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PHOTOS: Sibley-Stokes fightback for England after rocky start

Last updated on: July 17, 2020 01:56 IST

IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test played between England and West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday.

England's Dom Sibley bats en route his half-century

IMAGE: England's Dom Sibley bats en route his half-century. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images for ECB

Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes steadied England after the hosts got off to a rocky start to the second Test on Thursday. The duo put on an unbeaten 126-run partnership and took England to 207-3 against West Indies at stumps on Day 1.

 

Opener Sibley played cautiously and ended the day on 86 not out -- his second-highest Test score in just his eighth match -- and Stokes was unbeaten on 59.

West Indies' Alzarri Joseph celebrates on scalping the wicket of England captain Joe Root

IMAGE: West Indies' Alzarri Joseph celebrates on scalping the wicket of England captain Joe Root. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images for ECB

Earlier, England were 112-3 at tea after losing wickets at regular intervals on the opening day of the second Test against West Indies in Manchester on Thursday.

 

Opener Dom Sibley (46) and all-rounder Ben Stokes (18) added 31 runs for the fourth wicket as the hosts trod cautiously in overcast conditions, with the lights also switched on at Old Trafford.

The lunch break was bookended by a pair of wickets for Windies all-rounder Roston Chase, who dismissed opener Rory Burns and Zak Crawley with his part-time off-spin.

 West Indies' Roston Chase celebrates after dismissing England's Rory Burns

IMAGE: West Indies' Roston Chase celebrates after dismissing England's Rory Burns. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images for ECB

Chase trapped Burns leg-before for 15 at the stroke of lunch, while Crawley flicked his first ball straight to Windies captain Jason Holder at leg-slip.

England skipper Joe Root, who missed the first Test to attend the birth of his child, stitched a 52-run partnership together with Sibley to stabilise the innings.

Yet West Indies paceman Alzarri Joseph returned after the drinks break to remove Root, who edged an outswinging delivery to Holder in the slip cordon.

England's Rory Burns and Dom Sibley run between the wickets as West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph looks on 

IMAGE: England's Rory Burns and Dom Sibley run between the wickets as West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph looks on. Photograph: Jon Super/Pool via Getty Images

Sibley was dropped at short-leg just before the tea break to deny Chase a third wicket.

West Indies suffered a setback when seamer Shannon Gabriel, who claimed nine wickets in the first Test, left the field to get treatment on a reported a groin issue.

Earlier, West Indies won the toss and Holder chose to bowl first to take advantage of seamer-friendly conditions after rain delayed the start of the match.

Members of the West Indies team and England's Rory Burns take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement

IMAGE: Members of the West Indies team and England's Rory Burns take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

England are without Jofra Archer after the fast bowler breached the team's bio-secure protocols while top order batsman Joe Denly has been dropped to make way for Root.

Mark Wood and James Anderson have also been rested with the trio of Stuart Broad, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes named in the playing 11.

West Indies, who won the first Test in Southampton by four wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, named an unchanged team.

The series is being played in a bio-secure bubble without spectators in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: REUTERS
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