Mark: "The 1st and 3rd Tests on that list were artificial results, but look at the 2nd one... Garry Sobers made a disastrous declaration on the final day and lost the series with it."
Lindsay O'Regan: "Were Windies to chase these down they'd have won having taken only 15 wickets. What's the fewest wickets taken by a side winning a Test match?" -- That'd be England with eight, in a completely forgettable Test in uncontroversial circumstances. Here's the list.
1.03pm: England have declared. West Indies need 282 in 65 overs to win the second Test; England need 10 wickets. That's a required rate of 4.34 an over, which seems unlikely on this pitch. But you never know...
12.43pm: Another squall hits the Kensington Oval, and the players head off for lunch. Presumably that will be that for the England innings - but we will await official confirmation. England are 281 in front, with roughly 65 overs left in the day; or, in other words, a pretty stiff asking rate on a fifth-day pitch. England scored 145 in 24.5 overs, full of good intentions despite a slightly odd lull just before the rain arrived. Two sessions left in this Test, is there scope to squeeze in some drama? Matt will be back to see what's occurring shortly
Badar: "Hey Alan, are you sure players have gone off to lunch, and not because of rain? Don't be surprised if they finish the over after weather clears up and then take the lunch." They have taken an... idiosyncratic approach to intervals in this series. But pretty sure we're now on the break
"Why do you people watch cricket?" expectorates Adam, wildly. "You obviously hate it? England scoring at 4.5 an over, to give themselves 2 sessions to win. Splitting hairs over 5-6 overs on a declaration is mental." Pretty standard cricket fan behaviour, if you ask me
And the discussions about run rates and declarations threaten to become academic as the groundstaff race on with the covers again...
"Root rather imaginatively thinking about declaring for the draw… and frustrating every England fan," snorts lebigfella
Five minutes to go until lunch
END OF OVER:39 | 5 Runs | ENG: 181/6
- Chris Woakes7 (7b)
- Ben Foakes9 (11b)
- Jayden Seales6-0-34-2
- Jason Holder8-1-36-0
"England should declare now, as the lead has gone over 270 with asking rate over 4.2." But they're not going to, Hafiz Muhammad...
"Might Root be going for the 'declare 1 ball after lunch' tactic, to give the WI openers minimal time to prepare?" That would cost them another two overs, though, ChrisL - and therefore might defeat the purpose
END OF OVER:38 | 6 Runs | ENG: 176/6
- Chris Woakes4 (4b)
- Ben Foakes7 (8b)
- Jason Holder8-1-36-0
- Jayden Seales5-0-29-2
"Joe Root May be one of the all time greatest batsman but he is a very poor captain." There's plenty of evidence for that, Amit R, but I'm not sure this is it. You should have followed Andrew Strauss' declarations on tour here 13 years ago...