England secure thumping 269-run victory over West Indies to wrap up series after Stuart Broad's milestone

Nick Hoult
·38-min read
Joe Root was left all alone for a socially distanced celebration after reclaiming the Wisden Trophy - GETTY IMAGES
Joe Root was left all alone for a socially distanced celebration after reclaiming the Wisden Trophy - GETTY IMAGES

It must have been a special moment because, for once, Stuart Broad turned around to appeal for a plumb lbw. It was unnecessary because Broad knew Kraigg Brathwaite was out, but he wanted to do everything by the book when taking his 500th Test wicket.

Broad is renowned for roaring in delight and running towards the slips when he thuds one into the batsman’s pads. The traditionalists gripe it’s impolite and players have landed in trouble for it.

But with Dad as match referee, the last thing Broad wanted at that moment was a parental ticking off so he did the decent thing and turned to the umpire in time for the satisfying sight of Michael Gough’s finger going up.

It was a fitting dismissal: nipping in on the full length Broad has ploughed so successfully in two Tests. In total, 14 of his 16 wickets were bowled, lbw or edged to the keeper and slips [last man Jermaine Blackwood was caught by Jos Buttler down the leg side].

When James Anderson dismissed Brathwaite for his 500th Test wicket three years ago, he held up the match ball to the Lord’s pavilion with fingers perfectly aligned on the seam; the habits of a lifetime’s bowling so deeply ingrained. Broad was the same. Finger and thumb gripped the seam so as not to put a sweaty palm on a careful-polished Dukes ball. There was still work to do with seven West Indian wickets to take.

It was wicket number 501 that won the match, the series and reclaimed the Wisden Trophy for the last time before it is retired to the Lord’s museum. It also completed Broad’s first 10-wicket haul for seven years and only the third of his 140-match Test career. That is the statistic that is so revealing. To deliver a 10-wicket haul after so long, and only two weeks after being left out for the first Test - a sign he was no longer considered among England’s best bowlers - summed up his reserves of character.

Broad finished with 16 wickets from two Tests at 10.63, his best-ever series performance. A week ago, after the second Test, there was no question that Ben Stokes would be man of the series. But Broad changed all that with 10 for 67, leading England to a 269-run win, their biggest runs-margin victory against West Indies.

Broad’s achievement eclipsed the performance of Chirs Woakes, a cricketer destined to live in the shadow of others, even on a day when he took only his second five-wicket haul in four years.

Broad recognised his contribution, handing him the 500th wicket ball at the end. A decent momento.

More importantly for Woakes, his five for 50 makes him impossible to drop for the first Test against Pakistan next week. James Anderson failed to take a wicket in the second innings for the second time in the series and Jofra Archer only really fired up for one spell in two games, but England have such depth they were still able to come back from 1-0 down to win 2-1. The selectors face some tough decisions.

England’s batting is clearer. They have a first-choice top six, even though they left Zak Crawley out for tactical reasons, that has bought into the disciplined, patient way of batting Joe Root and Chris Silverwood demand. Four of the top five in this Test all averaged higher than 43 for the series, and the opening partnership of Rory Burns and Dom Sibley looks the most secure since Strauss and Cook. They ground West Indies down.

As expected, West Indies’ batting was not strong enough. England worked them out, bringing the ball back into batsmen failing to get their pads outside the line of off stump and outmuscled them with the short ball. Jermaine Blackwood was the only player to really enhance his reputation, averaging a touch under 40 to resurrect his Test career. Shai Hope averaged 17, and his poor stroke in this West Indies innings is likely to be his last in Test cricket for a while.

Stuart Broad takes the catch to dismiss Shai Hope - AFP
Stuart Broad takes the catch to dismiss Shai Hope - AFP

Jason Holder’s lack of faith in his batsmen shone through with decisions to bowl first in Manchester after winning the toss. The first Test match was played at Old Trafford in 1884. No team has won the toss, elected to bowl and won a Test in Manchester. Holder tried it twice. He just did not trust his batsmen to set the game up in good bowling conditions, and it played to England’s strengths because they are so much more confident with a score on the board.

West Indies were exhausted, too. They arrived in the claustrophobic bio-bubble on June 24 and faded after winning in Southampton where England picked the wrong attack and made the wrong decision at the toss.

