England bowl without legends as Windies prosper

The shadows of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad hung over England's first post-Ashes bowling effort as West Indies put themselves into a strong position at stumps on day two of the first Test in Antigua.

New attack leader Mark Wood, England's best bowler during their 0-4 Ashes series defeat in Australia, admitted it had been "weird" to take to the field with neither Broad nor Anderson after the veteran duo were shock omissions for the three-Test campaign in the Caribbean.

A 'red-ball reset' has seen Joe Root's side discard their two legendary bowlers, who have taken almost 1,200 wickets between them and who have previously missed only six of England's last 178 Tests since 2008, in favour of a seam attack led by Wood, Chris Woakes and Craig Overton.

That trio, along with allrounder Ben Stokes, took a wicket apiece as an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 75 between Nkrumah Bonner (34no) and Jason Holder (43no) helped the Windies reach 4- 202 in reply to England's first innings total of 311.

The visiting quicks and spinner Jack Leach struggled to contain openers Kraigg Brathwaite (55 off 70) and John Campbell (35 off 63) with the new ball as the Windies cruised at four-an-over, before pegging them back with four wickets on a rain-affected second day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

"We're out here to win. We're trying to get it right now but, as can happen with any bowler, we just didn't get it right to start," said Wood.

"We maybe tried a little bit too hard, with the void of Anderson and Broad we wanted to try hard and prove we could do it, maybe that was it. But the way we came back showed good character as a group.

Wood said "of course it's weird" without Broad and Anderson because "they have been there every time.

"We can't compare ourselves to them, because we are not them," he continued. "We have to bring what we can do. Unfortunately the best we can do wasn't that first bit. The second bit was a lot better. We have to bring our best next time, so we are on it."

Stumbling at 4-127 at tea following the bright opening stand of 83, England's effort in pressing home the advantage was thwarted in the final session as the pair of contrasting right-handers defied all the challenges presented to them on a placid surface.

On a day of frequent brief interruptions for bad weather, it was another swift shower which ended the day's play with the phlegmatic Bonner on 34 off 103 balls with three fours and Holder showing a bit more intent on 43 off 104 balls, his innings embellished by six fours and a six, that lone heave over the boundary bringing up the 50-partnership.

When Campbell fell for 35 in mid-afternoon, gloving an attempted pull off Overton for wicketkeeper Ben Foakes to complete the leg-side catch, England sensed the chance for more success with the raw pace of Wood proving unsettling.

Brathwaite chased a wide delivery from the fast bowler and Overton took a tumbling catch at backward point before a leaden-footed prod by Shamarh Brooks at Ben Stokes resulted in a simple catch to England captain Joe Root at first slip.

Jermaine Blackwood was lucky to escape before he had scored as Foakes could not hold on to a sharp chance when the vice-captain drove loosely at Wood.

However there was no reprieve a few minutes later when an appeal for a catch at gully off Woakes was upheld on review as television replays revealed an inside-edge onto the thigh pad before the ball nestled in Overton’s safe hands on the stroke of the tea interval.

"We will need to get early wickets on the third morning because Holder and Bonner played really well today in nullifying the reverse swing that we were starting to get," said Wood.

"We were definitely operating to a plan of bowling straighter lines and trying as often as we could to bring the stumps into play, but every time we veered off line we were punished. It's about trying to be consistent and stick to our plans as best as we can."

Earlier, first day batting star Jonny Bairstow was last out for 140, contributing 31 of the 43 added by England from the overnight position of 6-268.

Jayden Seales struck twice in three balls to finish with the best innings figures of 4- 81 for the home side while fellow fast bowler Alzarri Joseph finally enjoyed some success with the last two wickets of the England first innings.

Bairstow's controlled effort eventually ended via a well-judged catch by Holder running back from slip to short third-man as the right-hander sliced an attempted heave to the on-side half an hour before lunch.

His six-and-a-half hour occupation of the crease was highlighted by 21 fours off 259 deliveries.