Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood centuries keep England at bay

A 183-run stand lasting 411 deliveries takes the sting out of the tourists, with a second successive drawn Test now on the cards in Barbados

Kensington Oval: England 507-9d, West Indies 288-4

Scorecard

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood both hit centuries as West Indies frustrated England as the second Test in Barbados edged closer to a draw.

The pair put on 183 for the third wicket, soaking up 411 deliveries over nearly five hours to keep the tourists at bay on day three.

Blackwood (102) was trapped lbw by Jack Leach but Brathwaite remains unbeaten on 109 as the hosts closed on 288 for 4 - 219 short of parity, but only 20 away from taking the follow-on out of the equation.

With only 13 wickets having fallen across the opening three days it is looking increasingly likely that both sides will head to Grenada for the third and final Test with the series all square.

Leach was able to find a degree of grip and claimed two scalps but there remains little in the surface for the seamers, with Chris Woakes, Saqib Mahmood and Matthew Fisher empty-handed on day three.

^{Jack Leach claimed two wickets (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)}

However, it was not without trying. England should have had Blackwood out before he'd got off the mark but decided against reviewing an unsuccessful lbw appeal that DRS later showed was fully hitting the stumps.

And on 66 the Jamaican survived again, this time after being bowled off a no-ball by Mahmood who was denied a maiden Test wicket. Stokes did get Nkrumah Bonner (9) but it was a rare breakthrough to the pacers.

Not always bathed in quality this was not an England display without heart, summed up by Stokes whose confrontation with Blackwood, which threatened to spill over during the evening session, underpinning the fight shown by the visitors.

Windies will now feel confident of avoiding having to bat again, even if they are somehow skittled on the fourth morning, having put 117 overs into the legs of the England attack, and will be eager to set about shrinking the gap further.

England, however, who are confirmed to be without Mark Wood for the third Test in Grenada, may already have one eye on what is looking like a series decider starting on March 24 due to the benign conditions served up for this second Test.

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