West Indies beat England by five wickets for famous second Test win

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Tom Collomosse29 August 2017

They came to watch Jimmy Anderson make history but left full of Hope for Test cricket’s future after a young West Indies batsman rewrote the record books.

West Indies completed one of the great shock victories in modern Test history and as they did, Shai Hope managed something no professional cricketer has ever achieved before. After making 147 in the first innings, Hope was 118 not out today – the first time in 534 first-class matches at Headingley that a batsman has scored two centuries in the same game.

Hope batted for five hours and seven minutes and, until he was dropped at slip by Alastair Cook off Stuart Broad on 106, he did not give a chance. He faced 211 balls and shared a stand of 74 with Jermaine Blackwood for the fifth wicket to take his team to the brink of victory. This five-wicket win, achieved with 4.4 overs to spare, is only West Indies’ third overseas against one of Test cricket’s traditional powerhouses since 2000.

Kraigg Braithwaite nearly achieved the same feat as Hope, but fell for 95, ending a 144-run partnership with Hope. It did not matter, though, as West Indies levelled the three-match Investec Series with the decider at Lord’s to come next week, something few believed possible after they were crushed by an innings in the First Test.

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England captain Joe Root was left to rue the declaration on the fourth evening that set the tourists 322 to win, but his boldness permitted a memorable final day, in front of a crowd of about 8,500, many of whom stayed to the end even as England’s chances faded with the late-summer light.

There were few in the ground when play began and England, with their greater experience and with Jimmy Anderson three wickets away from reaching 500 in Tests, were strong favourites. Sometimes, though, the ball simply does not run for you, and there were early signs this would be the case.

Running in from the Pavilion End, Broad should have had Brathwaite for just four, but Cook spilled the edge at first slip. He eventually had his reward, though, when Powell drove away from his body and was caught by Ben Stokes at fourth slip.

Tom Westley then appeared to claim a catch at third slip when Anderson found the edge of Kyle Hope’s bat, though replays showed the ball had bounced before it was claimed and the batsman was correctly given not out.

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Hope’s luck ran out, though, when Brathwaite offered a return catch to Broad. Broad could not take the chance, but the ball ricocheted off his hip and on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end, where Hope was a long way out of his ground.

England were still favourites at lunch but the momentum swung during the afternoon session, when Brathwaite and Shai Hope took control. As the pair added runs with little difficulty, and the target drew closer, the home team’s nerves started to suffer.

In the morning session, Anderson had already been involved in a verbal spat with Powell and Broad, his new-ball partner, was losing patience, too. Both Brathwaite and Hope moved to half-centuries and when Broad bowled a wayward delivery that was clipped for four, he kicked the pitch in anger and was warned by umpire S Ravi.

Chris Woakes and Moeen looked short of their best and even a short-pitched assault from Stokes could not unsettle the Windies batsmen until Brathwaite’s composure deserted him. In the penultimate over before tea, the opener threw everything at a drive outside off stump, and edged Moeen to Stokes at slip.

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England were tense in the field. Broad talked Root into a foolish lbw review against Hope when the ball was missing leg stump by a distance. Anderson tempted Roston Chase into a flashy shot but when he edged, neither wicketkeeper Bairstow nor Root at slip moved a muscle.

It was left to substitute fielder Mason Crane to provide the inspiration in the field when he flew to his left at mid-on to hang on to Chase’s lofted drive, giving Woakes his first wicket and ending Chase’s innings of 30.

As Hope crept towards his hundred, England took the new ball yet when Anderson glided in with it, Blackwood stepped away to leg and clouted him back over his head for six. The ground waited for Hope to complete his century, and he obliged with an inside edge into his pad off Broad for a single.

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Few will remember the stroke though everyone who witnessed it will remember what it meant. In the 534th first-class match at this ground, Hope had done something no other cricketer had achieved and he deserved the applause from the England fielders.

Blackwood’s cricket bordered on the outrageous. There was a four off Broad guided through the cordon to third man, and then a six over the head of Moeen on the point boundary off the same bowler. When Blackwood played the latter stroke, Hope punched the air as he ran from the non-striker’s end, as he knew the job was nearly done.

There was still time for Stokes to put down Blackwood at deep midwicket as he tried to finish the game with a six and with two needed, he was stumped for 41 trying to smash Moeen to Huddersfield. Hope would be guilty of no such rashness and sure enough, he steered Woakes off his pads for the two that took his team to glory. What an innings. What a game.

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