England’s pace attack was always going to be under extra scrutiny after the omissions of veteran Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad for the West Indies tour, something that was not lost on Mark Wood and his teammates.
Wood admitted after the second day of the first Test in Antigua that it felt strange not to have the two giants in hand.
“It’s obviously going to be talking about Anderson and Broad as they are giants, but we just have to admit that we didn’t get it right to begin with and we’ll be out to get it right next time.” “
He was referring to the early part of West Indies’ innings, when openers Craig Brathwaite and John Campbell smashed a quick 83, with Chris Woakes and Craig Overton coming in for particularly heavy punishment.
As England defended a respectable total of 311 runs in the first innings, they got their execution right late in the day and the visitors looked set to take their advantage after taking four quick scalps in the North Sound.
The pace quartet of Wood, Ben Stokes, Overton and Woakes picked up a wicket each as West Indies were reduced to 123 for four, their batting fragility not exposed for the first time in recent years.
Woakes had no doubt that Jermaine Blackwood was caught in the lane for 11 off an inside edge on the pads, which was initially given not out, when Joe Root opted to review.
He came in for some heavy punishment and ended the day with 1-54 in 12 overs.
Overton, who finished the day with 1-58 in 16 overs, also had his issues, though he found an early breakthrough by catching Campbell with a brilliant pull shot.
“The way we came back, it showed good character as a group,” Wood said.
But after West Indies’ mini-collapse, England could not dismiss either Jason Holder (43) or Nkrumah Bonner (34), both unbeaten as West Indies posted 202 for four at stumps.
Wood said of the all-rounder, “Holder I thought played really well, whose skills translated brilliantly across all three formats of the game.
“He’s a brilliant cricketer. He and Bonner canceled the round when we got a little reverse swing.
“If we had got some wickets that would have kept us in control.”
Wood confirmed that England’s bowlers were focusing on attacking the stumps, something that was not always evident in the recent Ashes series.
“(Our) analyst has looked at the West Indies statistics and says straight lines are better,” Wood said.
“On a flat (pitch), especially, where there are few short stays, you’ve got to play the stumps, so we tried to set up straighter fields and bowl a little straighter, but when we got the wrong length, we was punished.”
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