Lancashire have said privately they were the perfect guests and have won a lot of friends. England must pay them back with a five-Test tour, injecting much needed broadcast cash into a bankrupt board. English cricket owes them.

Credit to both England and West Indies that the empty grounds did not affect their intensity. These were three tightly-fought matches, even if England won this one convincingly.

Jason Holder congratulates Joe Root - GETTY IMAGES
Jason Holder congratulates Joe Root - GETTY IMAGES

A stiff wind blew through the empty stands, and the players were on and off due to showers. Heavy rain fell during the post-match presentation but the weather was never going to save West Indies.

It took 50 minutes for Broad to remove Brathwaite with a ball that kept low. Hope was out trying to hit Woakes down the ground and Sharmarh Brooks fell to a loose waft. Roston Chase was run out by a direct hit from Dom Bess and Holder unsuccessfully reviewed a leg before. That full length again did for Shane Dowrich and Rahkeem Cornwall to give Woakes his five.

With one wicket needed, Root summoned Broad to complete the story. He pushed his first ball down the leg side, the body stiff and not loosened up for a second spell, but Blackwood had a dart at it and was caught behind. Stokes was the first to offer the high fives. Anderson soon gave him a hug. Broad pulled up one stump, the off-stump naturally, as a souvenir. Job done. Place in history assured.

02:57 PM

Root's post-match interview

02:55 PM

Walsh sends his congratulations to Broad

02:51 PM

Player ratings

England series ratings in victory over West Indies: Who starred for Joe Root's side?

You can read Chief Cricket Correspondent Nick Hoult's ratings from Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl by clicking here.

Spoiler alert - one player gets a three...

02:42 PM

West Indies's captain speaks to Sky Sports

Jason Holder accepted his side had come up short after looking to clinch the series themselves following victory in the opening Test at the Ageas Bowl.

Holder said:

We still didn't get the runs we were looking for. We thought the wickets here were good enough to at least put up a bigger first-innings effort.

We had plenty of stats, plenty of guys with half-centuries, but we didn't quite kick on.

The difference with England is when Stokes got in, he went big, when Sibley got in he went big, and unfortunately we didn't do that.

Our bowlers tried in some very tough conditions, but credit to all of them, I must always commend them for the efforts they put in.

02:36 PM

Rooooooooooooot

England captain Root told Test Match Special it had been "a brilliant performance" from his side.

Ever since that (batting) partnership between Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler, we have been in control. Our bowling was exceptional throughout both innings.

We are really growing as a team, we have always been a hard team to beat in these conditions, but think things are really coming together in these last two Tests.

We are very pleased - we knew we had a few things to contend with today, not least the weather.

02:31 PM

West Indies's player of the match

It's Roston Chase. He says, holding an umbrella:

We really wanted for the batsmen to put up their hand and for us to win the series - with this bowling attack - but the batting hasn't been up to par, despite signs of improvement, and we weren't good enough to win the series.

After the first game it's been challenging but I still thought I had it in me to get that big score, but it didn't work out.

Every time we play four quicks I know that [my role] is spin. It's still not where I want it to be but as I'm understanding my role in my career it's getting easier for me.

Chase was run out sensationally by Bess on Tuesday morning - REUTERS

02:27 PM

Player of the match and Player of the series

They both go to the same person, and no there are no prizes for guessing who that is.

On collecting the awards, Stuart Broad says:

To get to 500 on a day in which we were able to win a match and a series is very special.

I've never set any targets. But it feels a long time ago [since the first]and I've learnt a lot through my career. I'm looking forward to a few days out of the biosecure environment, but also looking forward to Pakistan.

We've [Broad and Anderson] really enjoyed this week being back together - and I think we've got a few more left in us.

02:21 PM

Perfect timing for England

It's absolutely lamping down now at Emirates Old Trafford. England did well to get it wrapped up when they did.

02:19 PM

Two quickfire Woakes wickets that put England on the brink

First Dowrich lbw:

Then Cornwall succumbed to the same fate five minutes later:  

02:16 PM

Don't forget this man

Obviously the talk is all about Broad at the minute, but let's not forget Chris Woakes and his five-fer. He bowled majestically at times today and throughout this match.

