Windies captain falls for 160 as visitors take 3 for 45 in middle session
Tea West Indies 396 for 8 (Da Silva 24*, Permaul 4*) trail England 507 for 9 dec by 111 runs
Brathwaite batted for more than 11-and-a-half hours and faced 489 deliveries before Leach struck with a gem that belied the fact he had bowled 63.4 overs for just one wicket to that point. As satisfying as his second must have been, Leach’s celebration was understandably muted after equally long hours of hard graft culminated in Brathwaite’s dismissal, pressing forward in defence against the third new ball which pitched on middle and leg, turned and clipped the top of off stump.
It had been a war of attrition on a lifeless pitch with Leach bowling well for no reward in the morning, sending down six consecutive maidens among his 68 for the innings, the wicket falling after Brathwaite had brought up his 150 with a single to mid-on off him.
At the break, West Indies still trailed by 111 runs, with Joshua Da Silva on 24 and Veerasammy Permaul 4 after England took three wickets for 45 runs in the session.
Chris Woakes had been used sparingly but he struck after Brathwaite fell to remove Kemar Roach lbw, the dismissal upheld on umpire’s call when replays showed the ball was just kissing leg stump.
Earlier, Jason Holder fell on the second ball after lunch without adding to his tally of 12 to give Saqib Mahmood his maiden Test wicket. Into his 14th over of the match when he bowled centurion Jermaine Blackwood – on 65 at the time – off a no-ball, Mahmood had to wait overnight and until his 18th over before he had Holder well caught, crashing an inswinger towards Matt Fisher, who had to wheel round at mid-on and run back to snaffle the chance, holding on as he went to ground.
Mahmood thought he had another when he pinned Da Silva, who hesitated somewhat before calling for a review but overturned his dismissal when replays showed he’d got an inside edge onto the pad.
Ben Stokes claimed the only wicket of the morning session, removing nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph, who put on 52 runs for the fifth wicket opposite Brathwaite and faced 75 balls for his 19 runs before slashing a shorter, wider delivery towards gully, where Dan Lawrence took the sharpest of catches moving to his left.
Lawrence had earlier been on the receiving end of a Joseph six – a highlight of another sedate session, powered over deep square leg – adding to his two fours, one of which came via a glorious cover drive off Lawrence.
Valkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo