Slow but mightily steady, Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes’ partnership on days one and two of England’s second Test against West Indies was music to the ears of the hosts.
England’s prime all-rounder joined Sibley on day one with England sitting somewhat perilously on 81-3, after Joe Root departed for 23 to Alzarri Joseph, and their 260-run stand only came to an end when a leg-side hoik from Sibley on 120, off Roston Chase’s off-spin, found Kemar Roach at deep midwicket over an hour into the second session of day two.
The partnership was England’s third-highest fourth-wicket stand this century and the highest since July 2008, when Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen combined for 286 against South Africa at Lord’s. Sitting at the top of the tree is Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen’s 310-run stand at Adelaide in December 2006, a Test England infamously lost despite putting up 551 in their first innings.
But it’s likely this Stokes-Sibley stand will be remembered more for its duration; having occupied the crease together for 94.4 overs (568 balls), their partnership was England’s longest since Stuart Broad and Jonathan Trott put on 332 from 574 balls against Pakistan at Lord’s 10 years ago for the eighth wicket.
In regards to all Test cricket, Sibley and Stokes’ partnership was the longest (in terms of balls faced) since Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis put on an unbeaten 274 from 652 balls against New Zealand in December 2018.
This was just the second occasion both Stokes and Sibley have batted together in Tests, but the signs are there the two work well together at the crease. Their previous partnership came in January at Newlands and resulted in 92 runs and during which Sibley reached his maiden Test century. Now the Warwickshire man has his second in Tests, with this the seventh slowest by an Englishman. He is just the fifth English opener to score two Test hundreds before turning 25. The others are Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton, Len Hutton, and Geoffrey Boycott.
Stokes’ hundred was his 10th in Tests. Only Ian Botham, Jacques Kallis, Garry Sobers, and Ravi Shastri have achieved the dual milestones of 10 Test hundreds and 150 Test wickets, as Stokes now has.