02:13 PM

Broad seals England's series win

02:11 PM

Stuart Broad speaks to Sky Sports

We are delighted with that. The batsmen set it up for us again. When you have scoreboard pressure like that, it means so such a bowling unit and we were relentless.

I think every bowler in this attack brings something slightly different and you saw that with changes of spells coming on, and bowlers being able to make immediate impact. That's down to tiny changes in our action: different places on the crease, heights etc. We bowled really well as a group.

We were not weather watching as much as yesterday. There was a bit of rain around but it was so windy out there - some of the windiest conditions we have played in - that we felt if we get a shower it would go through really quickly. But we said this morning that we'd have to bowl really well and be disciplined because we needed eight wickets to win and we weren't sure if we would get 98 overs in which to do that.

On reaching 500 Test wickets:

Amazing. I'm looking forward to playing in front of crowds again, though. But this series has been special. We have been engaging with everyone and it would be wrong of me to not mention the sacrifice of the West Indies team, coming over here and living in this bio-secure bubble for that amount of time. A huge thank-you from all our players to the Windies.

Great to have dad here [to see it]. It's a little bit of a shame that my family and friends couldn't have been here to for me to wave to but great to have dad here. It was special to get to the 500. 

I even turned round on the lbw shout [for the 500].

It's weird and strange and it still doesn't look overly real. But it's even more special to get that wicket in a Test match win and a Test series win.

It was fitting that Broad took the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood to seal England's match and series victory - GETTY IMAGES

02:02 PM

A fair summation?

 Difficult to argue really.

01:59 PM

Well, that's it then

I might have put the commentators curse on Blackwood there: one minute he's navigating a tricky Woakes over with poise, patience and skill, the next he's flinging his bat wildly at a Broad delivery down the leg side. Very capricious.

01:57 PM

Wicket!! Blackwood c Buttler b Broad 23

Record man Broad returns - it would be quite fitting for him to cap it all off.

And he does! With his first ball!

He strangles Blackwood down the leg side, there's a thick edge and it's a great diving catch from Buttler to his left.

England win the series, and the match by 269 runs.

01:55 PM

OVER 37: WI 129/9 (Blackwood 23* Gabriel 0*)

Blackwood ignores an easy single after a glance through midwicket, wanting to avoid putting Gabriel on strike unnecessarily.

A shorter Woakes ball finds Blackwood's top edge, skying over Buttler and the slips to run away for four, before more runs for Blackwood: a well timed thrust off the back foot sees him pick up four more through cover.

A single to end the over from Blackwood, keeping him on strike. A very good over from him against Woakes, the man who has caused West Indies so many problems.

01:51 PM

OVER 36: WI 120/9 (Blackwood 14* Gabriel 0*)

Archer to Blackwood, nice variation of length from the English quick, some shorter and some fuller, with a hint of outswing.

Blackwood nabs a single off the penultimate ball of the over - a shorter one - through square before Gabriel survives the final ball.

01:48 PM

One of our men at Old Trafford on Woakes

01:46 PM

OVER 35: WI 119/9 (Blackwood 13* Gabriel 0*)

Another big shout for lbw to end the over, this time it's the new man Gabriel, but it looks too high and it might have been outside the line, too.

That's five wickets for Woakes, incidentally.

01:44 PM

Wicket!! Cornwall lbw b Woakes 2

New man Cornwall gets off the mark with a heave through mid-off.

But Woakes strikes with the in-swinger again, the ball rocketing into Cornwall's pad on the knee roll. He's a gonner, and England are one wicket away from securing the series. Again, no review.

FoW 119/9

01:40 PM

Wicket!! Dowrich lbw Woakes 8

Plumb as you like, first ball of Woakes' over. Dowrich shuffles across his crease and the ball strikes him on the knee-roll, with his bat flailing to one side. All a bit messy and all very out.

Dowrich doesn't even think about a review.

FoW 117/8

01:38 PM

OVER 34: WI 117/7 (Blackwood 13* Dowrich 8*)

Blackwood picks up two with a good, firm shove through cover, before four dot balls from Archer - nice patience from Blackwood and a nice line from Archer.

