Chase strikes as England lose Burns in Windies Test

At lunch, England were 79-1 in their second innings, still 35 runs adrift of West Indies’ first innings 318.

It seemed England would get through the morning session without losing a wicket.

But shortly before the interval, Burns gave his wicket away on 42 when he failed to get over a cut from part-time off-spinner Chase and was caught at at backward point by John Campbell to end a stand of 72.

Dom Sibley was 31 not out.

Joe Denly, needing a big score to bolster a low Test average for a batsman of under 30, was unbeaten on one.

England resumed on 15-0 after Burns and Sibley had survived 10 testing overs late on Friday.

But in ideal sunny batting conditions on a placid pitch, the pair got through Saturday’s opening spells from the Windies’ quicks without much trouble.

Burns cover-drove Shannon Gabriel for Saturday’s first boundary and followed that up by straight-driving Kemar Roach for another four.

West Indies were without a frontline spinner after omitting Rahkeem Cornwall.

But they could call upon Chase.

Although primarily a batsman, Chase took a Test-best 8-60 when West Indies beat England at his Barbados home ground last year en route to a 2-1 series win.

But having made a valuable 47 in West Indies’ first innings of this match, he posed few problems until removing Burns in his 10th over.

Meanwhile the towering Holder struck Sibley, then on 24, a sharp blow on the right elbow with a delivery that rose alarmingly from a good length.

West Indies had dominated the first three days of a match that marks international cricket’s return from lockdown.

They dismissed England for 204, with Holder taking a Test-best 6-42.

West Indies then saw Kraigg Brathwaite make 65, the opener’s first Test fifty in 22 innings, with Shane Dowrich adding a valuable 61.

Stand-in England skipper Ben Stokes, captaining the side in the absence of Joe Root, led the hosts’ attack with 4-49.

Stokes, second to the number one-ranked Holder in the ICC’s Test all-rounder rankings, had earlier top-scored with 43 in England’s first innings after winning the toss.