Brathwaite half-century helps West Indies to 97-3 at lunch v England

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored an unbeaten 56 as the tourists reached 97 for three at lunch on day one of the third and final test against England at Edgbaston on Friday, but will rue the loss of late wickets to ruin their session.

Brathwaite will resume the second session in the hope of anchoring his side's innings after the loss of Alick Athanaze on the stroke of lunch, a further blow following a solid start in which they frustrated the home bowling attack in the first hour.

West Indies, who trail 2-0 in the series, won the toss and elected to bat on what looked a flat wicket, but faced a stern examination from England’s seamers, who beat the bat on numerous occasions with swing and seam.

But the hosts were sucked into bowling too short when fuller deliveries were causing the most concern, which allowed the tourists a 76-run opening stand.

Mikyle Louis made a patient 26 before he edged seamer Gus Atkinson to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, and Kirk McKenzie's brisk 12 from nine deliveries that included three fours was ended as Mark Wood uprooted his middle stump.

Athanaze had scored two when he chopped an Atkinson delivery onto his stumps.

Brathwaite managed scores of 47 and 48 in the second test, so will be relieved to have gone past the 50-mark, the 30th time he has done so in tests to go with 12 hundreds.

He will be key for the remainder of the innings with the tourists having been bowled out for 143 or less in three of their four innings in the series so far.

England convincingly won the first two tests, by an innings and 114 runs at Lord’s and 241 runs at Trent Bridge.