Joe Root Equals Ian Bell’s Record at Lord’s During 1st Test Against West Indies

England batter Joe Root has equaled former batter Ian Bell for the second-highest number of fifty-plus scores at Lord’s in Test cricket. Root achieved this milestone during England’s first Test against West Indies at Lord’s, where he scored a solid 68 off 114 balls, featuring seven boundaries before being dismissed by Gudakesh Motie. This marked Root’s 12th fifty-plus score at the iconic venue, tying him with Bell. The record for the most fifty-plus scores at Lord’s in Tests is held by former England captain Alastair Cook.

Root has an impressive record at Lord’s, having amassed 1,776 runs in 21 Tests and 38 innings at an average of 50.74, including five centuries and seven fifties. His highest score at the ground is an unbeaten 200, and he stands as England’s third-highest run-scorer at Lord’s, trailing only Cook, who scored 1,937 runs in 26 Tests with four centuries and 12 fifties, and Graham Gooch, who accumulated 2,015 runs in 21 Tests with six centuries and five fifties.

In the match, England opted to field first after winning the toss. West Indies struggled, losing wickets consistently and were bowled out for 121 runs in 41.4 overs. Mikyle Louis (27), Kavem Hodge (24), and Alick Athanaze (23) were the top scorers for West Indies. Gus Atkinson led the bowling attack for England with a remarkable seven-wicket haul (7/45), while James Anderson, captain Ben Stokes, and Chris Woakes each chipped in with a wicket.

England’s first innings saw them surpass the 300-run mark, gaining a lead of over 200 runs, with Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes still at the crease.

The teams for the match are as follows: West Indies playing XI includes Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Joshua Da Silva (wicketkeeper), Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, and Jayden Seales.

England’s playing XI includes Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, and James Anderson.