Mark Wood accepts England's new-ball shortcomings in first Test

GEORGE DOBELL IN ANTIGUA: The West Indies made a quick, comfortable start to their innings thanks to an error-strewn performance on either side of the lunch break

Mark Wood has admitted England “just didn’t get it right” with the ball at the start of West Indies first innings in Antigua.

West Indies rushed to 50 without loss in 11 overs before establishing their highest opening partnership since 2019. But while England fought back with four wickets for 40 runs, a stubborn fifth-wicket partnership took West Indies to stumps trialling by 109 runs with six wickets in hand.

Chris Woakes and Craig Overton, who conceded 4.50 and 3.62 runs per overs respectively, were especially wayward as West Indies enjoyed a flying start.

It left Wood, who bowled with good pace and control on a sluggish surface, rueing a missed opportunity after England’s batters reached 300 for the first time since the Leeds Test against India in August; 13 innings ago.

It was a subdued, error-strewn start from England (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

“We just weren’t as consistent as we needed to be,” Wood said as he reflected on the day. “Our lengths were poor. We were either too full or too short. We were all a bit inconsistent.

“We started poorly but we stuck at it and dragged it back a bit. We could have started better. 

“You compare yourself to how the other team bowls, especially with the new ball, and they bowled better than we did. But we came back well, so we showed good character.

“Maybe we tried too hard and put pressure on ourselves to take early wickets. When we’ve stuck to our guns we’ve been consistent and it’s worked for us. It’s easy to say it’s a flat pitch, but we’ve got to find a way to take wickets. We’ve got to get the ball moving somehow.”

“At 50 for 4, you think 311 is a really good total. But overnight when we were 270 for 6 we were hoping to get more runs. It’s something to work on.”

Wood also accepted that the absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad might have played on the minds of the England bowlers. It was a controversial decision to leave out either man and, Wood suggested.

“With the void of Anderson and Broad we wanted to try hard and prove we could do it,” he said. “Maybe that was it. We're trying to get it right now but as can happen with any bowler we just didn't get it right to start. We maybe tried a little bit too hard.

“It's obviously going to be talked about, Anderson and Broad, because they are legends but we just have to admit we didn't get it right to start with and we'll be out to get it right next time.

“Obviously those two are legends but I don't think we can compare. At the start of their careers, they'd have found it hard as well. I didn't bowl well either to be honest, in that initial period. We were all a bit inconsistent, didn't get our length quite right and we were a little bit too full or too short.

Jonny Bairstow had earlier struck 140 as England were bowled out for 311 (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

“But actually I thought we came back really well. We had clear plans, me and Stokesy bowling together felt threatening.”

Wood also suggested that England’s tail could have offered Jonny Bairstow better support with the bat at the start of the day. Resuming at 268 for 6, they could add only 43 more with Jayden Seales defeating both Woakes and Overton with well-directed short deliveries and Wood top-edging an attempted pull.

“I think we could have got more runs,” Wood said. “As bowlers we work really hard on our batting and I think we could have stuck with Jonny a little bit more. Seales bowled really well to get Woakes and Craig quickly. But I was disappointed with my shot and I think if we could have stuck with Jonny we could have got even more runs.

“At 50 for 4, you think 311 is a really good total. But overnight when we were 270 for 6 we were hoping to get more runs. It’s something to work on.”