Brathwaite Shines as West Indies Face England Challenge

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored an unbeaten 56 as his team reached 97 for three at lunch on day one of the final test against England. Despite a solid start, late wickets marred their session. Brathwaite aims to anchor the innings further, facing England’s potent seam attack.

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored an unbeaten 56 as the tourists reached 97 for three at lunch on the first day of the third and final test against England at Edgbaston. However, the session ended on a low note with the loss of late wickets, including Alick Athanaze on the stroke of lunch.

The West Indies, trailing 2-0 in the series, opted to bat on a seemingly flat wicket but faced a challenging examination from England's seamers. The home team's bowlers frequently beat the bat with their swing and seam, but later fell into the trap of bowling too short, allowing the West Indies to build a 76-run opening stand.

Mikyle Louis contributed a patient 26 before edging a ball from seamer Gus Atkinson to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Kirk McKenzie's rapid 12 off nine balls, featuring three fours, ended when Mark Wood uprooted his middle stump. Athanaze had only scored two before chopping an Atkinson delivery onto his stumps.

Brathwaite, who managed scores of 47 and 48 in the second test, was relieved to surpass the 50-mark for the 30th time in tests. He will be crucial for the remainder of the innings, especially with the tourists having struggled to exceed 143 runs in three of their four innings this series.

England dominated the first two tests, winning by an innings and 114 runs at Lord's, and by 241 runs at Trent Bridge.

(With inputs from agencies.)