG 216/3 (88 overs)
With a boundary off the fifth ball of Alzarri Joseph's over, Ben Stokes scored 6 runs off it and stepped up to the day confidently. England are pinning hopes on Stokes-Sibley pair as both of them have had enough time out there and they may cause a great threat to Windies bowling attack. After two overs of the day, England 214/3
Day 2 play starts with Dominic Sibley (86*) and Ben Stokes (59*) walk down to the middle. Shannon Gabriel bowls the first over of the day. England are 207/3.
Manchester has clear skies this morning, and it looks like there might not be any delay like yesterday because of rain.
England ended the first day on 207//3 with Dominic Sibley (86*) and Ben Stokes (59*) on strike. With the ball, West Indies started well at Old Trafford making it 81/3 with two wickets from Roston Chase and one from Alzarri Joseph, but since then they haven't been on the money with it. But as England have already shown their middle-order fragility in the first Test, the 126-run partnership can be thwarted if the likes of Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph get it right first up with the second new ball.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has termed the handling of Joe Denly as "atrocious", saying he is an attacking batsman and asking him to curb his natural game and then dropping him after his failure in the first Test is "truly abysmal".
The 34-year-old Denly, who has played 15 Tests for England, was dropped from the ongoing second Test against the West Indies after scoring 18 and 29 in the two innings respectively in the series opener at Southampton.
Denly, who spent nine years before making it to the England Test team for the 2018 Sri Lanka series, has stayed at the crease for 100 balls or more on nine occasions, something that according to reports he was asked to do by the team management.
In fact, the term 'Dentury' was coined to describe Denly's innings of more than 100 balls.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan is doubtful if pacer Jofra Archer will feature any further in the West Indies series after he "selfishly" breached the bio-secure bubble but insisted that the "modern and unique" character must be looked after during his isolation period. The 25-year-old was axed from the ongoing second Test against the West Indies after he breached the team's bio-secure protocol by going home to Brighton post the series opener. "The fact that he was willing to go home and potentially threaten the series by bringing Covid-19 back into the bubble will mean that he is on the naughty step for a while, I am afraid," Vaughan wrote in 'The Telegraph'.
Hello and welcome to the Live Blog of Day 2 of the second Test between England and West Indies in Manchester. With Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes are unbeaten, England are pinning hopes on this pair to take them to a bigger total. While Jason Holder's bowlers will try to settle England batters for a normal total. Let's see who takes it to their favour.