England have comfortably beaten West Indies by 241 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Test series. The visitors, played out by brilliant spells from bowler Shoaib Bashir, collapsed from 61-0 to 82-5, losing five wickets in six overs. West Indies ultimately finished on 143 all out. Bashir registered figures of 5-41 to become the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a home Test and the first spinner to take five in an innings at Trent Bridge since 2006. Earlier, there were centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook, which set the platform for England’s victory push.
England had won their series win since the tour of Pakistan in 2022. Their victorious squad will search for a third consecutive win when the final Test at Edgbaston starts on Friday. Despite losing 7-96, Root’s side had the benefit of the regular fall of home wickets, providing enough time to wrap up the game with a day to spare. West Indies was hit by the 2017 World Cup defeat in 2016, but have shown good spirit recently.
The rapid way this match unravelled in the final session on the fourth day was at odds with everything that came before when the teams had fought for control. West Indies clung on by taking 3-19 just before lunch even as Root and Brook looked likely to preserve their partnership. However, a target of 385 runs was beyond the visitors and they disintegrated in the manic blur of five wickets during six overs.
Chris Woakes, in his first Test since featuring in the Ashes series in 2021, twice found the edge to dismiss openers Mikyle Louis and Kraigg Brathwaite. Woakes’ spell exploiting some uncertain footwork, while Bashir hinted at why England chose him over Somerset teammate Jack Leach
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