He then picks up another two with a prod through point to end the over.

01:34 PM

OVER 33: WI 113/7 (Blackwood 9* Dowrich 8*)

Blackwood picks up three with a back-foot jab through point from a back-of-a-length Woakes delivery.

West Indies trade singles to end the over. England really careering through the overs here, with all 11 men jogging with purpose to get into position between each over.

01:31 PM

OVER 32: WI 108/7 (Blackwood 5* Dowrich 7*)

After the review, West Indies bag a leg-bye as Blackwood attempts to nudge it away from his hip. Dowrich gets out of the way of some Archer chin music to end the over.

Blackwood has been at the crease for 50 minutes for five runs. Impressive to see him digging in.

01:28 PM

Not out

It's another shaky review from England. Bat and ball were fairly close, but there was not much of a noise and Archer, the bowler, did not appeal. Root's decision to review was instantaneous.

01:27 PM

England review

Blackwood can't resist wafting a shorter, wider one. There's a smidgen of a noise, it's given not out, but Root review immediately - he seems convinced.

01:25 PM

OVER 31: WI 107/7 (Blackwood 5* Dowrich 7*)

Dowrich dances with the devil, lofting a fuller Woakes delivery just far enough away from the man at midwicket for two.

After ignoring an aggressive shorter ball, Dowrich pumps Woakes firmly down the ground for four. A sweet strike.

01:21 PM

OVER 30: WI 101/7 (Blackwood 5* Dowrich 1*)

Dowrich the new man in but it is Blackwood on strike to Archer - a man with a lot of responsibility now on his shoulders.

Blackwood flicks a shorter ball into the air in the leg-gully area - England have no man there - for a single, before Dowrich follows suit to get off the mark through the leg side.

01:17 PM

Decision upheld

Holder's a gonner! He's come in, hit a few around rapidly, but it's all short-lived.

He had been looking to work the leg side, but this fuller delivery from Woakes just straightened a fraction and, if you mistime those you're always in trouble.

A great boost for England.

FoW 99-7

01:14 PM

Wicket!! Holder lbw Woakes 12

An early review for Woakes, he's trapped Holder down the leg side and England think the West Indies captain has nicked it as Buttler gobbles it up behind.

It's a pretty shoddy review, in honesty; Holder missed it by six inches. The next ball, however, he does not miss by six inches, as he looks to drive Woakes through cover, but can only play and miss, by a whisker.

Holder picks up four with a streaky slash wide of off-stump that careers between the slips and gully. He picks up two through midwicket before whipping a full-ish delivery off his legs for four behind square.

But he's given lbw to the in-swinger! Has he hit it? Holder immediately reviews...

01:09 PM

OVER 28: WI 89/6 (Blackwood 4* Holder 2*)

Archer to Holder, then, and some immediate joy for England as there paceman gets one to zip past Holder's outside edge as looked for a cautious prod.

He tucks one away through midwicket for one before Blackwood gets the short-stuff treatment, the last ball of the over catching the batsman in the midriff. Might have blocked it with his arm actually.

01:05 PM

OVER 27: WI 88/6 (Blackwood 4* Holder 1*)

Woakes still with three balls of his over remaining, with new man, captain Holder, on strike.

What an opportunity this is for him, too; he has not shone with the bat in this series at all.

Some confident forward defensive shots end with a nicely timed cover drive that is cut off by the man there, but Holder gets off the mark regardless.

01:03 PM

Bess's post-wicket excitement

Good height on that jump. Fair play.

Dominic Bess of England celebrates after running out Roston Chase of West Indies with Stuart Broad of England during Day Five of the Ruth Strauss Foundation Test - GETTY IMAGES

01:00 PM

Bess runs out Chase before rain stops play

Good news, however; the sun is out and they are hoping to be back underway in five minutes' time.

12:52 PM

Signs for optimism

It's just the hover cover, not the full-scale duvet, thankfully.

The players are not even heading to the dressing room; they are staying put, sitting around the boundary rope.

12:50 PM

Rain stops play

From the highs of a well taken wicket, to the lows of trudging off.

Test match cricket in a nutshell, and the players are heading off here as the heavens have opened.

