It doesn't matter how many runs you get if you don't have the wickets.

The decision to leave Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Barbados' Barmy Army looked more foolish as the sun rose on England.

The day began with England cursing Jack Leach for the damage he would do to a pitch. It turned into a nightmare.

Leach was too fast and did not give the ball enough time to grip the ball. West Indies were able to close in on the 308 target with only four wickets remaining.

The seamers were able to bowl straight with reverse swing but never with the level of menace that was required.

These failures were further compounded when the leg stump was not removed from the ground and wickets were taken with no balls.

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Even though the odds of winning a fourth time in 17 visits to the Kensington Oval were slimmer, the shadows grew longer.

Ben Stokes was the one responsible for the first mistake, proving he is mortal.

After a controversial decision by a third umpire, he had dismissed Nkrumah Boner. The Durham all-rounder smashed one into Jermaine's back pad.

Stokes told Joe Root that the ball was missing a leg and advised against a review.

However, ball tracking indicated that it was hitting the pole about three-quarters up.

After Leach had previously snagged Shamarh, Brooks, he spooned one straight to Chris Woakes. The partnership that would have been 101-4 was transformed in the following five hours into something closer to 200.

Blackwood was disciplined and determined and must be credited as well as Kraigg Brathwaite (Windies skipper), who scored his tenth Test win and third against England off 278 balls, including 11 boundaries.

England was, however, complicit in the killing of Saqib Mahmood, a rookie seamer.

The Lancashire bowler thought he had won his first Test win when he smashed one through Blackwood's defenses, scoring the No5 on 65 with the score of 230.

The third umpire, however, saw that he had gone too far.

Blackwood's life after Mahmood is a depressing one, and England's chances at forcing the game are diminishing.

England did not lack effort, and that is a fact.

But if there was ever a surface Leach would want to bowl on, it would be this one.

Leach was beaten down Down Under by Marnus Laboruschagne and David Warner, but he persevered in Bridgetown, even though the home side was in survival mode.

It was too bad that Brooks' only wicket was a terrible miscue.

The rest of the attack was also unable to create the same chances, and they were a bit sloppy.

There was indeed genuine fortune in another wicket being taken. The third umpire confirmed Stokes' leg before calling against Bonner - trimming bails - despite the spike on the ultra-edge as the bat passed the bat and entered the pad.

The rest of the day was miserable, with a few misfortunes including Brathwaite's missed stumping by Ben Foakes. Dan Lawrence was then the unlikely hero for tourists.

Blackwood was pinned in front of him for 102 minutes with only minutes remaining in the day.

Brathwaite, nightwatchman Alzarri Joe and Brathwaite clung to their jobs as the West Indies closed at 288-4 - 219 runs behind England.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, who has an ongoing elbow injury, has been ruled out for the remainder of the tour as well as his IPL contract.