#raisethebat

The world cricket was about to start with the first test #raisethebat series. This series is England vs Windies and it was also the most celebrated and promoted series in 2020. As the cricket resumed with this series after the four-month break after the COVID19 outbreak. 

Cricket is now to be played with some alterations because of the hazardous virus. England first time saw a cricket match without any spectators. Bowlers were not allowed to use saliva and players were playing with their lives at stake. This match was a perfect example of what a test match should be.

The match started on the 8^th of July 2020. The start of the most awaited test match was anti-climax. The first day of the game was ruined due to rain. England skipper for the game Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat but because of the rain, the team could only bat 17.4 overs. Apart from the remarkable contest between the bat and the ball, the day also saw both teams on their knees as a tribute to George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter campaign. England merely managed to score 35 runs and lost a wicket on the extreme bowling conditions.

Windies Cricket team took full advantage of the bowling conditions and rattled the unexperienced English batting attack for 204 runs in 67.3 overs. Jason Holder, the Windies skipper took 6 wickets for 42 runs. It was the career-best bowling figures from the Barbados man. The Rose Bowl pitch was tailor-made for Holder’s medium bowling. The lanky man found his spot and made the English batters knick ball to the keeper. Shannon Gabriel, the fastest man in the Windies team helped his captain and took all the remaining wickets. After the bowlers bowled out the hosts, the openers had to face the remaining 20 overs of the day but lost a wicket. The day and the match were in their full control.

Windies team started their third day at the score of 57/1 and ended their first innings with 318. The touring team managed to get 114 runs first-innings lead. Kraigg Braithwaite and Roston Chase showed great composure and temperament for their 65 and 47 runs. Stokes took 4 wickets and was the highest wicket-taker for the England team but Jimmy Anderson was the one who got all the applause. The great Sachin Tendulkar praised the English highest wicket-taker in tests and called him as the best opponent of Reverse Swing. He added by saying that Anderson can reverse reverse-swing. Now, team England had bat really well to stay in the match and they had posted a big second innings total. The host started their innings really well and completed the day three on 15 for no loss.

English openers showed a great value for their wicket and made a good 72 runs opening stand. Zak Crawley, the man who substituted Joe Root in the match and scored controlled 76 runs before getting out to Alzari Joseph. The host was in full control of day 3 and then just half an hour before the end of the play, Gabriel took 4 wickets. Again, the Islanders were on top of the game.

Windies team to take 2 wickets as quickly as possible and then they had chased the score to win the match but it was not as simple as that. They quickly took the remaining two wickets after taking the new ball. Now, Windies were given a target of 200 runs. The last climax of the match was still to come. Windies opener Campbell got injured and then the team lost 3 quick wickets. The number six batsman, Jermaine Blackwood came out to bat. He made a solid 63 runs partnership with Chase but Windies had 100 more runs to score. Blackwood with the wicketkeeper-batsman Dowrich took the score to 167 runs. Then, the wicketkeeper-batsman was dismissed for 20 by the English Captain but Windies were almost home. 

The Windies Cricket Team won the match by 4 wickets, courtesy to Blackwood who scored match-winning 95 runs.