England came into the third day behind in the game knowing they had to exert concerted pressure on West Indies. Standards had not been met, either with bat or ball, but the tourists are not a side with much experience of closing out victories away from home - they have not won in England since 2000 and, in that time, have only twice beaten opposition other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh on the road. The onus was on England, and they were given the perfect start…
Anderson at the double
West Indies began the day with Shai Hope on 147 not out, with the pugnacious Jermaine Blackwood - normally No. 6 but down a spot because of the use of a nightwatchman - at the other end. With five wickets still to take, England knew they had to limit the damage; on the previous evening, James Anderson had suggested they needed to keep West Indies' lead below 150. This time it wasn't a cloudy start but, with Headingley bathed in sunshine, Anderson walked the talk. Two balls, two wickets: Hope applauded back to the dressing room, then Shane Dowrich roared back. Anderson's Headingley mojo is confirmed by a five-wicket haul. Could he get to 500 this morning?
Mo's momentum-killer
England, and Joe Root, would prefer it of course if Anderson didn't have to do it all himself. Stuart Broad has seemingly battled for rhythm again, particularly bowling to right-handers - despite briefly clicking under the lights at Edgbaston to surpass Ian Botham last week - and there is nothing especially threatening about his second ball of the day, angled in on a length to Blackwood. But the batsman hits wildly across the line and miscues towards mid-on… where Moeen Ali flubs a straightforward catch. England's spotless start has its first blemish.
Holder takes a grip
Anderson's admission that England did not bowl well enough on the second day seems to have been heeded initially. Broad's frustration at the drop is expressed with a sharp bouncer that Blackwood does well to punch away and Anderson nearly removes him in the next over, when a thick edge evades the leaping Ben Stokes at gully. England are clearly keyed up - there are two direct hits from fielders inside the first half hour - but they are unable to maintain control as Jason Holder plays the aggressor. Broad is hit for three princely fours in a row and looks about as pleased as a man who has just been promoted to White House press secretary.
The last-wicket niggle
Holder and Blackwood pile the pressure back on England by raising the fifty stand from just 55 balls and the session is quickly unravelling for Root. Chris Woakes does not fare much better than Broad but he does get his first Test wicket of 2017, caught at long-off, when Holder levers a drive up into the sky. Moeen takes the catch this time, to general merriment/relief. Blackwood is then run out by a good bit of fielding and in the same over, with the lead still just under 150, Shannon Gabriel edges Moeen to short leg… only for Mark Stoneman to put it down, allowing Gabriel and Kemar Roach to riff on England's pain during a 21-run last-wicket beano.
Westley's swansong?
In response, England raise their first fifty opening stand of the series, calming the roiling sea of humanity that is the Western Terrace in mid-afternoon. Alastair Cook is eventually prised out during a good spell of bowling by Holder from round the wicket, bringing his Essex team-mate Tom Westley to the crease. He makes it to tea, but not much beyond. First, Devendra Bishoo makes a ricket of running Westley out after he had stood watching at the striker's end while Stoneman charged down towards him. "Blimey, he's got away with it," was one observation in the stands. Not so… In the very next over, Westley makes sure of things with a frazzled drive at a wide delivery, before walking off with his head bowed.
Don't spill your drink in the last-chance saloon…
Stoneman makes his maiden fifty, battling on after being hit on the hand, but is undone by his second off-stump homing missile of the series. Root is joined by Dawid Malan, with West Indies' still 75 ahead and knowing that one more breakthrough could be crucial. Malan, tightly squished up alongside Westley under the microscope, pushes at his seventh ball and there's an appeal from Gabriel and the cordon - but they're not sure. There is no review, but Ultra Edge reveals moments later for those watching on television that there was probably a nick.
Root to victory?
Moments later, with England still on the ropes, Roach finds the edge of Root's bat - only 10 runs to his name - but the chance bursts through the hands of Kyle Hope in the gully. Clearly, neither team in this fight has the ringcraft of Floyd Mayweather (nor the braggadocio of Conor McGregor). Holder then thinks he has Root lbw on 35 but somehow, seemingly at odds with the observed laws of physics, it is shown to be missing leg. Root is still there at the close, with England edging into the lead. They are still bobbing and weaving, looking to land the decisive blow in a contest that looks like going the distance.