Jack Leach ends Kraigg Brathwaite’s marathon knock as second Test heads for draw

England finally ended Kraigg Brathwaite’s marathon act of defiance in Barbados but still face a race against time to force a result after four days of a meandering second Test.

West Indies captain Brathwaite arrived at the crease on Thursday evening and hogged the stage until Saturday afternoon, digging his heels in for 11 hours and 39 minutes on his way to 160.

The Bajan opener soaked up a remarkable 489 deliveries, exactly 400 of which were scoreless, as he put together the longest Test innings anywhere in the world since New Zealander Tom Latham faced exactly the same number in December 2018.

Somerset spinner Jack Leach bowled 214 times to Brathwaite, finally finding a way through his watertight defences with one that pitched on middle, turned past the outside edge and clipped the top of off stump.

It was the kind of wicket bowlers look back on with great fondness, though most of his 68 overs on a lifeless Kensington Oval pitch were little more than a laborious battle of wills in which neither man blinked.

At tea the West Indies had crawled to 396 for eight, still 111 behind the tourists despite spending 28 overs more batting.

The passivity of the home scoring means there is still a slender route to victory for England if they can wrap things up quickly and score rapidly in their second innings. But the prospect of bowling out their opponents, and specifically their belligerent captain, for a second time before the end of day five is far from likely.

There was rain around in the morning, delaying and then interrupting the first session, and the hard road ahead was telegraphed by the performance of nightwatch batter Alzarri Joseph. Resuming with the score on 288 for four, he occupied 75 balls as he kept Brathwaite