The covers are on but, as I said earlier, the forecast is suggesting that after this stoppage we might not have another stoppage, with England needing four wickets to win the series and match.

12:49 PM

Wicket!! Chase run out (Bess) 7

Woakes is asking more questions here.

It's slightly short of length and it's wide outside off and Blackwood's attempted cut nearly sees him chop on.

But there's a nightmare for West Indies - what are they doing risking rapid singles in this situation?

Bess picks up the ball at backward point as Chase and Blackwood attempt to rush through the single, and the direct hit at the striker's end sees Chase packing his bags.

So unnecessary. FoW 87/6

12:45 PM

OVER 26: WI 87/5 (Blackwood 4* Chase 7*)

Archer returns and peppers Chase with some shorter stuff after Blackwood pilfers a single through midwicket.

There's a tentative shout for lbw but it's high and disappearing down the leg side, as Chase blocks the rest of the over without issue.

12:41 PM

OVER 25: WI 86/5 (Blackwood 3* Chase 7*)

A beauty from Stokes to kick off!

Angled in towards Chase who attempts to block in front of his body, but the ball curves gently off the seam and misses the outside edge by a fraction.

Chase nabs two through extra-cover before Woakes gets the ball to beat the bat once again.

12:37 PM

OVER 24: WI 84/5 (Blackwood 3* Chase 5*)

Archer still has an over to finish as his over was interrupted by rain before lunch.

Blackwood leaves the first ball alone, wide outside off, before a less-than-convincing block is followed by an off-drive that is stopped by the man at mid-off.

12:34 PM

They're on the way out

Players and umpires alike, so we will still be starting on time at 1.35pm, despite the gloomy clouds dotted around Emirates Old Trafford.

According to the forecast, we might get a touch more rain between now and 2.30pm, but after that the wet stuff should leave us alone.

England will have a chance to wrap it up then, it seems.

12:23 PM

Confirmation

Play will resume at 1.35pm BST - no time has been lost due to the weather... yet.

12:12 PM

Stuart Broad's 500th Test wicket

In case you missed it, Stuart Broad bagged his 500th Test wicket this morning, when he trapped Kraigg Brathwaite with the most plumb lbw you will ever see. Brathwaite was Jimmy Anderson's 500th Test wicket, bringing some nice symmetry to proceedings.

We have compiled all the most intriguing and prescient stats relating to Broad's milestone, and you can read it by clicking here.

12:03 PM

Afternoon all

Thanks to Rob Bagchi for a sterling morning's work, mirroring that of England on the field.

I'll be taking you through this middle session, with England sitting in a comfortable position needing five wickets across two sessions to win the Test match and series... if the weather lets them. Lunch was called 20 minutes early as play was halted due to a swift but forceful shower.

In the meantime, if you enjoy our live coverage - or even if you don't - we would love to hear your views on it. You can tell us what you think of our coverage by clicking here. It will take five minutes max.

11:56 AM

The best of Broad III

Charles Richardson will be your host for the afternoon. I'll be back, if needed, he writes hubristically, after tea.  

11:51 AM

The best of Broad part II

11:50 AM

The best of Broad

11:49 AM

LUNCH: WI 84/5 (Chase 5* Blackwood 3*)

The umpires have taken an early lunch - play will resume at 1.25pm, allowing the groundstaff to keep the pitch, square and run-ups covered until the darkest clouds pass. The forecast is much brighter for this afternoon. England need five wickets - both Holder and Dowrich are carrying injuries. It won't be easy but England really should penalise Jason Holder for repeatedly inserting the opposition when winning the toss when the proper and brave thing to do is bat.

11:40 AM

Rain stops play OVER 23.3: WI 84/5 (Chase 5* Blackwood 3*)

The Lancastrians in the commentary box say this squall will pass quickly, based on 100 years of combined experience. In fact it stops almost as soon as the players are at the top of the stairs. 

11:36 AM

OVER 23: WI 83/5 (Chase 4* Blackwood 3*)

Nice stroke from Blackwood, drilling two off the back foot through cover. Woakes knows that Blackwood often opens the gate on himself because he doesn't move his feet horizontally, only vertically and Woakes spends the rest of the over trying to sneak one between bat and pad. He keeps them out ... so far.  

