England lost their last five wickets for 58 runs on the second morning of the first Test as the West Indies bowled out the tourists for 399 in Antigua.
The final hour of the opening day had seemed to be a decisive one, with the home attack looking weary and erratic as Ian Bell and Ben Stokes shared a wonderful late stand.
But an overnight rest, coupled with a passionate pep talk from bowling coach Curtly Ambrose had the desired effect as Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder bowled their side back into the game.
England arrived at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on 341 for five, hoping to toast Stokes’ second Test century and press towards 500, but their plans soon went up in smoke.
Stokes added eight to his sparkling 71 but the bombastic aggression of the first evening was kept in check by greater discipline from the home attack.
The England all-rounder managed to get one boundary away, chopping Taylor to third man, but the seamer had his revenge in the sixth over.
Stokes was looking to score behind square again but this time picked out gully, and walked off berating himself for the stroke.
That was the start of a passage that cost England four wickets for the addition of just four runs.
Nightwatchman James Tredwell nicked Holder to slip, before Roach returned to the attack with a spring in his step.
Having been miscast as a 22-over work horse on Monday, he was back on the attack in a fine spell that accounted for Jos Buttler and Stuart Broad.
Buttler was curiously flat during a 22-ball duck and it was no surprise when a tempter outside off stump found the edge rather than the middle of his bat.
Broad’s dismissal continued a concerning recent trend for a player who once harboured hopes of being a Test match number seven.
He shuffled backwards to Roach, stepping away slightly to turn what could have been a half-volley straight to backward point.
The end of the innings seemed imminent but Chris Jordan and number 11 James Anderson mustered 38 runs.
Jordan, having survived one review that raised familiar questions about the DRS system, finished 21 not out, with Anderson managing 20 before Marlon Samuels struck.
On the occasion of his 100th Test all of Anderson’s runs came in boundaries.
It was an entertaining cameo but his real job starts when he takes the new ball, needing four wickets to overtake Ian Botham as England’s highest Test wicket-taker.
Anderson led the team out to mark his milestone appearance and got two overs in before the lunch break.
The first was a maiden, including one exaggerated inswinger to Kraigg Brathwaite, and the second saw him go past Devon Smith’s outside edge with a beauty.
But the opening pair remained in place at the interval, with West Indies five without loss.
