New ballpublished at 14:02 BST 21 July 2024

14:02 BST 21 July 2024

No hesitation from West Indies, the new ball is taken.

Too short from Kevin Sinclair to end the over and Chris Woakes cuts it behind square for two.

With that, the second new ball is now available for West Indies.

Daniel Norcross
BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

It did turn a bit, but it hit him well outside the line.

As expected, it's not out.

It hit Chris Woakes a long way outside the line of off stump.

Daniel Norcross
BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

He really likes this Sinclair. Joshua Da Silva has done the universal sign for signally the ball is outside the line, waving his hands outside the off stump.

Big appeal from West Indies as Chris Woakes lunges forward to Kevin Sinclair and is hit on the front pad.

Sinclair is convinced but no one else really is. Kraigg Brathwaite gives in, though, and goes for the review.

Josh Da Silva behind the stumps just shakes his head. He knows this is not out.

Joe Root picks up the length from Shamar Joseph and pulls the ball firmly into the leg side.

It should just be a single - and ultimately, that's what he gets - but for a moment it looks like he might get more as the fielder in the deep sets off running in the wrong direction.

He realises his error early enough to adjust his course and cut it off.

Carlos Brathwaite
Former West Indies all-rounder on BBC Sounds

If the standing umpire watches the batter hit the ball into their foot, why do they go to square leg? It's just one of those things that we do.

A tentative appeal from West Indies as Joe Root hits the ball into his boot and it loops up to Josh Da Silva behind the stumps.

No great excitement but the umpires send it upstairs to check.

Clearly bounces before hitting the boot, Root continues but no harm in checking.

Carlos Brathwaite
Former West Indies all-rounder on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Nice shot from Root, but the line from Sinclair has to change. If you're bowling to Woakes, you can keep that attacking line, but Root is into his nineties.

Joe Root crashes the ball through the covers off the back foot for four.

That takes him into the 90s...

Joe Root whips the ball to the right of mid-on with good timing but the fielder gets across well to deny the former England skipper a boundary. He has to settle for a single.

A no-ball from Shamar Joseph extends the over and allows Root to work another single to keep strike.

Carlos Brathwaite
Former West Indies all-rounder on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

For the West Indies it's about being disciplined, eeking out wickets at one end while Joe Root goes about his merry way at the other.

Shamar Joseph is bowling the first over after lunch and Joe Root clips his first ball through square leg for a single.

Well, if England are to bat 100 overs in this innings then they'll have to bat pretty much the entirety of the afternoon session.

Joe Root is still there and Chris Woakes is due to join him in the middle so they have the batting left to do so.

The players are heading out now and it is, indeed, Woakes walking out with Root. West Indies have four more wickets to take and just four overs to bowl before the second new ball is available.

Extremely early days, Steve, and Jamie Smith batted superbly at Lord's and looked good in the first innings here, too.

He's not put a glove wrong behind the stumps either.

I'd also say that as brilliant a wicketkeeper as Ben Foakes is, and while he has done well for England with the bat on occasion, he does average 29.20 after 25 Tests.

While Foakes may come back at some point, I think any pressure on Smith is more likely to come from Durham's Ollie Robinson. He is averaging 71.63 in the County Championship this season with a strike-rate of 84.91 - very Bazball.

Prior to that mini-collapse late in the session, England had been cruising towards an enormous lead.

Harry Brook was in supreme form as he brought up his maiden Test century on home soil, while Joe Root calmly complied his runs at the other end.

With a number of boundary-riders for the West Indies, boundaries were limited but the runs still came at a very decent lick.

Let's have a look at those three wickets then.

Jayden Seales got the first couple, finding Harry Brook's outside edge as the England man chased a ball wide outside off, before Ben Stokes pulled the ball perfectly into the hands of Alzarri Joseph at fine leg.

Then with the last ball before lunch, Jamie Smith pressed forward to defend and the delivery from off-spinner Kevin Sinclair skidded through to find the edge.

No back flip this time but a jubilant celebration nonetheless.