England seized control of the second Test match against West Indies, putting on a dominant display with the bat riding on Ollie Pope's century on the opening day at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on July 18. Ben Stokes-led ended the day with a commanding total of 416 runs after displaying a perfect Bazball show.
England Dominate Day One at Trent Bridge
Despite losing opener Zak Crawley in the very first over to Alzarri Joseph, England quickly found their footing. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope forged a magnificent partnership for the second wicket, scoring at a rapid pace and putting the pressure on the West Indian bowlers. Their 105-run stand came in just 19 overs, a testament to their aggressive approach. Duckett stole the show in the early stages, smashing a blistering 32-ball fifty. He played a key role in propelling England to a 50-run mark in a record-breaking 4.2 overs, the fastest in Test cricket history. While Duckett adopted a more explosive approach, Pope anchored the innings, keeping the scoreboard ticking over with well-timed singles and twos. Shamar Joseph finally provided a breakthrough for the Windies, dismissing Duckett for a well-made 71 runs off just 59 balls.
West Indies Fight Back in Final Session
Ollie Pope continued his stellar performance, forging crucial partnerships with Joe Root and Harry Brook. He reached his sixth Test century with a knock of 121 runs off 167 balls. However, just before the tea break, Alzarri Joseph brought an end to Pope's impressive innings, sparking a West Indies fightback in the final session. Ben Stokes provided further impetus for England with a well-paced fifty, scoring 69 runs off 104 balls. Tailenders Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes also made valuable contributions with scores exceeding 30, propelling England past the 400-run mark. However, the West Indies bowlers displayed grit in the final session, claiming six wickets. Alzarri Joseph led the fightback with three wickets, including Pope's crucial dismissal. The Windies eventually bowled England out for 416 runs in 88.3 overs, setting the stage for an intriguing battle in the remaining days of the Test match.
Earlier, adding to England's dominant display, Ben Duckett hammered a blistering 50 off just 32 balls, tying for the third-fastest fifty in English Test history. Additionally, Joe Root reached a significant milestone, surpassing the legendary Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene's Test cricket run tally with his score reaching 11,818 on Day 1 of the Trent Bridge Test.
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