England vs West Indies match report: Balance of power shifts to England as Jimmy Anderson waits

England 399 & 333-7 dec West Indies 295 & 98-2

Gary Ballance (right) plays a shot to fine leg on the way to his century (Getty)

England have been here before. For the second time in six years they are desperately trying to break West Indies’ resolve in Antigua. For the second time in six years it may go all the way on the fifth day unless the pitch suddenly starts playing tricks which have so far been conspicuously absent.

The first Test match of the 2015 series is beautifully poised after West Indies were left 438 to win from 130 overs. Only in the dying minutes of the fourth day did England prise what might be a crucial opening.

The tourists’ control of the match was enhanced by Gary Ballance’s fourth, well-measured Test century to ensure the lead was nothing other than substantial.

These are early days in a career of only nine matches but Ballance can play an instrumental role in the next few years in leading England to sunlit uplands again.

West Indies’ pursuit is probably academic and England will presume they should take the required number of wickets well before their opponents make the runs. In 2009, the tourists were denied at the old Recreation Ground as their opponents hung on grimly, nine wickets down but refusing to buckle.

James Anderson is thwarted as a chance eludes Joe Root (Reuters)

There are three survivors from that England side in this match at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium a few miles up the road: the captain, Alastair Cook, who had to make the delicate decision of when to declare England’s second innings and the opening bowlers, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, who had to assess how many overs they would need to make the necessary incisions with help at a premium.

An early wicket for Broad raised England’s spirits but it did not lead to calamity for West Indies. The tourists had to wait until the sun was setting to strike again when the ploy of using Joe Root’s occasional off-spin was rewarded. West Indies may yet lose this match but so far they have not been swept aside with the ease many assumed was inevitable before the series began.

The chase began with Anderson on the verge of becoming England’s record wicket-taker. He was one behind Sir Ian Botham’s 383. Two wickets with the new ball, he would be ahead and England would be on their way to leading 1-0 in the three-match series. It did not happen.

Broad persuaded Kraigg Brathwaite to glove a bouncer to short leg in the second over of the innings but West Indies then dug in, while keeping the board rolling at such a rate against attacking fields as to make anything seem possible.

But the rate gradually slowed and Devon Smith and Darren Bravo had settled to bat the day out when Root was summoned. The first ball of his second over took Bravo’s outside edge firmly and Chris Jordan swooped to his right at slip to take an astonishing catch. There was so nearly another an over later but Jordan could not quite produce a similar miracle to remove Smith.

England’s No 3 Gary Ballance reaches his fourth hundred in only his ninth Test as the tourists take control of the first Test against West Indies in Antigua (Getty)

England had put their foot on the gas to leave West Indies needing 20 runs more than has ever been achieved in Test history. That record will be broken sometime but Cook estimated, bearing in mind the scoring rate in the match, that this would not be the occasion.

Ballance continued his outstanding entry into Test cricket by making his fourth hundred in his 15th innings. Only Herbert Sutcliffe and Len Hutton, also Yorkshire batsmen, have made more runs than Ballance’s 861 at this stage in their careers. Only Sutcliffe had more hundreds.

This innings followed the pattern of some of Ballance’s previous efforts last summer at home. He started indifferently, nervously even but grew in confidence and fluency. The simple virtue of patience, or refusing to be embarrassed out, will take him far.

This was exactly what Ballance required after his moderate World Cup when his feet looked to be encased in invisible concrete. The supply had still not run out when he came here but by the time he arrived at his hundred from 233 balls he was moving freely again.

There were other significant contributions which ensured the tourists did not have to bat too deep into the afternoon. Root scored his second 50 of the match and was out in almost identical fashion to the first innings, when he aimed to defend the ball away from his body and succeeded only in edging on to his stumps.

Ben Stokes inserted some much-needed brio when it was needed and the selectors will have the conundrum next week of what to do with him when Moeen Ali returns. It is difficult but Stokes is the all-rounder who should bat at six.

Then came Jos Buttler with his third 50 in five Test innings, this one typical of his effusive approach. When England need quick runs he seems to be able to provide them at will and his 59 came from 56 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

England had to time their declaration properly, deciding whether to leave their opponents a mild sniff at victory or bat them completely out of the match and risk not leaving sufficient time to take ten wickets.

What they settled on was a kind of compromise. In Antigua six years ago, albeit at the Recreation Ground, West Indies batted for 128 overs to save the match with nine wickets down after being set 503 to win by Andrew Strauss.

Cook, his mind no doubt crammed with other problems such as where his next run is coming from, decided they should have more overs to chase fewer runs. It did not seem particularly like a gamble.

West Indies began badly when Brathwaite succumbed to Broad’s bouncer. It was the second time in the match that Broad had taken a wicket with a plan well executed.

He deserves credit, of course, but the influence of Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach on this tour and erstwhile coach of West Indies, felt undeniable. England need the help.