Saqib Mahmood and Jack Leach rescue England with superb last-wicket stand

England’s batting flopped on day one of their series decider against the West Indies before a last-wicket stand between Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood dragged them back from the brink.

After two dead pitch draws in Antigua and Barbados, the tourists had hoped for a livelier surface in Grenada but found their top order wanting when it arrived.

England were suffering at 67-7 in the afternoon session, with opener Alex Lees the only member of the line-up to reach double figures, but recovered to an unlikely 204 all out on the back of the tail-end tenacity.

The 10th-wicket pair batted for almost two-and-a-half hours for a stand of 90, with Leach making a belligerent 41 not out and Mahmood dismissed for 49 in the final act of the day.

Not only was it a remarkable first Test innings for the Lancashire man, it was also 15 more than his career-best first-class score.

Leach’s batting is still best remembered for his famous one not out in the Ashes classic at Headingley in 2019, but without Ben Stokes to lead the way this time he found a less likely accomplice to save the day.

Having earlier lost a clatter of five for 21 either side of lunch, as well as skipper Joe Root earlier for a duck, the pair salvaged a foothold in a game that could easily have disappeared by stumps.

Home captain Kraigg Brathwaite was brave enough to trust his bowlers after winning the toss and the gamble paid off as the bad habits that wrecked England’s Ashes campaign resurfaced.

Lees and Zak Crawley began by blotting out just under an hour, with the lack of new ball chances surely nagging away at Brathwaite.

But the introduction of all-rounder Kyle Mayers, recalled here in place of spinner Veerasammy Permaul, spared him any further recriminations.

Settling in