Jonny Bairstow was fighting a lone counter-attacking hand as the West Indies fast bowlers again ripped through the England top order with the visitors stumbling to 78 for four at lunch on the opening day of the second Test in Antigua on Thursday. Put in on a green pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium which challenged the batsmen through pace and variable bounce, Alzarri Joseph took two wickets while Kemar Roach and Jason Holder claimed the others to justify Holder's decision to bowl first on winning the toss.

Pummelled by 381 runs in the first Test a week earlier in Barbados when they were routed by the four-pronged pace attack for 77 in the first innings before the spin of Roston Chase demolished them second time round, England were swiftly forced onto the back foot again with only Bairstow, who blazed his way to an unbeaten 52 off 62 balls with nine fours and one six, offering anything resembling substantial defiance.