West Indies seal series with 10-wicket demolition

SOURCE: BBC SPORT- England slumped to a chastening 10-wicket defeat early on the fourth day of the third Test to lose their series against West Indies 1-0.

That set a target of just 28 and West Indies cantered to victory inside five overs to clinch the Richards-Botham trophy.

England have now lost four Test series’ in a row – five if the unfinished India series which Joe Root’s side trailed 2-1 is included – and are winless in nine matches.

The defeat, which comes on the back of a humiliating 4-0 Ashes loss, leaves England bottom of the World Test Championship table.

It looks set to reignite intense debate about the state of the men’s Test team – a side at one of its’ lowest points in recent memory.

Not since the 2013-14 Ashes capitulation, and the break-up of a team that followed, have England gone as many Tests without a win.

They have also won just one of 17 Tests going back to February last year – and not had such a poor run since the 1980s.

The result was all-but certain after England collapsed a day earlier in their second innings and the formalities were completed in less than 90 minutes of play.

Prior to this series England talked of a ‘red-ball reset’ and a wish to refocus on the longest format following the Ashes debacle.

There were flashes of promise in the first two Tests – a century for Zak Crawley, runs for Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes’ return to form and Saqib Mahmood’s encouraging debut. But their dismal display has their rebirth in tatters.

England next play a Test in June, at home against New Zealand, where they will hope to have appointed a new managing director and head coach, while captain Root’s position will also come into question.