11:33 AM

OVER 22: WI 81/5 (Chase 4* Blackwood 1*)

The batsman take a single each into the onside off Archer who is slowly cranking through the gears but isn't the most effective operator in these ideal conditions for Branderoakes. 

11:31 AM

OVER 21: WI 79/5 (Chase 3* Blackwood 0*)

Woakes strays on to leg stump and Chase gets off the mark by flicking it behind square for two then hares a tight single with a push to mid-off.  Excellent from Woakes but I don't know how he got it to come back in as the zoom lens shows he was trying to bowl the outswinger. 

11:27 AM

Wicket!!

Brooks c Buttler b Woakes 22  Nips it back off the seam as Brooks tries to punch it off the back foot. It takes the inside edge on its way through to the keeper and Brooks drops his head, turns and trudges off. There's an end of tour feel about this now. I suppose knowing a five-week quarantine will be over today would effect the mindset.  FOW 79/5 

11:24 AM

OVER 20: WI 76/4 (Brooks 22* Chase 0*)

Archer continues, tempting Brooks outside off stump. Brooks tries to leave it but it was quicker than he bargained for and he couldn't withdraw his bat in time. The ball crashes into the bottom quarter of the bat and scuttles down to third man for four. Archer is taking some time to get loose.

Some people are discerning an element of snark in this last line. Not so sure ... it is, after all, true.

11:19 AM

OVER 19: WI 72/4 (Brooks 18* Chase 0*)

Brooks milks a two and a pair of singles (having crossed while the ball was in the air when Hope was dismissed) into the legside but he must be livid that Hope has thrown it away. 

11:14 AM

Wicket!!

Hope c Broad b Woakes 31 All the class in the world but, as Sir Geoffrey sometimes says, he occasionally reveals the brains of a pork pie. Back of a length ball from Woakes outside off, by no means a proper bouncer, Hope swipes a pull at it and hits it straight up in the air. Broad runs in from mid on to catch the swirler just above his right shoulder.  FOW 71/4

11:14 AM

OVER 18: WI 68/3 (Hope 31* Brooks 14*)

Double change: Archer replaces Broad. He gradually ratchets up his pace but it is a very slow start for him bowling into the breeze and Hope displays his class with a pair of fours, punching the first off the back foot like Damien Martyn through cover for four, then finds the same spot on the rope with a rasping, front-foot cover drive.  

11:10 AM

OVER 17: WI 60/3 (Hope 23* Brooks 14*)

Root's first bowling change calls up Woakes into the attack and cricket's most serene temperament is challenged when Brooks wafts outside off stump and the ball flies off the edge through gully past the diving Burns. Woakes tests him out with the bouncer and Brooks takes it on, top edging a pull but safely for two despite England's anguished cry of 'Catch it!'

11:07 AM

OVER 16: WI 54/3 (Hope 23* Brooks 8*)

Broad seams the first delivery back into Hope who plays it late with a thick inside edge that earns him a single. England's main plan for Brooks is to bowl straight and look for lbw - three of his five dismissals in the series have been leg-before to fullish balls bowled from wide of the crease. Brooks, so far, copes, sweetly timing a square drive for four when Broad goes too wide then flicking a single off his pads.

The ground staff are mustered by the hover cover and there are droplets of rain on the camera lens. 

Here's the milestone man:

 Stuart Broad of England celebrates after taking the wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite of West Indies for his 500th Test Wicket during Day Five of the Ruth Strauss Foundation Test, the Third Test in the #RaiseTheBat Series match between England and the West Indies - Gareth Copley/Getty Images for ECB

10:59 AM

OVER 15: WI 48/3 (Hope 22* Brooks 3*)

Anderson torments Brooks with a probing maiden, threatening both edges with masterly control of movement. 

Here's wicket No500 for Broad. 

10:56 AM

OVER 14: WI 48/3 (Hope 22* Brooks 3*)

Broad errs too wide and short to Brathwaite who plays a cut stroke, just below waist height, gliding rather than carving it wide of gully for four. He corrects his line and gets his man. Brathwaite had to play forward to it and ends up almost in a 'Shut that door pose', his right knee bent as he was struck in front of off and middle at shin height. 

