West Indies v England: third Test, day two – live!

TV replays quickly establish that Campbell gloved it on its way down the leg side. A pity for the batter, who never got comfortable again after that first hit to the helmet – and now the hosts are under some pre-lunch pressure …

Out? A big shout from Ben Foakes, who thinks Campbell has edged Overton through to him. The umpire Joel Wilson says no, but Joe Root will review …

23rd over: West Indies 68-2 (Bonner 0, Campbell 35) Nkrumah Bonner is next to the crease – player of the match in the first Test, out for single figures twice in Barbados. Wicket-maiden for Mahmood, and England digging out a foothold here.

Mahmood finds Brooks’ front pad, and races away in the celebrappeal style. Brooks and Campbell can’t decide whether to review – it was close to going down leg – and in the end, opt not to. The replay justifies their decision.

22nd over: West Indies 68-1 (Brooks 13, Campbell 35) Overton offers Brooks a freebie, gratefully accepted and driven away for four. The batters try to run two, but the ball is fired back to Overton, who attempts to slap it into the stumps, road tennis style. It’s reviewed, but Brooks got back in time. Another helmet-skimmer to end the over, Overton finding ways to threaten without getting close to a wicket.

More of your unthreatening attack openers:

“The Martin Bicknell/Mark Illott double whammy of 1993, followed up by the spin twins of Peter Such and John Emburey, was an Ashes low point,” writes Peter Peake.

“It must have happened in the late 70s/early 80s that Richard Hadlee missed a test match,” notes Ewan Glenton. “In that case NZ’s opening pair would have been any two from Gary Troupe, Ewen Chatfield, Martin Snedden, Lance Cairns…”

21st over: West Indies 60-1 (Brooks 8, Campbell 32) Stokes, by the way, went back off after that wicket, with Ollie Pope on as a sub fielder. Short stuff from Mahmood here, trying to capitalise on the unpredictable bounce – but Brooks is able to duck effectively. A better line and length has the batter almost playing, before lifting his bat at the crucial moment.

20th over: West Indies 58-1 (Brooks 6, Campbell 32) Overton sends another bouncer onto Campbell’s helmet – not quite as fierce as the first, but that won’t make the batter feel much better. When they resume, Brooks steers a full ball through mid-on. Shot! But then it’s his turn to absorb a painful one that leaps up into his ribs.

“I can’t think of a less threatening opening pair since Prof. Simon “Ginger” Barton and I opened the bowling in the annual fixture between Cheriton Fitzpaine CC and the Imperial (Charing Cross) Medical School,” writes Charles Sheldrick.

“My career for CFCC has spanned the last 40 years and my figures as a bowler are 115.1 overs, three maidens, 853 runs conceded and 26 wickets. Strike rate of 26.58, but economy of 7.41 needs some work.”

19th over: West Indies 52-1 (Brooks 1, Campbell 32) A change of ends for Mahmood, and a steady maiden over, keeping new man Shamarh Brooks on his toes. We’re treated to an overhead shot of the Grenadian coastline. In the words of EM Lemon, I want to go to there.

18th over: West Indies 52-1 (Brooks 1, Campbell 32) Overton with a ferocious bouncer that hits Campbell on the helmet – in fact, straight in the grill protecting his chin. That’s a nasty one – Overton straight over to Campbell, who is understandably shaken up and will take a moment.

Ben Stokes delivers, dislodging Kraigg Brathwaite with a dead straight delivery that skips low and connects with the back pad. England needed that.

17th over: West Indies 50-1 (Brathwaite 17, Campbell 31) That’s the fifty partnership, off 99 balls – and a solid start for John Campbell, yet to make a half-century in this series. England need to make something happen …

16th over: West Indies 49-0 (Brathwaite 17, Campbell 30) Overton returns, with Brathwaite flicking a full one from under his feet, just past Foakes and away for four. Brathwaite runs four more in the over, almost doubling his tally.

15th over: West Indies 41-0 (Brathwaite 9, Campbell 30) Stokes is back on, Campbell clipping him away for a couple of runs and prompting the bowler to try from around the wicket. Nothing much happens as a result, and that’s drinks.

14th over: West Indies 39-0 (Brathwaite 9, Campbell 28) Mahmood finding a fuller length here, but Brathwaite fends him off with relative ease. Maiden, and the Windies skipper has nine from 47 – picking up where he left off in the dog days of Antigua.

13th over: West Indies 39-0 (Brathwaite 9, Campbell 28) Early signs are that the track isn’t quite as lively as on Thursday, and England may need to be patient. Stokes offers up a tighter over, but has to leave the field for treatment immediately after. His left knee was heavily strapped during the warm-up.

Not saying I agree, but would be interested to hear your nominations …

“To be fair to Chris Woakes, as an opening bowler he makes a fine No 8 batter, and Mahmood and Leach are a splendid 10 and 11,” notes Brian Withington. “Whereas all poor Broad and Anderson can offer these days are wickets. Très passé.”

12th over: West Indies 37-0 (Brathwaite 8, Campbell 27) Mahmood around the wicket to Campbell, who flicks it away for four. That’s an excellent shot, but Mahmood makes it too easy for him next ball, a short and wide floater smashed away for a one-bounce four.

11th over: West Indies 28-0 (Brathwaite 8, Campbell 18) Ben Stokes replaces Woakes and has a little word in Brathwaite’s ear; that’s about as awkward as it gets for the Windies captain in this over.

