Late flurry of wickets leaves West Indies in strong position heading into final day

Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase shared eight wickets after Dom Sibley and Rory Burns had put on an opening stand of 72 – England’s highest first-wicket partnership in a home Test since 2017

• England v West Indies: Talking points, Day Four
• Scorecard

West Indies ended a fascinating fourth day at the Ageas Bowl in a strong position after a late flurry of wickets left England 170 runs ahead with just two wickets in hand.

Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase shared eight wickets after Dom Sibley and Rory Burns had put on an opening stand of 72 – England’s highest first-wicket partnership in a home Test since 2017.

At one point, England had looked like building up a sizeable lead, with Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley adding 98 in good time. The pair had come together after the loss of Burns to Chase’s off-spin, Sibley – who reached his half-century of 161 deliveries – was strangled down the legside and Joe Denly chipped Chase to midwicket for 29.

Crawley passed his highest Test score to make 76, while Stokes looked in total control for 46. But when the stand-in captain was taken at gully by Shai Hope off the bowling of Holder, Crawley followed six balls later, with Joseph holding onto a fine catch in his follow-through to give West Indies the push they needed.

Joseph castled Jos Buttler shortly afterwards, before Gabriel – still sprinting in at the end of a long day in warm conditions – dismissed both Dom Bess and Ollie Pope with sharp deliveries that moved off the seam.

It means that Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will begin the final morning together, knowing that West Indies will start as favourites if they can clean up England’s tail cheaply.

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