England v West Indies: first cricket Test, day two – live | England v West Indies 2024

5th over: West Indies 7-0 (Brathwaite 4, Louis 3). Jimmy foxes Louis with a beautiful late away swinger, then nips one back, then an out-seamer in a proper showreel of why we’ll miss him so much. Louis does get bat and ball crisply for a drive through the covers for two

“Surely the Withnail quote required for the melancholy mood of Jimmy’s last game is this: ‘But old now, old. No true beauty without decay.’” says Peter Salmon. I fear we’ve started an unstoppable conversational thread now. We’re coming back in here …

4th over: West Indies 5-0 (Brathwaite 4, Louis 1). Brathwaite gets the first boundary of the innings, seizing on a full delivery from Woakes to cover drive for four.

“Given Ali Martin’s Jimmy Anderson/ “hippy wigs in Woolworths” allusion,” writes Jonathan Post “and the proximity of Lord’s to London Zoo – wasn’t there also room for Withnail’s elegiac description of Jimmy’s art: ‘in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel!’”

3rd over: West Indies 1-0 (Brathwaite 0, Louis 1). Anderson continues on a good probing line and length – no extravagant swing but no room for Brathwaite to score. And it’s another maiden.

“Imagine if WI score 251…then Anderson could open and score the winning run,” suggests Brendan Large. “Although in that situation against the new ball he may well get a duck anyway. Has he ever scored the winning runs in a test?”

I don’t believe he has. He came close in a losing Test in New Zealand last year, and has been involved in some memorable and decisive rearguards, but no. This could be his final chance.

2nd over: West Indies 1-0 (Brathwaite 0, Louis 1). Louis gets West Indies’ second innings up and running with a push through the offside for a single off Woakes. It’s the only scoring shot of a tidy over.

“Hi Tom.” Hi Phil Russell. “While Jimmy didn’t get to face a ball in what is in all probability his final innings (unless he is on nighthawk duty!) He has at least added another onto a record possibly even more impressive than his wickets tally – his Test ‘not outs’ record. Unlikely to ever be beaten you would have to think!”

1st over: West Indies 0-0 (Brathwaite 0, Louis 0). Off we go again then, with Jimmy Anderson’s final bowling innings in Test cricket. From the pavilion end as per. And he begins with a grubber that keeps inordinately low outside off stump and sends down a tidy maiden that has enough in it to make Brathwaite look uncomfortable. And the capricious elements in this pitch should help England see this job through

More on Peter’s Lord’s trip. I’d definitely recommend bread and fine cheese and generally bringing your own sarnies. A bottle of wine gives you better value than cans of anything, and though excess fancy dress can sometimes be a pain, the ban seems a tad churlish. And certainly less antisocial than the tedious Lord’s ritual of ostentatiously popping Champagne corks off the top tier of the Nursery End stands onto the outfield.

And Julian Menz is asking for the overseas TMS link, which I don’t have to hand. Can anyone oblige?

“I fear that I have seen the last of Jimmy’s batting, even if there is play on Saturday,” sobs Peter Gibbs. “I too have tickets for then, and praying RAIN RIGHT NOW. I’m okay about drawing if Stokes decides to play out all the wickets rather than declare. Jimmy’s goodbye should not be truncated for a quick win.

“On another note, wonderful Lord’s being the only one that allows food and (limited) drink to be taken in…but no fancy dress. You get one bottle of wine or such each….what should one choose?. Food wise, I’m thinking: great bread and cheese but fancy dress…I wanted to honour the great retiring man himself but all I can smuggle in is a cardboard mask. Are there any suggestions for fancy dress get-arounds….or plausible excuses for something more….well, “fancy”? Lots of questions, sorry.”

I have many opinions on Lord’s etiquette and refreshment. In the meantime, remember Jimmy’s batting this way:

So, England lead by 250. And they’ll take an early tea. You fancy Ben Stokes would have wanted to have a crack at the West Indies batters again in the evening session anyway, so he’ll be looking forward to this.

In the meantime, some interval reading – from Tanya on the struggles of Afghanistan’s women:

And another re-up for Ali’s day one match report, simply for surely having the most Withnail and I allusions in any cricket report ever. My boys, my boys, we’re at the end of an age …

Wicket! Smith c McKenzie b Seales 70, England 371 all out

Wicket! Bashir run out 0, England 367-9

89th over: England 360-8 (Smith 59, Bashir 0) Motie is the new bowler at the Nursery End now. Smith takes a single, giving Bashir a closer look at his fellow spinner, who’s still mixing it up nicely and must fancy his chances of cleaning up the tail. In the meantime, Sky comms chat once again drifts into almost treating this summer’s series as pre-Ashes friendlies. This series-stratification does no one any favours.

