Did a shake of the head from Shamarh Brooks convince England not to review a caught-behind decision in the second Test against West Indies?
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It was a moment England could end up ruing in their quest to take 10 West Indies wickets in just under a full day’s play to keep their hopes of regaining the Wisden Trophy alive.
Having won the first Test, the tourists only need a draw in the second to ensure they can’t lose the series, and retain their hold on the Wisden Trophy, and Brooks, who made 68 in the first innings, was sure to be key to their hopes.
England thought they had their man when a ball from Chris Woakes veered off a length and deflected off something on its way to the wicketkeeper. Brooks coolly shook his head and England opted not to review, despite having two referrals left.
Epic bluff from Shamarh Brooks. Has a career in poker post retirement #ENGvWI
— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) July 20, 2020
“There was an immediate shake of the head in the negative from Shamarh Brooks,” said Sky Sports Cricket commentator Ian Bishop. But UltraEdge showed the ball had brushed the bat handle on its way through, and the decision would almost certainly have been overturned had England gone upstairs. There was speculation that it was Brooks’ body language that turned England off from using the technology.
It was the second missed opportunity for England in the Test match. They could have overturned an lbw decision against Alzarri Joseph on the second evening when the nightwatchman was just 14. He ended up adding 18 to his overnight score, the exact same total that West Indies avoided the follow-on by.
