MANCHESTER, July 24: England�s truncated batting department fell cheaply as disciplined bowling by the West Indies reduced the hosts to 131-4 by tea on the first day of the deciding Test at Old Trafford on Friday.
Ollie Pope (24) and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler (2) were aiming to rebuild the innings in Manchester, with only a long tail left for England after the dismissals of Ben Stokes and Rory Burns in the second session. Stokes promoted to No. 4 so England could squeeze in another fast bowler was bowled by a beauty through the gate by Kemar Roach for 20, having added 13 runs to his score at lunch.
Burns reached his sixth Test half-century but departed soon after for 57, wafting at a ball from spinner Roston Chase that was too close to him and finding an edge that was taken one-handed and brilliantly by Rahkeem Cornwall at slip.
England is crawling along, scoring 65 runs at a rate of 2.5 per over between lunch and tea.
Before lunch, the West Indies snared Dom Sibley in the first over and captain Joe Root to a run-out near the end of the session after putting England into bat under gray skies.
SCORECARD (At Tea)
ENGLAND 1st innings: RJ Burns c Cornwall b Chase 57, DP Sibley lbw b Roach 0, JE Root (c) run out (Chase) 17, BA Stokes b Roach 20, OJ Pope not out 24, JC Buttler not out 2, Extras: (b 9, lb 2) 11. Total: (For 4 in 53 overs) 131. Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-47, 3-92, 4-122. KAJ Roach 12.4-1-28-2, ST Gabriel 13.2-3-22-0, JO Holder 12-3-25-0, RRS Cornwall 13-2-44-0, RL Chase 2-1-1-1. � Agencies
