TOP SPIN ON THE TEST: Zak Crawley’s Golden Duck was the third by an England No 3 in 11 months

TOP SPIN ON THE TEST: Zak Crawley’s Golden Duck was the third by an England No 3 in 11 months… while this is the first time in 27 years that the team winning the toss has bowled first in an Old Trafford Test

  • Ben Stokes hit the first six of the Test series during his innings on Thursday
  • Stokes’ 70th Test six of his career takes him past Sachin Tendulkar’s tally
  • In each of England’s last two Old Trafford innings, the No 3 has been out first ball
  • Jason Holder opting to bowl first after winning the toss broke a 27-year record 

Ben Stokes finally hit the first six of the series — after 390.3 overs of cricket. 

It was Stokes’s 70th Test six — taking him past Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar’s 69. 

Stokes is 16th on the list of most sixes, tied with West Indies’ Clive Lloyd and Younis Khan of Pakistan. Andrew Flintoff (82) and Kevin Pietersen (81) are the only Englishmen to have hit more sixes.

Ben Stokes hit the first six of the Test series on Thursday, his 70th Test six of his career

OLD TRAFFORD’S NO 3 CURSE

Zak Crawley’s Golden Duck was the third by an England No 3 in 11 months — after Joe Root was dismissed first ball by Australia’s Pat Cummins at Lord’s last August and again by the same man at Old Trafford in September. 

It also means that, in each of England’s last two innings at Old Trafford, their No 3 has been out first ball.

Zak Crawley was out first ball,  the third golden duck by an England No 3 in 11 months

Zak Crawley was out first ball,  the third golden duck by an England No 3 in 11 months

In each of England’s last two innings at Old Trafford, their No 3 has been out first ball

In each of England’s last two innings at Old Trafford, their No 3 has been out first ball

Before this, in 129 innings, only two England No 3s had got Golden Ducks in Manchester — Bob Wyatt against Australia in 1934 and Graham Gooch against New Zealand in 1994.  

This was the first time since 1993 that the team winning the toss has chosen to bowl first in a Test at Old Trafford. That game saw England captain Graham Gooch insert Australia — and the tourists won by 179 runs. 

If West Indies were to win this Test, they would be the first away side to beat England after winning the toss and bowling first since South Africa at Headingley in 2008.

Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl - the first time in an Old Trafford Test in 27 years

Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl – the first time in an Old Trafford Test in 27 years

Dom Sibley has scored two 50s in his last two Test innings.

That’s more than former England opener Keaton Jennings managed in his last 28 innings.

Sibley is the first England opener other than Alastair Cook to hit back-to-back 50s since Alex Hales in 2016.

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