Roach sends England tumbling as 18 wkts fall in Bridgetown

Bridgetown: Kemar Roach spearheaded a devastating West Indies fast bowling effort to rout England for 77 in their first innings and put his team in a commanding position on the second day of the first Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday.

At stumps England had hit back in limiting the Caribbean side to 127 for six in their second turn at the crease. However, the hosts already have a formidable overall lead of 339 runs at the end of a day dominated by bowlers with 18 wickets falling. If that trend were to continue into day three then England are likely to struggle to avoid suffering defeat inside three days, the same fate they suffered when the two teams last met at this venue in the finale to the previous tour in 2015. It will take tremendous resolve by Joe Root's side to regain their composure at the crease after being swept aside so ruthlessly first time round. Replying to the home side's first innings total of 289, highlighted by a top score of 81 from Shimron Hetmyer and James Anderson's 27th five-wicket innings haul, the visitors were blown away in 30.2 overs of unrestrained aggression from all four members of a pace attack in which the shortest of the quartet, Roach, stood tallest.

His haul of five for 17 from 11 overs recaptured his best form of earlier years before his career was threatened by a serious shoulder injury.