Nottinghamshire announces free entry for Day 5 of 2nd ENG vs WI Test at Trent Bridge
Nottinghamshire has announced that patrons on the last day of the ongoing Test match against the West Indies will be allowed free entry to the stadium to witness the live action. After the first Test of the series, which was a mere two-and-a-half day affair, the England Cricket Board offered compensation to all the ticket holders, refunding the amount they had paid for tickets on Day 4 and Day 5. The audience on Day 3 also received a full refund as only 12 overs were bowled.
This is not the first instance of a free entry being given to fans. A couple of years ago, at the same venue (Trent Bridge), England fans were given free entry to the stadium to watch the last day against New Zealand. England won that Test match as they chased down 299 and took an unassailable lead of 2-0 in that series.
The information regarding the ongoing Trent Bridge Test was mentioned in a tweet by England's Barmy Army.
"🚨 FREE DAY 5 TICKETS 🚨 It will be free entry on Day 5 at Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire have announced!," read the tweet.
Joe Root smashes a century as England head to a mammoth total
England's batting ace Joe Root smashed his 32nd Test century to ensure England had a big lead. The right-hander got to his first 50 this summer earlier in the day and played some delightful strokes to get to his landmark.
Throughout, he was aided by his fellow county teammate, Harry Brook. The 25-year-old had a good vigil in the middle as he stitched together a big partnership of 189 runs with Root, scoring his fifth Test century in the process.
Earlier, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope scored their respective half-centuries but couldn't make it big, losing their wickets in a bid to attack. England lost their way in the middle as their lower middle-order lost wickets in quick succession. Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith were dismissed cheaply. England's tail wagged hard, with Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson scoring crucial runs with the bat in hand.
Gus Atkinson lost partners on the other end, as he ended up with a 26-ball-21. Shoaib Bashir was the last man who was dismissed as England were bowled out for 425 in their second innings, setting up West Indies a mammoth total of 385 runs to chase.