Brooks drives and the thick inside edge squirts it through square leg for three to get off the mark.

I'll post video and a photograph as soon as we have it.

10:51 AM

There's the breakthrough

Absolutely plumb. The ball kept low and foxed him as he got stuck on the crease, creeping under his tentative defensive.

Twice now Brathwaite has been a 500th Test victim. 

10:49 AM

Wicket!!! 500!!

Brathwaite lbw b Broad 19

10:47 AM

OVER 13: WI 41/2 (Brathwaite 15* Hope 22*)

Hope clips a full ball from Anderson on off stump through midwicket for two but is then beaten by a shooter that scuttles past the bottom right corner of his bat as he jabbed down hastily. Anderson goes straighter and Hope drills him handsomely through the covers for four. Anderson, as ever when leaking a boundary, has a face like thunder and mutters away to himself. He ends the over with a lovely nip-backer that crashes into Hope's box ... revenge of sorts. 

10:43 AM

OVER 12: WI 35/2 (Brathwaite 15* Hope 16*)

Brathwaite solidly defends the last three balls of Broad's over. I wouldn't want to jinx him but there's something in Brathwaite's movement that suggests his form is emerging from a long hibernation. Broad should switch ends. 

10:39 AM

The players are returning to the field

Stokes and Archer are cradling hot drinks as they stand on the boundary's edge. Broad warms up with a few side-to-side runs and a jog. 

10:35 AM

Ireland have named their squad for Thursday's first ODI

Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Paul Stirling, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O'Brien, William Porterfield, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Mark Adair, who is with the party but has played only one match since an ankle operation, has been left out. 

10:33 AM

The shower has passed

And the covers are coming off. 

10:28 AM

Rains stopped play OVER 11.3: WI 35/2 (Brathwaite 15* Hope 16*)

It has started to rain. Broad insists third slip is taken out and placed at mid-off, bringing up cover to a catching position.

Broad manages three balls, Brathwaite flicking four off his pads through midwicket and two past the catching cover before the umpires take them off.

Nasser Hussain says they should only be off for only a few minutes and England players huddle beneath umbrellas at the boundary's edge rather than going up to the dressing rooms. 

10:23 AM

OVER 11: WI 29/2 (Brathwaite 9* Hope 16*)

Anderson reverses the order of the two-ball trick for Hope, beating him on the outside edge first with the one that straightens followed by one that nips in and beats him on the inside edge before the ball climbs over the stumps. He surmises wisely that the best place to be is up the other end and pushes a defensive to cover and gallops a single. After Brathwaite gives him the strike back immediately with a single clipped wide of mid-on, Hope gleans two more through cover then steers another Anderson off-cutter off his hip down to fine leg for four. 

10:18 AM

OVER 10: WI 21/2 (Brathwaite 8* Hope 9*)

Hope takes a single off Broad's first ball with a crisp defensive push to cover, giving Broad his first chance of bowling at Brathwaite, who already has life membership of the 500th Test victim club.

Broad considers a review when he traps Brathwaite, coming forward, above the knee. But Root turns his back on his bowler, knowing it must have been too high. Brathwaite check drives the next ball between mid-off and extra cover for four, reminiscent of his best form at Headingley on the last tour.  

10:14 AM

OVER 9: WI 16/2 (Brathwaite 4* Hope 8*)

Brathwaite uses the angle to clip two through midwicket but Anderson is varying his length expertly to make the batsman hesitant with his footwork. He sets him up with the nip-backer followed by one pitching in the same place that straightens and squares Brathwaite up as he tries to cover off stump as the ball whistles past the edge.  

10:09 AM

OVER 8: WI 14/2 (Brathwaite 2* Hope 8*)

Broad has no leg trap for Hope but goes for three slips, a gully and a catching point. Hope defends correctly as Broad gradually pitches the ball further up with each delivery.  The shortest ball catches Hope on the crease as he tries to flip it down to fine leg. It was going down but the low bounce almost diddled him there. Broad loses his line when straining for the fullest possible length and Hope creams him through extra-cover for four. 

