Blackwood stars as West Indies defeat England by four wickets
Jermaine Blackwood produced a superb 95 seeing as the West Indies defeat England by four wickets in the primary Test in Southampton on Sunday.
The West Indies, set 200 to win on the previous day, were reeling at 27-3 after England fast bowler Jofra Archer's early twice strike.
Blackwood, however, held firm until, in sight of just his second Test century, he drove England stand-found in captain Ben Stokes to James Anderson in mid-off, with the tourists needing just 11 more runs to win.
But John Campbell, forced to retire hurt using one after getting struck on the toe by Archer, returned to hit the winning runs.
West Indies captain Jason Holder, the world's top-ranked Test all-rounder before Stokes, was 14 not out.
The match was an individual and tactical triumph for Holder, who took a Test-best 6-42 in England's lowly first innings 204 after Stokes, top rated the side in the lack of Joe Root, won the toss and batted.
Although they hold the Wisden Trophy, the West Indies have not really won a Test series in England for 32 years.
But this victory set them 1-0 up with two to play in a nowadays series ahead of next week's second Check at Old Trafford.
It had been a thoroughly deserved achievement for the West Indies, who went in advance with their tour despite a lot more than 44,000 deaths found in Britain from the coronavirus during the pandemic.
"It is proper up there with the best victories we've had as a group," Holder told Sky Sports.
Holder sparked a good collapse that found England lose five wickets for 30 runs later Saturday when he dismissed Stokes.
- 'Best day I've had in Tests' -
"If you ask me, yesterday was probably the best working day I've had in Test cricket," said Holder.
"It was a difficult, very long toil and the bowlers really set it in. Each and every time I asked a bowler to appear and present a spell, they emerged up and gave an enormous effort."
Stokes, even though relieved to end up being back in action, said England's initial innings have been the essential to the game.
"First and foremost it really is great that we've been able to reunite onto the park and play some foreign cricket," he said. "It had been a bit strange.
"Ideally we would have liked to 've got a lot more runs in the initial innings.
"We got ourselves into some very nice positions sometimes with the bat and sadly we weren't ruthless more than enough to create our innings count."
Windies spearhead fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was named man-of-the-match following combined figures of 9-137, including 5-75 found in the second innings.
"I'm still somewhat stiff but thankfully you will find a couple of times to recover prior to the next Test meet," said Gabriel.
"Coming here, the people were confident after using them back in the Caribbean. We recognized we could complete the job."
But it may have been a different tale for England on Sunday had they not presented Blackwood several reprieves.
The 28-year-old Jamaican had made just five when he edged off-spinner Dom Bess limited to Stokes, moving at slip, to drop the opportunity.
And he had moved on to 20 when wicketkeeper Jos Buttler floored a one-handed catch off Stokes.
Leg-byes were signalled but Blackwood could have been out on analysis had Buttler held on.
England then squandered a possible run-out likelihood when Zak Crawley fumbled.
But with West Indies needing precisely 100 more for success, Barbados-born easy Archer defied a good docile pitch to make a rearing 90 mph delivery that Roston Chase, on 37, could only divert to Buttler via his glove and helmet.
It was the finish of a very important stand of 73.
The diminutive Blackwood pressed on, cover-driving both Bess and Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, for two of his dozen boundaries in a 154-ball innings.
Archer had earlier built a useful 23 before he was last man out in England's second innings 313.
He then reduced West Indies to 7-2, having gone wicketless in the primary innings after appearing selected before dropped veteran Stuart Broad.
Archer got Kraigg Brathwaite to take up on and had Shamarh Brooks lbw for a good duck.
