West Indies avoids 2-day test defeat against England, trails by 171 runs with 4 wickets left

LONDON — Soon-to-retire James Anderson dismissed West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite for the very last time as England took total control of the first test at Lord’s though the visitors managed to avoid a two-day defeat.

West Indies was 79-6 in its second innings at stumps Thursday, still trailing England by 171 runs. Joshua Da Silva is 8 not out.

England had resumed the second day on 189-3 and was all out at tea for 371, a commanding innings lead of 250. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith scored 70 on his test debut. Opener Zak Crawley top-scored with 76, Joe Root was out for 68, and Ollie Pope and Harry Brook also contributed half centuries.

Pacer Jayden Seales took 4-77 with two wickets each for Jason Holder and Gudakesh Motie.

The 41-year-old Anderson, playing his 188th and last test, then bowled Brathwaite to leave the visitors on 12-1. The first seamer in history to 700 test wickets, Anderson took 2-11 in 10 overs, including five maidens, and moved on to a career total of 703. He returned figures of 1-26 in West Indies’ first innings 121.

England captain Ben Stokes joined an exclusive club of 200 test wickets and 6,000 test runs when he trapped Kirk McKenzie leg before wicket with the batter unsuccessfully reviewing the decision. Stokes also claimed the wicket of Mikyle Louis , who was caught behind.

Stokes is the third player to reach the 200 wickets-6,000 runs test landmark after West Indies’ Sir Garfield Sobers and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis.

England debutant Gus Atkinson stole the spotlight on Wednesday, claiming 7-45.

Atkinson followed that up with 2-27 so far in West Indies’ second innings, leaving him one short of a 10-wicket match haul.

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