Braithwaite fifty puts West Indies in driving seat

West Indies have managed to book the driving seat at lunch on day three against England on cricket's return after the coronavirus pandemic. 

The visitors currently trail the hosts by only 45 runs as they ended on 159-3 at lunch after England were bowled out for 204. 

West Indies started the day on 57-1 with Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope in the middle as they had lost the opener, John Campbell, on the previous day to James Anderson. 

A 59-run stand between Brathwaite and Hope put the Caribbeans firmly in control. Hope was dismissed on 16 when he edged one to Ben Stokes at slip off Dom Bess. But Brathwaite went on and picked up his fifty. 

But soon after that he was dismissed for 65 by England's stand-in skipper Ben Stokes as England looked to crawl back in the match. Brathwaite missed the ball and was struck on the pads and given LBW. He reviewed but two umpire's calls on DRS reaffirmed the umpire's decision as Brathwaite had to go back.

But Roston Chase and Shamarh Brooks ensured that West Indies remained unscathed before lunch to end the session only 45 runs behind.

Earlier, West Indies skipper Jason Holder ran through the English batting order on day two after the majority of the first day was washed out. Holder picked up his career-best figures of 6-42 to sink the English ship and was properly assisted by Shanon Gabriel, who picked up 4-62. No English batsman could really settle in and nobody crossed the 50-mark with skipper Stokes top-scoring with 43. 

The test is the first international cricket-match after a 117-day absence because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The three-match series is being played without fans in a "bio-secure environment" with daily health checks, home umpires and a ban on shining the ball with saliva.