88th over: England 359-8 (Smith 58, Bashir 0) The game could really do without another promising fast bowler’s career being perpetually injury-blighted so let’s hope Shamar J’s pains can be eased. Bashir’s doggedly convention No 10’s innings continues with a series of leaves and misses at Seales before he drives to point for no run, prompting sarky cheers at bat finding ball.

87th over: England 359-8 (Smith 58, Bashir 0) Shamar Joseph returns from the Nursery End but Smith continues the quite old-school tactic of turning down singles to protect the tail-ender from the strike. A dab beyond gully brings Smith two though. As the camera pans across the crowd to two of the sport’s ultimate alpha-Gods, Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd, Smith pulls one right out of Sir Viv’s copyback with a fearsome bludgeon into the grand stand for SIX. Shamar is moving gingerly and it looks as if this might be a one-over spell. Off he trudges again.

86th over: England 351-8 (Smith 50, Bashir 0) Seales is doing all the things you’d expect to do against an inexperienced tail-ender – a couple straight at the stumps, a bit of short stuff – but the Somerset spinner is equal to it, even if he essays a slightly risky leave at an in-swinger. Smith gets the strike back and might have a bit of a go now.

85th over: England 351-8 (Smith 50, Bashir 0) Holder’s bowling well, moving it both way. Alas, for him, when he nips one back up the slope it wobbles wildly to the left of the diving Da Silva and goes for four byes. Holder then sends down the slowest and loopiest of slower balls that Smith can’t get anywhere near outside off. And follows with another, almost a beamer, that the wicketkeeper-batter can only fend off and he surrenders the strike. Good T20-ish smarts from the bowler there.

84th over: England 347-8 (Smith 50, Bashir 0) I was just bemoaning the slight meandering nature of the afternoon session’s play before those two wickets. But things might liven up now, as an assertive lofted thump down the ground for four by Smith suggests. Seales responds with a shorter one angled in that Smith hacks and misses at. But he brings up his 50 next ball with another aggressive swipe to square leg for one. Another impressive Surrey debutant. And a player on his home debut, Shoaib Bashir, prods and misses tentatively at his first ball but survives.

83rd over: England 342-8 (Smith 45, Bashir 0) Holder continues and Smith clips him neatly past Shamar Joseph, thankfully back on the pitch, for a couple before Holder zips a shapely away-swinger past the batter’s outside edge. Gus Atkinson gets to face his first ball in Test cricket and, having taken a wicket with his second ball yesterday, he’s out to his first with bat in hand, Holder putting it in the perfect area outside off.

Wicket! Atkinson c Da Silva b Holder 0, England 342-8

WICKET! Woakes c Louis b Seales 23 (England 339-7)

81st over: England 335-6 (Smith 42, Woakes 19) It’s Jason Holder who takes the second new ball and Smith shows some initiative, skipping down the pitch to stroke through the covers for four. Woakes punches nicely into the off side for one.

80th over: England 329-6 (Smith 37, Woakes 18) This should be the last over of spin for a while as Brathwaite twirls away from around the wicket. There’s nearly a run-out chance off the final ball of the over, with Woakes keen on a single that wasn’t there before turning back.

79th over: England 327-6 (Smith 36, Woakes 17) Fine shot from Smith, getting on the back foot to punch Motie through the covers for four.

78th over: England 321-6 (Smith 30, Woakes 17) Kraigg Brathwaite continues, making West Indies’ mission quite obvious: to race away to the second new ball.

77th over: England 318-6 (Smith 29, Woakes 16) Motie continues over the wicket to Smith but goes around to Woakes, and it’s another quick over that concedes a single.

76th over: England 317-6 (Smith 28, Woakes 16) Shamar Joseph gets a go from the Nursery End … and he’s down on the ground after four balls. He’s stretching himself out, having had some trouble yesterday, too. The physio’s on to work the hamstrings. Joseph eventually gets up, making his way back to the top of his run-up … no he’s actually walking off the field. Another blow for West Indies. Kraigg Brathwaite takes the ball to complete the over with his gentle offies.