10:04 AM

OVER 7: WI 10/2 (Brathwaite 2* Hope 4*)

Anderson pitches the first three up and Brathwaite flicks one round the corner, cut off by leg gully, and defends the other two, off the front foot and then off the back foot. He should have gone forward to the second of them and then has a tentative back-foot poke at another he should have played on the front foot. Maiden for Anderson in this very stiff breeze. He needs that headband today ... or some scissors.  

10:01 AM

Jerusalem fades

And the players are coming out. Waiting for the clock to 'strike' 11 and Jimmy Anderson will bowl the first delivery to Kraigg Brathwaite. 

09:54 AM

Jermaine Blackwood is next in the interview chair

We're very confident that we can bat out the day.  I'm up for it, ready to go, pumped. If we can win, I'd love to be there at the end. It would mean a lot. We're going to put our best foot forward because we really want to retain the trophy and bring it back to the Caribbean.

09:53 AM

England are practising in the middle

And the covers are coming off. Sky is hopeful of a prompt start at 11am. Here's Jimmy Anderson on the weather:

It could be a frustrating day if the showers that are forecast arrive, but we'll got to be focused and spot-on with the balls that we bowl, trying to make them play as much as we can.

09:41 AM

Speaking of Mr Hoult

Here's his analysis of the imminent landmark for Stuart Broad and why he might well be the last:

Stuart Broad will only have Old Trafford’s blank seats and Emirates branding to salute if he takes his 500th Test wicket on Tuesday but it will still be a moment of huge personal achievement and one for English cricket to cherish for the ages.

Broad will become the fourth seam bowler to reach the landmark and given he has 14 wickets in this series from two games at a rate of one every 23 balls, we will probably not have long to wait once the match resumes after a day lost to rain, especially with his old captain Andrew Strauss saying on Monday he has not bowled “much better than this.”

Read on here.

09:36 AM

What do you make of this?

Surely you don't need four seamers plus Sir Garfield? Lance Gibbs took 100 England wickets. And great as Curtly and Courtney were ... Joel Garner? Andy Roberts? Michael Holding? And Allan Lamb made tough, tough runs against the Windies, as did Sir Geoffrey. 

And finally ... Alan Knott. In all combined teams involving England, with the possible exception of Australia, the keeper is always Alan Knott. 

09:25 AM

A word from the correspondent

Poor old Nick Hoult must feel like a 6ft bloke in 1950, fielding the incessant query: 'What's the weather like up there?' He responds with good grace:  'Sunny at the moment but expect showers.' Gah!

Old Trafford weather report - Met office

08:58 AM

The final day

Welcome to the final day of the 28th and last ever Wisden Trophy match. England need eight wickets to regain it and hold it for the 11th time, placing it, no doubt, in the Lord's museum. West Indies, by contrast, require 389 runs to win it for the 15th time and hold superiority both in England and the Caribbean, or survive 98 overs to retain it and rack up a fifth drawn series.

Après le déluge, Stuart Broad will bound in, looking for the wicket that will make him the fourth quick - after Courtney Walsh, Glenn McGrath and Jimmy Anderson - to reach 500 Test wickets and the seventh bowler in all, though the spinners are over the hill and far away in terms of catching them. 

Complaints before and during Monday's washout that Joe Root's declaration was far too conservative were, I think, wrong. England captains, stung by Lord's 1984, have always wanted more runs to defend ever since David Gower was persuaded by chairman of selectors Peter May to seduce West Indies into going for victory. It backfired so spectacularly that ever since cricket's third dimension, time, has been an equal consideration to runs and wickets, as it should be. 

It was the same during the second Test, when England's patience paid off and, with three supreme bowlers in English conditions, plus Jofra Archer's pace and the possibility of Ben Stokes, as he said on Friday, feeling fit enough to bowl in the second innings, never mind Jason Holder's thumb injury and Shane Dowrich's blow to the face, if England cannot take eight wickets today it would call their skill rather than their judgment into doubt. 

Jacques Kallis (Walsh), Hashan Tillakaratne (Warne), Marcus Trescothick (McGrath) Michael Kasprowicz (Murali), Steve Harmison (Anil Kumble), Kraigg Brathwaite (Anderson) have all been 500th Test victims. Their club, too, ought to have a new member today. Unless, of course it's Brathwaite again, blocking entry to prospective candidates for a club that might never, after today, expand its list.

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