England in West Indies: Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood share stunning 90-run stand to spare England’s blushes | Cricket News

England collapse to 53-6 with the fall of three wickets in as many overs after lunch; Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow both dismissed for ducks; Jack Leach (41no) and Saqib Mahmood (49) share in stunning final-wicket stand to see tourists beyond 200

Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood put on 90 for the final wicket to frustrate the West Indies

Last-wicket pair Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood spared England’s blushes after the tourists suffered yet another batting collapse to open the third Test against the West Indies in Grenada.

Leach (41no) and Mahmood (49) shared in a remarkable 90-run stand, helping England to recover from 114-9 and close day one with a far more credible 204 all out when Mahmood was denied a maiden first-class fifty in being bowled in the final over of the day.

England had earlier crumpled to 53-6 with the fall of three wickets in as many overs shortly after lunch, Alzarri Joseph (2-33) picking up the dangerous Ben Stokes (2) and Jonny Bairstow (0) either side of Alex Lees (31) falling to Kemar Roach (2-41).

Admittedly, England’s latest batting woes came when faced with far more helpful conditions for bowling than in the first two drawn Tests, with plenty of swing and seam movement on offer – which the West Indies seamers duly exploited.

England’s openers may have hoped they had weathered the early storm, seeing out the opening 12 overs without much alarm after the West Indies won the toss and put them in, only for Zak Crawley (7) to then spoon a loose drive to the fielder at cover.

The breakthrough was provided by Kyle Mayers (2-13), the new man in the West Indies attack as they opted to drop front-line spinner Veerasammy Permaul given the conditions.

Mayers then added the key scalp of Joe Root for a duck, the England skipper feathering an edge behind, as part of a remarkable first five-over spell in which the seamer did not concede a run.

With England going nowhere, Dan Lawrence (8) was the next to depart, just before lunch, as Jayden Seales (3-40) got one to jag bag to the right-hander and thud into his front pad plumb in front.

It was after the interval, though, where England really lost their way, with Stokes first taking on a Joseph short ball but succeeding only in serving up a simple return catch to the bowler.

Lees and Bairstow then swiftly followed him back to the dressing room, both nicking off to Roach and Joseph respectively to leave the tourists teetering.

Seales dismantled Ben Foakes’ (7) stumps next, getting another to jag back sharply off the seam, while Roach followed suit to beat Craig Overton’s defences, clean-bowling him for 14.

It left England 90-8 and struggling to even post a triple-figure score, though Chris Woakes and Leach at least avoided that ignominy as they ticked off the 10 required runs when safely steering the tourists to the tea interval.

It appeared like the innings would not last much longer, mind, as Woakes (25) was sent packing with the second ball after the break, Seales cleaning up another through the gate.

But that could not have been further from the truth as in the face of some inspired batting from Leach and Mahmood, and with the pitch flattening out, the ball getting older and the West Indies seamers’ spirits fading, England somehow passed 200 before Mahmood fell with two balls remaining in the day.

More to follow…

West Indies and England will resume the third Test at 2pm UK time on Friday. Follow over-by-over text commentary from 1.45pm on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.