Stokes & Sibley put hosts on top

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Sibley inched his way to 86 not out from 253 balls, adding an unbroken 126 with Stokes, who batted beautifully for his unbeaten 59.
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Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes batted England into a strong position on an attritional first day of the second Test against West Indies.

Sibley inched his way to 86 not out from 253 balls, adding an unbroken 126 with Stokes, who batted beautifully for his unbeaten 59.

In closing on 207-3, England recovered from being reduced to 29-2 by off-spinner Roston Chase removing Rory Burns and Zak Crawley with successive balls either side of lunch.

Not only that, but the home side dealt with the disruption of dropping Jofra Archer for a breach of the bio-secure protocols.

Pace bowler Archer was left out after travelling to his Brighton home in between the first Test in Southampton and this game at Emirates Old Trafford.

Without him, England fielded an entirely different pace attack to the one that lost the series opener, but it was their batsmen who were thrust into the action when West Indies won the toss on a murky day in Manchester.

The touring pace bowlers, so impressive in the six-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl, looked weary and were not helped by their fielders, who dropped Sibley twice.

West Indies also face the prospect of having to bat last on a sluggish pitch that is already offering turn and some uneven bounce. (BBC Sport)

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