West Indies crumble as England win the second Test by 241 runs

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — The West Indies collapsed in Sunday’s evening session as England won the second Test by 241 runs, Shoaib Bashir taking 5-41 after hundreds from Joe Root and Harry Brook established the victory at Trent Bridge. .

Root (122) and Brook (109), the long-reigning king of England’s batting unit and his heir apparent, blasted stylish centuries to pave the way for a sprint to victory on the fourth evening of the Test. Root hit his 32nd Test ton to move just one behind England great Alastair Cook.

England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Chasing an unlikely target of 385 after England’s second innings of 425, the tourists were demolished for 143 in just 36.1 overs as rookie spinner Bashir did the damage.

The 20-year-old, who didn’t get a match in the first Test at Lord’s, justified the selection gamble that saw him step up ahead of the stalwart Jack Leach this summer as he took over as the fourth-innings finisher .

Bashir removed Kirk McKenzie, Kavem Hodge and Alick Athanaze in three overs to derail the tourists before cleaning out Jason Holder and last man Shamar Joseph.

“I think what Bash did today is show the world what he can do,” England captain Ben Stokes said. “That stretch has hardly offered anything for a spinner all Test match and look what he was able to do today.”

It was a perfect end to England’s first home Test without Stuart Broad or James Anderson since 2012. England’s attack was in clinical mood as they forced a dramatic West Indies collapse from 61 for no loss to 91- 6.

Chris Woakes got things going by dismissing both openers, Mark Wood added a splash of raw pace and Gus Atkinson took two.

But it was only fitting that Bashir, the youngest member of a revamped XI, dealt the killing blow as he cleared Joseph.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite top scored for West Indies with 47 before being caught behind by Woakes (2-28). Holder scored 37.

Earlier, England already had a healthy lead of 207 with seven wickets in hand at the start of the fourth day. Yorkshire duo Root and Brook extended their partnership to 189 as both men progressed to impressive hundreds.

A sprint single on 99 showed Brook’s eagerness to experience a maiden Test hundred on home soil. Brook’s previous four tons had come in Rawalpindi, Multan, Karachi and Wellington, but his fifth will go down as a special one in front of his own fans.

Root was more measured, scoring with a gentle ease that made the work seem remarkably simple. The knock that took him to three figures was only his seventh boundary, though he quickly followed it up with a first reverse mark to remind onlookers of the upper gears at his disposal. By the end of his stay, Root had moved to eighth on the all-time run-scoring list, just 13 clear of West Indian great Brian Lara.

Brook went to the cut and Root chipped to cover, but they had already done more than enough. The hosts finished on 425, taking a piece of history as the only England team to pass 400 in both innings of a Test.

It was an unlucky 13 overs for England with the new ball as the West Indies openers rode their luck to get their chase off to a flying start.

But when it changed, it changed fast. England took wickets in each of the next four overs, turning solid foundations into sand.

England won the first Test at Lord’s by an innings and 114 runs. Edgbaston will host the third and final Test, starting on Friday.