England vs West Indies live: Score and latest updates from second Test, day two

Today's weather at Trent Bridge is extremely hot, even warmer than yesterday. The Windies have a perfect opportunity to bat in these lovely conditions. I have a feeling we might see Shoaib Bashir bowl for the first time in a Test match at home! On a side note, Ben Duckett is still with the team, so it seems the baby hasn't arrived just yet.

A Unique Twist

In Test cricket, there is no player more different from the typical big-hitting batsman than Kraigg Brathwaite. He is known for his patience and ability to defend for long periods. If he can withstand the initial challenges and build his innings slowly, he could be the key to West Indies' success in this series. Expect to see him accumulating runs steadily this afternoon!

Ben Duckett Speaks With Sky Sports

I was really thrilled to have the opportunity to play my first Test match at my home ground. The weather was great for batting, so I didn't mind when we were asked to bat first. I believe in a simple approach of 'see ball, hit ball'. I took advantage of some easy deliveries and the fast outfield to get a good start. My goal was to stay at the crease all day and make a big score, so I was a bit disappointed when I got out after making 70 runs.

[On staying at the ball] It's both a positive and a negative trait, and I am aware of that. It's a habit I've always had and I try not to dwell on it too much. There were moments when I questioned whether my playing style was suitable for opening the batting, but everything shifted when Baz and Stokesy stepped up. That's when I began to ask myself, 'Why can't I simply strive to be the finest version of myself?'

I measure my success by the number of runs I score. I aim to score high numbers of runs when I am at bat, and it can be disappointing when I get out after reaching the 70s. I laid the groundwork yesterday, but scoring in the 70s alone is not enough to secure victories.

The pitch was favorable for batting. However, we noticed that the opposing team also bowled well at times. We feel confident in our current position and will evaluate our batting performance at the end of the day. If we bowl as effectively as we did at Lord's, we should be in good shape.

Stokes Charm: All-Round Excellence

While gazing up at his shot with disappointment, Stokes managed to score 69 runs which marked a positive comeback for him. His batting style can vary from conservative to flashy, but this time it was just perfect. His composed judgment highlighted the direction England should follow in their future growth.

Sinclair Does Somersault Celebration

One of the standout moments from yesterday's game was when Kevin Sinclair, the spinner who was a last-minute replacement for Gudakesh Motie, performed his signature backflip.

In the final Test match of the 20th century, England chose to bat first after winning the toss against South Africa in Durban. They batted for the entire first two days before declaring at 366/9. It's hard to believe now, but back then this was considered a big deal. These days, no one would bat an eye at England scoring over 400 runs on the first day of a Test match. The world of cricket has certainly evolved since then.

They were finally dismissed for 416 runs, and it's not easy to determine if they performed better or worse than expected. Some batsmen got out cheaply, but there were also mistakes in fielding and poor bowling from West Indies. The true quality of the pitch can only be judged after both teams have batted on it, and today's play will show the true nature of the pitch.

Even though West Indies are often seen as unlikely to succeed in England, they have managed to win a Test match on their last two tours. To win a third time, they must focus on their batting and avoid having to follow on.

The field appears good and the weather is nice, so West Indies shouldn't worry about anything except the fear that led them to choose to bat first yesterday. Many people criticized Kraigg Brathwaite for that choice; by playing a long innings today, he can prove them wrong.

Yesterday, Ollie Pope impressed with a score of 121, silencing those who doubted his abilities after a recent string of poor performances for both his club and country. He expressed satisfaction with his performance and acknowledged that a bit of luck with a few dropped catches certainly helped. Despite a lack of luck during his time with his county team, Pope didn't doubt his abilities but did question why he wasn't scoring as well as other players in county cricket while playing as England's number three batsman.

Check out Nick Hoult's report from the first day.