10th over: West Indies 24-0 (Brathwaite 5, Campbell 18) Now we’re talking – Mahmood with an absolute beaut that cuts in off the seam, and so nearly catches Brathwaite’s outside edge.

Ninth over: West Indies 21-0 (Brathwaite 4, Campbell 16) Woakes continues to offer up the odd short, wide ball, and John Campbell gratefully dispatches one through the covers. Rough start for England’s attack leader.

“I can only assume Mahmood turned down the offer of taking the new ball,” ponders Geoff Wignall. “Unthinkable that it could be a captaincy decision to begin with anodyne rather than threatening bowlers.”

Eighth over: West Indies 17-0 (Brathwaite 4, Campbell 12) He gets his chance with Overton not threatening, and has Brathwaite playing at a couple around his feet. On the other hand, two scruffy-looking scudders spear well wide of off-stump. A mixed bag.

Seventh over: West Indies 16-0 (Brathwaite 4, Campbell 12) An uneventful maiden over for Woakes, and the openers are settling in. Perhaps Saqib Mahmood can change that …

Sixth over: West Indies 16-0 (Brathwaite 4, Campbell 12) Playing the bad ball in evidence here, with Campbell seeing out five Overton dot-balls and cutting the wide ball effortlessly away for four.

Fifth over: West Indies 12-0 (Brathwaite 4, Campbell 8) Perhaps it’s early to be talking Branderson, but Chris Woakes knows what’s required to make that stop. No joy here, an awkward Brathwaite drive earning three runs.

“When Branderson were dropped and Root retained the captaincy, I felt that what was unsaid amounted to: the presence of Branderson was somehow undermining Root’s plan for a brave new world, or otherwise affecting his ability to lead,” writes David Horn. “In effect, that the desire for Root to captain this side was stronger than the weight of wickets Branderson would inevitably bring.

“If we’re being generous we could say that Root’s captaincy has improved as it has aged, but not to the point where its impact outweighs the Branderson Contribution (TM’d for upcoming Bourne Identity style franchise). My question is: if Root is only captain in the absence of better candidates, wouldn’t it be better to give him the best options in attack regardless of his opinion?”

Fourth over: West Indies 8-0 (Brathwaite 1, Campbell 7) The green surface gives Campbell a problem, as he slips while turning for a second run. No harm done, and a few singles snatched as Overton tries to find his rhythm.

Third over: West Indies 4-0 (Brathwaite 0, Campbell 4) John Campbell steers Woakes away for what looks like four, but Alex Lees runs it down gamely, hooking it back before tumbling over the rope. Just three, and that’s it for the over and a group of schoolkids take their seats in the stand, the lucky blighters.

2nd over: West Indies 1-0 (Brathwaite 0, Campbell 1) Craig Overton, back in the attack after illness, will get the chance to make an impact. He takes a more direct approach, working Brathwaite with deliveries into the body, including one that thuds onto his thigh.

1st over: West Indies 0-0 (Brathwaite 0, Campbell 0) Plenty of swing for Woakes, although largely drifting well wide and not tempting Brathwaite, who does consider a prod at a straighter one to close a maiden first over.

Chris Woakes has the new ball in hand. Let’s go …

John Starbuck makes an entirely fair point: “Bringing Vaughan back could be seen as a calculated insult to West Indies players, implying that their matches are of much less importance than the Ashes. And at a time when Caribbean islands are having a serious debate about colonialism and slavery. Talk about a foot-in-mouth moment.”

Mark Butcher and Steve Harmison have been out for a look at the track, and can see plenty of “juice” out there for the fast bowlers. David Gower thinks there are “options for everyone” in the business of taking wickets. We’ll find out in five minutes or so.

Michael Vaughan is back in the BT Sport studio again today, three months after the same broadcaster ruled it “would not be editorially appropriate” for him to feature in their Ashes coverage. I think it’s fair to question what exactly has changed in the three months since.

When Saqib Mahmood walked out to the crease yesterday, he noticed that his England teammates were already getting ready to field.

“[When I got out to the middle] I did say to Leachy: ‘The cheeky fuckers have got their whites on. It did spur us on a little bit. I had a glance over later to see if some had taken them off but they had the whites on throughout. But yes, we did spot that.”

“The wicket certainly offered quite a bit for the bowlers,” says Chris Woakes on BT Sport. “Incredible by the guys at the end to put on that partnership, to get us up to hopefully what it is a competitive score. Hopefully today, we can do what the West Indies bowlers. It’s about doing the basics right – make the batsmen play shots. There’s a long way to go, and things can happen quickly on this pitch.”

Before we focus on the action here, Australia have just completed a dramatic series victory over Pakistan – read more here:

If you missed the first day of action – or even if you didn’t – Ali Martin’s pitchside report from Grenada is a must-read:

Test Cricket, it’s a Funny Old Game. After 10 days of purgatory, England were determined to force a result here – and quickly set about getting skittled for double figures. If the slump to 90-8 felt grimly familiar for the tourists, what came next was almost unprecedented. Not since 1885 have the batsmen at 10 and 11 topped the run charts in a Test innings, but Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood did just that, with a rearguard recovery even more remarkable than the collapse that preceded it.

After that veritable cricketing carnival, the hosts will head out to bat today with the aim of building a match-winning lead. The Windies begin 204 runs behind, an entirely modest deficit that is double what it really should have been. If England’s beleaguered bowlers can chip away at that sense of missed opportunity, a Test and series that felt lost on Thursday may look winnable. Or the hosts may cruise into the distance. Either day, it should at least be fun finding out. Play starts at 2pm (GMT), 10am in Grenada.