CRICKET- Joseph, Holder leave England wobbling

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Grieving fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and captain Jason Holder shared four wickets as West Indies battered England in the second session, to remain in command of a compelling second Test here Saturday.

At tea on the third day, England were wobbling on 75 for four, still requiring a further 44 runs to erase the Windies lead at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

Jos Buttler, unbeaten on eight, and Ben Stokes, seven, survived a testing period against both seamers to make it to the break.

Joseph, taking the field despite the death of his mother early Saturday, has so far claimed two for 12 and Holder, two for 27.

Resuming from nine without loss at lunch, England flourished as Joe Denly (17) and Rory Burns (16) extended their opening stand to 35, with new ball bowlers Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel Gabriel proving ineffective.

The change made the difference, however, as Holder struck with the first ball of his spell, having the left-handed Burns caught by John Campbell in the cordon, 40 minutes after lunch.

His dismissal opened the floodgates as England lost four wickets for 24 runs in quick time. Jonny Bairstow missed a booming drive at Holder and was bowled for 14 and Joseph brought one back to have captain Joe Root caught behind off the inside edge for seven, after the Windies resorted to DRS.

Joseph put the exclamation mark on the session when he removed Denly’s off-stump after the right-hander shouldered arms.