Visitors take the 114-run lead thanks to Brathwaites 65; England pacers Anderson (3-62) and Stokes (4-49) prevent further damage for hosts.
Kraigg Brathwaite pulls one en route his 65 against England at Southampton yesterday. PIC/Getty Images
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite (65) helped West Indies build a first-innings lead over England in the first Test at Southampton on Friday. At the time of going to press, the tourists were bowled out for 318 in the post-tea session on Day Three, 114 runs ahead of England. Shane Dowrich (61) and Roston Chase (47) put on 81 runs for the sixth wicket. Stand-in captain Ben Stokes finished with 4-49, while England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson had figures of 3-62.
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Earlier, WI resumed on 57-1, with the first sunny blue skies of the match providing ideal conditions for batting. Brathwaite was 20 not out and Shai Hope three not out, with the pair having scored three hundreds between them in a sensational Test victory at Headingley during the West Indies's 2017 tour of England. Barbados-born Archer would have had Hope lbw for 16 had a West Indies review not revealed a no-ball. But Hope was still on 16 when his edged drive off Bess flew to first slip where Stokes, captaining England in the absence of regular skipper Joe Root, held a sharp chance.
It was an encouraging moment for Stokes, who had brought on Bess early in Friday's play despite England fielding four seamers. All-rounder Stokes could have been forgiven for second-guessing himself after deciding to bat first on winning the toss and being involved in the decision to drop Broad, especially with Brathwaite completing a composed fifty. But, as he has so often done before, Stokes made a vital breakthrough when he trapped Brathwaite in front of the stumps.
After lunch, Anderson had Shamarh Brooks caught behind for 39 before Jermaine Blackwood, on 12, gave his wicket away by driving Bess straight to Anderson at mid-off. Wicketkeeper Dowrich, however, drove Bess for two fours in three balls before, on 25, he hammered a drive the Somerset bowler could only parry. West Indies captain Jason Holder had led from the front to put his side on top with a Test-best 6-42.
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