England v West Indies: Rain wipes out day three of second Test
- Published
Rain also delayed the start of play on the opening day
Second Test, Emirates Old Trafford (day three of five) |
England 469-9 dec: Stokes 176, Sibley 120, Chase 5-172 |
West Indies 32-1 |
West Indies trail by 437 |
England face a race against time to level the series against West Indies after the third day of the second Test was washed out.
Morning drizzle turned into persistent rain at Emirates Old Trafford and, with no prospect of play, the abandonment came just after 16:00 BST.
It means England will have two days to take the 19 wickets that would tie the three-match series at 1-1.
West Indies will begin day four on 32-1 in reply to England's 469-9 declared.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite is six not out and nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph is unbeaten on 14.
Sam Curran trapped John Campbell lbw late on day two and would have had Joseph in similar fashion had England opted to review.
England had been put in a dominant position by 176 from Ben Stokes and Dom Sibley's 120, as West Indies' exhausted bowlers toiled after the tourists won the toss and chose to field.
In order to force victory, England will have Sunday and Monday to twice find a way through a West Indies batting line-up that was stubborn in their first-Test win in Southampton.
They face the obstacle of a placid pitch, albeit one that has shown some signs of turn.
They will also almost certainly have to enforce the follow-on, so unfashionable in the modern game.
The only occurrence of note on Saturday was the news that England pace bowler Jofra Archer has been fined an undisclosed amount and given a written warning for breaching the bio-secure protocols.
Archer visited his home in Hove on Monday during his journey from Southampton to Manchester.
He was dropped for this Test, but the lack of a further ban means he will be available to play in the third if he returns two negative coronavirus tests during a five-day period of isolation which ends on Monday.
Archer's availability for the final match in the series would be a boost to an attack that is now facing the prospect of bowling for two days.
However, with England rotating their fast bowlers during a summer when they play six Tests in seven weeks, it could be that Archer has missed his opportunity.
Even if any of Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, the pace bowlers in this match, are not able to play in the third Test, England have the rested pair of James Anderson and Mark Wood waiting in the wings.
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