Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes help England lay promising platform after eventful start

The home side – one game down in the three-match series – were already due to be without the rested James Anderson and Mark Wood, when it was revealed that Jofra Archer would miss the game after breaching bio-secure protocols

• Scorecard: England v West Indies

England emerged from the first day of the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford in control, despite an eventful start to proceedings.

The home side – one game down in the three-match series – were already due to be without the rested duo of James Anderson and Mark Wood, when it was revealed that Jofra Archer would miss the game after breaching bio-secure protocols during his journey en route to Manchester from the Ageas Bowl.

The fast bowler, who took three second innings wickets in Southampton, must now self-isolate for five days, while passing two Covid-19 tests before re-joining Joe Root’s squad.

It meant that the recalled trio of Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad would make up the crux of England’s seam attack, while Root replaced Joe Denly.

Root then lost the toss, with Jason Holder opting to field first on a gloomy, overcast day. Shannon Gabriel, so impressive last time out, was nowhere near his best – firing down an errant first over, including one delivery that arrowed away for five wides. It set the tone for the fast bowler’s afternoon; he would later return to bowl one ball that was taken by Holder at second slip.

Dom Sibley and Rory Burns went along serenely for the majority of a shortened first session, before Holder’s frustration saw him turn to Roston Chase on the stroke of lunch. The off-spinner struck immediately, trapping Burns in front with the final ball prior to lunch, before Zak Crawley prodded the first delivery of the afternoon session straight to leg slip.

Sibley and Root then helped to fashion a recovery until Root edged the impressive Alzarri Joseph to Holder at second slip.

That was as good as it got for West Indies; Gabriel hobbled off the field for a spell in the afternoon, with concerns over a muscle issue.

Ben Stokes joined Sibley and the pair batted carefully together without great alarm, other than one opportunity offered to Holder at slip by Sibley.

Stokes reached 59 at the close, with Sibley 86* and inching towards a second Test hundred.

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