West Indies v England: betting preview, TV details, team news and weather

Second Test
Sky Sports Cricket, 2pm Thursday

England face a test of character in Antigua having been comprehensively outplayed by the West Indies in the first Test in Barbados.

The tourists, 1-5 favourites at the start of the series, were bowled out for 77 in the first innings in Bridgetown before Windies skipper Jason Holder scored an unbeaten double-century from number eight in the second innings.

Spinner Roston Chase (8-60) then bowled the hosts to a crushing 381-run victory yet England are 8-13 to level the series at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, where Bangladesh were skittled for 43 in July 2018.

Best bets
Holder had the Midas touch on his home island of Barbados, winning the toss, dismissing opposite number Joe Root, and batting England out of the game in an unbroken 295-run stand for the seventh wicket with Shane Dowrich.

But it was a genuine team performance from the hosts, with Darren Bravo the only top-eight batsman not to make a significant contribution.

Kraigg Brathwaite and debutant John Campbell shared opening partnerships of 53 and 52, Chase and Shai Hope made first-innings fifties, and youngster Shimron Hetmyer's 81 turned out to be a crucial knock.

The 22-year-old hauled the Windies to a competitive 289 all out and he is maturing by the game as a Test player.

Hetmyer's white-ball talent has earned him a lucrative IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore and his brisk scoring makes him a huge threat in the longer form of the game too.

The left-hander hit four sixes in Bridgetown, taking his tally to 26 in his first 11 Tests, and the 3-1 that he reaches 50 in the first innings is too big a price for such a fluent runscorer.

In three matches since a difficult tour of India, Hetmyer's scores have been 63, 27, 39, 93, 81 and 31 and he attacked England's spinners brilliantly in the first Test.

Only James Anderson and Ben Stokes were able to contain and trouble the Windies batsmen at the Kensington Oval and Stokes is worth a bet to be England's top first-innings wicket-taker in Antigua.

His effort, skill and fitness could not be faulted as he claimed 4-59 in the first innings and dismissed two of the top three second time around. Even in spin-friendly Sri Lanka, Stokes took 3-30 in the third Test and his away record of 60 wickets at an average of 30 compares favourably with his 58 scalps at 33 at home.

England are better than they showed in Barbados but their failure to put first-innings runs on the board is an ongoing problem for a side short on specialist batsmen.

Their lack of express pace bowlers also hurt them in the first Test and, at bigger than 2-1, the Windies are worth backing to claim a first-innings lead. They were 212 runs ahead after the first innings in the first Test and claimed a lead of 363 against Bangladesh in Antigua last year.

Recommendations
S Hetmyer to score a first-innings fifty
3pts 3-1 Hills
B Stokes top England first-innings wicket-taker
1pt 5-1 general
West Indies to have a first-innings lead
2pts 28-13 188Bet

Venue
England's first visit to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in 2009 lasted only 1.4 overs before the match was abandoned due to a substandard outfield while in 2015 Holder's unbeaten century earned the Windies an unlikely draw.

After an innings defeat to India in 2016, the hosts roared back with a crushing win over Bangladesh last July with their fast bowlers sharing 20 wickets in just 59 overs in the match.

Team news
The West Indies have named an unchanged 14-man squad including uncapped fast bowler Oshane Thomas.

For England, Joe Denly will replace opener Keaton Jennings, whose struggles against pace continued in Barbados, while Stuart Broad and Jack Leach could be recalled at the expense of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.

Weather
Light showers may cause brief interruptions on days one and two; days three, four and five should be dry and sunny with temperatures reaching 26C.

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