BEEN there before. Actually, last week.
It was also not as boring in Barbados as in Antigua. Two pudding pitches were available for anyone who wants real entertainment.
Brathwaite made sure England didn't taste victory
Root couldn't break West Indies resolve on day five
England was defeated and had to accept a draw
Groundhog Day was not a fun day for Kraigg Brathwaite, who was once again aided by JermaineBlackwood.
Brathwaite delivered a remarkable personal performance that enabled his side to travel to Grenada on level terms for the final Test.
He batted the required 65 runs to stop England's victory charge from gaining ground after England declared at 185-6.
Brathwaite also broke Brian Lara’s West Indies record for 582 deliveries in one Test. This was in addition to his astonishing 400 not out against England.
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The 15-session session saw the Bajan Windies skipper be on the field at home for all but 19 of the overs. He added an unbeaten 56 runs to his first innings 160, and faced 673 balls as his side closed at 135-5.
On Friday, Blackwood and he put on 173 runs for the fourth wicket. The duo kept blocking, blocking, and again blocking, taking away time and making it difficult to win the game.
Brathwaite was determined to win, even when Jack Leach (who bowled 95 overs) caught Blackwood by Jonny Bairstow.
Leach's spin brought him three wickets, while Saqib Mahmood's double-blast briefly raised hopes that England would win only their fourth match at the Kensington Oval. After setting a goal of 282, they had originally set a target for 282.
Thanks to the lusty willow of Bairstow, Ben Stokes, and Dan Lawrence, they were able to add 144 more in 24.5 overs.
England's five wickets fell swinging. The pattern was set when Alex Lees was caught out to deep midwicket by Bairstow, Lawrence, and Stokes in the third over.
Joe Root let the innings go on, but he finally called it a day at noon.
Perhaps a source of regret after any chance for the Windies to throw a dart at an unlikely target quickly vanished.
After five overs, Leach came on and hit his sixth ball.
Next was Mahmood, Root running around to grab Shamarh Brooks' edge while Crawley juggled behind.
Root took a regulation catch from the Lancashire seamer to send Nkrumah Boner back for three. The home team was now 39-3, with just 53 runs remaining.
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Brathwaite & Blackwood had battered England to death on day three. They picked up where they left off for 25 runs.
Leach, as hope began to fade, found Blackwood's edge, and Bairstow, kneeling at the gulley, held on.
Nine runs later Lawrence dropped to his left to take Jason Holder's duck and give Leach his threer.
It was not to be England. Joshua Da Silva kept Brathwaite company until the end.
All to play for, beginning on Thursday. But, can we get a pitch?
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