England frustrated by Kraigg Brathwaite again as second Test ends in draw

For the second successive Test match it was England making all the running on the final day, throwing everything they could muster at West Indies in Bridgetown only to once again find themselves shaking hands on a draw after another defiant vigil from Kraigg Brathwaite.

West Indies had been set a target of 282 for victory from a minimum of 65 overs after England had thrashed their way to 185 for six at lunch and a second declaration in the match. The equation was not dissimilar to that witnessed in Antigua last week when the hosts needed 286 from 71 overs, so, too, their early switch to survival mode after the loss of three quick wickets.

But come 5.47pm local time the hosts had forced their guests to settle for a 0-0 scoreline going into Thursday’s third Test in Grenada. Brathwaite was simply the hardiest of perennials for England’s bowlers in this match, following his epic 11-hour first innings score of 160 with a further 246 minutes at the crease for an unbeaten 56. Jack Leach claimed three wickets, Saqib Mahmood two, but neither the West Indies captain, nor Joshua Da Silva at the other end on 30, could be dislodged.

“Pressure does funny things,” had been Mahmood’s upbeat outlook on the fourth evening, knowing the challenge in front of England’s bowlers would be a stiff one on a surface that had been heartbreaking. After Joe Root called time on the third innings at lunch, the debutant did his best to induce plenty, delivering a searing six-over burst that underlined the 25-year-old’s potential.

It was Leach who struck initially for England when he was tossed a hard new ball by Root just five overs in and instantly removed opener John Campbell via a bat-pad catch that needed the latest use of the review system in a