West Indies sneak ahead of England by 28 runs after day two of the decisive third Test in Grenada

This final Test has started to resemble two tired heavyweights who have seen better days slugging it out on the undercard.

While Australia’s dramatic victory over Pakistan took top billing, England and West Indies traded blows on Friday in Test cricket’s supporting act that still has the considerable prize of the Botham-Richards Trophy up for grabs at the end of it.

The sides were just about level on points at the end of a second day that followed a similar pattern to the first, wickets tumbling in a low-scoring contest before the ball went soft and the pitch eased to allow some resolute tail-end resistance. 

Wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva is the highest run scorer of the match so far, with 54 not out

Da Silva’s stubborn resistance saw the hosts move from 95-6 to 232-8, a lead of 28 runs

And it said everything about the quality of the batting from both sides that Saqib Mahmood, England’s No 11 in his first Test innings, remained the top scorer in the Test with 49 until West Indies keeper Josh Da Silva overtook him with the first half century of the match.

The day ended with West Indies on 232 for eight, 28 ahead, but with England perhaps having the slight advantage because the hosts have to bat last. Game very much on with Joe Root still within tantalising reach of England’s first series win in the Caribbean since 2004.

England could not have got off to a worse start to the second day, Chris Woakes and Craig Overton proving just as underwhelming with the new ball as they had been at the start of this series in Antigua.

It was a huge day for both, Woakes having one last unexpected chance to prove he can be just as effective overseas as at home and Overton needing to grasp this opportunity to show he can be more than a perennial reserve.

But neither found the right length as West Indies moved comfortably to 50 without loss and England’s 204 began to look under par, even with that remarkable last-wicket stand of 90 between Mahmood and Jack Leach.

Chris Woakes took three wickets to help England reduce West Indies to 134-7 at tea on day two

The visitors had a lead of 70 with three wickets left to take to wrap up the home side’s tail

Then, after a first hour where England conceded 41 runs without taking a wicket and concern began to grow for their chances, everything changed. And it was no surprise the man who changed things was Ben Stokes.

It is easy to forget Stokes came into this series recovering from a side-strain that was supposed to limit his bowling. He quickly forgot about that but now the Herculean effort he has put in here with the ball is starting to take its toll and Stokes came into this Test clearly feeling the effects of a long-standing left knee injury.

But it did not stop him playing his part when he made the breakthrough and took the huge wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite, the immovable object of Barbados, with one that hit a crack and kept very low. Stokes barely had the energy to appeal and walked straight off to receive more treatment.

It was the spark England needed, Mahmood taking advantage of more uneven bounce to trap Shamarh Brooks and Overton twice hitting John Campbell on the head before having him caught down the leg-side by Ben Foakes with the help of a review.

That was one of another two mistakes by umpire Joel Wilson in a series that has been full of them from the home umpires. He erred again when he gave Nkrumah Bonner caught behind off one he clearly didn’t touch to record the 16th decision overturned by technology in the three Tests so far.  

England had taken three quick wickets to leave West Indies 71-3 at lunch on day two of the Test

Ben Stokes (left) made the first breakthrough, dismissing captain Kraigg Brathwaite (right)

England quick Saqib Mahmood (pictured) then had Shamarh Brooks lbw with one that kept low

Craig Overton (left) took the third of three crucial wickets for the visitors with a short ball

Plus two not out decisions in the first two Tests that would have been overturned had England reviewed them. Even this technophobic correspondent has to concede that the Decision Review System has been badly needed in the Caribbean.

But Bonner’s reprieve did not last long as he became the first of three victims in a seven over post-lunch spell from Woakes that finally salvaged the series for him where England wanted him to become their attack leader.

At last Woakes bowled with the aggression and bounce that makes him an automatic pick in home conditions, Bonner gloving him through to Foakes while trying to take evasive action and Woakes then even managing to bounce out Jason Holder three balls later in a double wicket maiden.

It was the third terrible shot the former West Indies captain has made to give his wicket away in his last three innings.

Mahmood could have had a second wicket but Foakes dropped an edge off a ball Jermaine Blackwood was trying to leave and one that he really should have taken.

It was not a straightforward chance but it is fair to say had Jos Buttler dropped it we would have all been saying: ‘Foakes would have caught that one.’

No matter. Woakes soon claimed Blackwood as his third victim with an lbw that was shown to be just clipping leg-stump and would have seen the batter getting the benefit of the doubt, rightly, before DRS.

And when Stokes put an end to the fun of Kyle Mayers, who hit Woakes for six to bring a disappointing end to a superb spell, England were well on top, with West Indies collapsing to 134 for seven at tea.

Yet then it was the turn of West Indies tail to hold England up, Da Silva and Alzarri Joseph adding 49 before an inexplicable Alzarri slog ended with an under-edge to Foakes.

But Da Silva, the Trinidadian keeper-batter of Portuguese descent, held firm alongside Kemar Roach as West Indies inched past England with an invaluable half-century partnership for the ninth wicket.