England fight back from collapse to lead against West Indies in third Test

Jamie Smith narrowly missed out on his first Test century as England recovered from a top-order collapse to aim for a series sweep against the West Indies at Edgbaston on Saturday.

England found themselves in trouble at 54-5 early on the second day of the third Test but managed to score 376 in response to the West Indies' first-innings total of 282, with wicketkeeper Smith dismissed for 95. By stumps, the West Indies were 33-2 in their second innings, trailing by 61 runs, with England already leading the three-match series 2-0.

England's hopes of gaining a first-innings lead seemed bleak after losing Ollie Pope and Harry Brook cheaply. However, former and current captains Joe Root (87) and Ben Stokes (54) turned the situation around with a sixth-wicket partnership of 115. Smith, playing in only his third Test, further punished the West Indies' bowlers, forming a crucial 106-run stand for the eighth wicket with Chris Woakes, who scored 62 on his home ground.

Woakes then bowled West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite for a duck, and Kirk McKenzie, who had a poor series with just 33 runs in six innings, was caught behind off fast bowler Gus Atkinson for 12, leaving the West Indies at 22-2. Mikyle Louis, 18 not out after being dropped on nine by Stokes, and Alick Athanaze (five not out) prevented further collapse.

England resumed their innings at 38-3, with the West Indies indebted to Jason Holder (59) and Joshua Da Silva (49) for their first-innings efforts. Root survived an lbw appeal from Jayden Seales, with the West Indies choosing not to review the not-out decision, though replays showed the ball would have hit leg stump. Root then surpassed Brian Lara's career tally of 11,953 runs, moving into seventh place among Test cricket's all-time leading run-scorers.

At lunch, England were 157-5, with Root on 58 not out and Stokes on 48. Stokes soon became Alzarri Joseph's 100th Test wicket when he was caught by a leaping Brathwaite. New batsman Smith had a stroke of luck, top-edging a pull off Joseph before hitting a six off the next ball. He continued to dominate, square-cutting Gudakesh Motie for four and sweeping him for two more boundaries. Motie eventually trapped Root lbw, preventing him from equaling Alastair Cook's England record of 33 Test centuries.

Smith and Woakes capitalized on the West Indies' short-pitched bowling with a succession of boundaries. The 24-year-old Smith, who debuted with 70 in England's series-opening win at Lord's, was preferred over fellow Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes for his ability to maintain a high run rate.

Smith pulled Alzarri Joseph for commanding fours and drove Shamar Joseph for a leg-side boundary to reach the 90s. However, he was bowled by a low delivery from Shamar Joseph, ending a 109-ball innings with 12 fours and a six. Woakes also made a fifty, and tailender Atkinson hit two successive sixes off Alzarri Joseph before being last man out. Alzarri Joseph finished with figures of 4-122 in 17.4 overs.