By John Mehaffey
LONDON (Reuters) - James Anderson struck twice in the first hour to take England closer to victory over West Indies on the third day of the third and final test at Lord’s on Saturday.
At lunch with the series tied 1-1, West Indies were 153 for six in their second innings, an overall lead of only 82, after resuming on 93 for three.
Shai Hope, who scored a century in each innings of their thrilling win in the second test at Headingley in Leeds, was unbeaten on 60 at the interval, bringing up his half-century with his eighth boundary, a beautifully timed push through mid-wicket.
After 23 wickets tumbled on the first two days under overcast skies with the ball swinging wickedly through the air and jagging late off the pitch, the sun finally shone throughout most of the morning and batting conditions were appreciably easier before a full crowd at world cricket’s headquarters.
Anderson, who on Friday became the first England bowler to take 500 test wickets, made an immediate breakthrough with the fourth delivery of the day. Roston Chase had not added to his overnight score of three when he pushed forward to a full delivery outside his off-stump and edged a low catch to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.
Bowling from the Nursery End after receiving two warnings for running on the pitch from the Pavilion End on Friday, Anderson should have taken the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood who had scored only two when he lofted the ball to Stuart Broad at mid-off who spilled the chance after getting both hands to the ball. It was the 24th catching opportunity to go down in the series from both sides.
Blackwood, who won another reprieve on four when the third umpire overruled Marias Erasmus after he had given the batsman out lbw to Broad, failed to capitalise and was out for five, edging Anderson to give Bairstow a second catch.
Anderson gave Hope and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich a torrid time outside their off-stumps and Broad bounded in with renewed vigour from the other end.
Dowrich had not scored when Broad could get only the finger tips of his left hand to the ball as he dived in vain to catch a mishit and the batsmen were grateful for the first drinks break after only 19 runs had been added in the first hour.
England captain Joe Root made a double change, bringing on Ben Stokes and Toby Roland-Jones, and the latter took his first wicket of the innings when Dowrich on 14 tamely lobbed a short delivery to Broad at mid-on.
Captain Jason Holder was not out eight at the interval after yet another dropped catch from the final ball of the morning when Alastair Cook at gully failed to cling on to a chance from Root's occasional off-spin.