League: Cricket
In a decisive encounter at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England triumphed over the West Indies by a commanding 241-run margin in the second Test. With a dominant all-round performance in batting and bowling, England secured an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, clinching the series victory with one match remaining.
A standout performance came from the young right-arm spinner Shoaib Bashir, who delivered an exceptional spell in the second innings. Bashir picked up match-winning five wickets, conceding only 41 runs in his 12 overs, achieving an impressive economy rate of 3.67. Across both innings, he took seven wickets in total across both innings, having also taken two wickets in the first with an economy of 4.32. These five wickets mark the best performance of Bashir’s Test career to date. Bashir made his Test debut in the second match of England’s tour of India in January 2024. Since then, he has played a total of five Test matches for England, taking 24 wickets with an average of 29.43 and an economy rate of 3.48.
England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, lauded Bashir’s efforts during the post-match presentation. “I think what Bash (Shoaib Bashir) has done today is to show the world what he can do,”
He also highlighted the challenging conditions for spinners in the Trent Bridge pitch. “That wicket hardly offered anything for a spinner throughout the test match. Look at what he was able to do today.” Stokes concluded.