75th over: England 315-6 (Smith 27, Woakes 15) Motie goes over the wicket, aiming for the footmarks outside leg stump. Short leg and short fine leg await for some action. Another maiden for Motie.

74th over: England 315-6 (Smith 27, Woakes 15) Alzarri Joseph thunders in with Woakes on strike, a man waiting at leg gully for a flick into his hands. Joseph gets the outside edge, though, and the ball beats Jason Holder at slip, moving to his right. Joseph goes short next up and is making Woakes a little uncomfortable at the moment; the next ball beats the outside edge. And then again to close the over. Good set from the West Indies paceman.

73rd over: England 310-6 (Smith 27, Woakes 11) Motie regains his rhythm, running through six dots with ease.

72nd over: England 310-6 (Smith 27, Woakes 11) Smith sees Alzarri Joseph drop short and tries to play a KP-like cross-bat slap straight down the ground; it pops over mid-off for a couple.

71st over: England 307-6 (Smith 24, Woakes 11) Smith calmly flicks a Motie full toss through the leg side for four before Shamar Joseph denies him another one with an excellent stop in the covers.

70th over: England 300-6 (Smith 17, Woakes 11) Alzarri Joseph is in from the other end and is too straight with his first ball, Woakes tickling him down the leg side for four. Joseph beats Smith outside off before the keeper glances into the on side to bring up 300.

Back to general ticketing sadness, Martin Whitaker is concerned:

Sympathetic as I am to those with weekend tickets, I’m starting to worry about seeing any play tomorrow…

69th over: England 294-6 (Smith 16, Woakes 6) The very impressive Motie begins proceedings after lunch, with Woakes on strike. The spinner drops short with his fourth delivery, but Woakes can only pat the ball back to him. A flick behind square leg brings Woakes a single and keeps him on strike for the next over.

Hello again, all, was just off grabbing some lunch. The umpires are walking out, the players on their way behind them.

LUNCH: England 293-6, lead by 172 runs

68th over: England 293-6 (Smith 16, Woakes 5) This should be the last over before lunch, with Seales running in from the Pavilion End. Smith knocks for a single before Woakes swivels a short ball for one to close the session.

67th over: England 291-6 (Smith 15, Woakes 4) What a shot from Woakes first ball, pressing forward to drive through cover for four.

WICKET! Root b Motie 68 (England 287-6)

66th over: England 287-5 (Smith 15, Root 68) Lovely from Smith, whipping Seales through midwicket for four before finding another boundary with an off-drive.

Yas Rana, the excellent host of the Wisden podcast, is sat next to me in the press box and reckons Smith’s doppelganger is, um, Jack Hobbs. Google away: he’s sort of got a point.

65th over: England 279-5 (Smith 7, Root 68) Motie’s running through his overs too quick for this OBO-er. Smith and Root exchange singles.

64th over: England 277-5 (Smith 6, Root 67) Despite Holder’s pressure, he’s replaced at his end by Jayden Seales, and Smith ends the over with a wonderful straight drive … that rattles the stumps at the non-striker’s end. A maiden is the end result.

Nick Parish is keen on turning general ticketing sadness into gladness.

I am another who is very sad about the prospect of no play on Saturday. It was going to be my son’s first test match, and my first at Lord’s. On the other hand, it sounds as though there will be loads of us cricket fans free on Saturday with nothing to do and an empty cricket square staring us in the face. Who’s for a quick T20? After all, surely the only thing better than spectating at Lord’s would be playing at Lord’s.

MCC, are you listening? Give the people what they want.

63rd over: England 277-5 (Smith 6, Root 67) Motie is quick with his work, as Smith collects the only run off the over.

62nd over: England 276-5 (Smith 5, Root 67) Holder has taken control at his end, but Smith does steal a single at the end of the over.

A stat that caught me by surprise:

61st over: England 274-5 (Smith 4, Root 66). Root deftly sweeps Motie around the corner for four, taking advantge of an overpitched delivery that was running down the leg side.

More general ticketing sadness, this time from Lorraine Reese.

After 14 years of failed attempts I finally got my twin sister into cricket during last year’s Ashes. Her favourite bowler is Jimmy and all she wanted was to see him bowl live just once, so we got tickets for Saturday (she’s a teacher so weekdays aren’t possible). She’s pretty gutted at the moment, as it’s looking increasingly likely the game will be over by then. She may never forgive me for getting her into cricket!