text: Alastair Cook may have had a long break working on his batting with his old mentor Graham Gooch but his technical problems very much remain. The England captain, without an international century for almost two years, failed for the second time in the first Test as his old failing against the full ball just outside off-stump was again exploited by West Indies. To compound Cook’s misery, there was also another failure for Jonathan Trott, who has endured a nightmare return to the England team for his 50th Test, 18 months after the trauma of leaving the Ashes tour following his 49th. The double blow at the start of England’s second innings left them with much to do in this first Test to work their way towards a winning position at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium even though they earned a first-innings lead of 104. Cook simply cannot afford many more mistakes, with new ECB chairman Colin Graves demanding victory here over opposition in West Indies he condemned as ‘mediocre’ ahead of this trip. Cook returned to something like his best last year with three half-centuries in his last four Test innings against India but his woeful one-day form in Sri Lanka led England to jettisoning him as 50-over captain ahead of the World Cup. He arrived in the Caribbean still smarting from that blow but with a slightly altered technique and looked refreshed in scoring a warm-up hundred against St Kitts. The step up to Test level, however, has seen Cook struggling and Jerome Taylor looked anything but mediocre in sending both him and Trott back with just 20 on the board as England endured a rocky start to their second innings. Trott has been recalled in the unaccustomed role of opener but has looked jittery in scoring a duck and now four and was noticeably falling over in the crease as he edged a decent ball from Taylor to Denesh Ramdin. Alastair Cook failed with the bat once again on day three of the first Test in Antigua . Jonathan Trott was also out cheaply as the first three wickets once again fell for not many . James Tredwell earlier picked up four wickets as England bowled West Indies out for 295 in their first innings . It is far too early to say that England’s gamble in bringing back a man who left Australia with what was later diagnosed as ‘situational anxiety’ has backfired but Trott will be under significant pressure in the second Test. Cook’s problems have been going on much longer and it is no exaggeration to say that he will be fighting for his job for the rest of this three-match series, particularly with change sweeping through English cricket. Here he pushed forward hesitantly to a ball he could have left alone from Taylor and succeeded only in edging to the delighted Sulieman Benn at slip on 13 after falling for 11 in the first innings. And when Ian Bell, a centurion in the first innings, was run out after a dreadful mix-up with Gary Balance, England had again lost early wickets and were struggling on 52 for three, only 156 ahead. West Indies were very much in the game then but Ballance and Joe Root settled any English nerves with an unbroken stand of 64 which gives them a lead of 220 and puts them in what should be a decisive position. Earlier England had toiled before dismissing West Indies for 295, with the unlikely figure of James Tredwell finishing with four for 47 but Jimmy Anderson only being able to claim one more victim to remain one short of Sir Ian Botham’s England record of 383 Test wickets. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the first wicket to fall on day three as he was caught by Ben Stokes off Tredwell . Stuart Broad celebrates after claiming the wicket of Denesh Ramdin to leave West Indies on 227 for six . Jermaine Blackwood celebrates his maiden Test match century in his sixth Test match . Alastair Cook has now gone 61 combined Test and ODI innings without making a century. His last ton for England came against New Zealand at Headingley in May 2013, 690 days ago. England fought long and hard before they decided to bring Tredwell on this tour and considered Surrey’s Zafar Ansari and even his veteran team-mate Gareth Batty before they plumped for the likeable yeoman of Kent. Moeen Ali’s absence gave an opportunity to an off-spinner who could not even get into Kent’s championship team last season, the promise of Adam Riley being preferred to him, and Tredwell had to go on loan to Sussex to get a game. Yet Tredwell is reliable, steady and under-stated and England knew he would not let them down when they preferred him to the more naturally talented but inconsistent Adil Rashid for this first Test. The 23-year-old Jamaican scored 112 from 220 deliveries to drag West Indies up to 295 from their first innings . Blackwood takes off his helmet and raises his bat to celebrate a first century in international cricket . Joe Root makes the catch to dismiss Sulieman Benn, who was the last wicket to fall in West Indies' innings . Jermaine Blackwood is a 23-year-old Jamaican middle-order batsman playing in his sixth Test match. What kind of batsman is he? He’s a very aggressive player — he hit James Tredwell for six off his second ball of the innings — but perfectly capable of a well-worked innings. Blackwood has passed 50 four times in his first six Tests, including 56 and 63 against New Zealand and South Africa respectively, not to mention his unbeaten 112. Anything else I need to know? Tredwell isn’t the first Test bowler Blackwood has hit over the rope at the start of his innings. The batsman hit Trent Boult for four and six in his second over against New Zealand. It will be difficult for England to leave him out now, even though Moeen will join the squad in Grenada in time for the second Test, particularly if Tredwell can spin them to victory on this slow Antiguan pitch. It was Tredwell who made the first breakthrough of the day for England and the most important one in persuading the limpet-like Shiv Chanderpaul to chip tamely to extra cover in an off-side dominated field. That should have opened the door for England but they needed to be patient until the last three West Indians fell in 11 balls to a combination of Tredwell, Anderson and sharp work from Stuart Broad to run out Taylor. Throughout it all the diminutive figure of Jermaine Blackwood stood firm for West Indies to go to his maiden hundred in his sixth Test with thrilling but often risky stroke-making. Blackwood severely tried the patience of Ben Stokes, who could have had him three times but ended up wicketless as the 23-year-old Jamaican finished unbeaten on 112. Jerome Taylor celebrates dismissing Trott for just four after he edged behind to Ramdin . Trott added a score of four to his first innings duck in his first Test since returning after an 18 month absence . Trott makes his way off the field after a disappointing first Test back in the England team . Captain Cook also fell cheaply as he was out for 13 after edging a Taylor delivery into the slips . Ian Bell also lost his wicket late on the third evening as England's first three wickets fell for just 52 runs . Jimmy Anders on will have to wait until West Indies’ second innings to beat Ian Botham’s record Test wicket haul of 383. The Lancashire fast bowler took 2 for 67 in the first innings — after Devon Smith was caught behind on Tuesday, Anderson dismissed tail-ender Sulieman Benn with a length ball deflected to short leg. Benn was Anderson’s first wicket caught at short leg since New Zealand’s Iain O’Brien at Old Trafford in 2008 — his 78th Test wicket. It was Blackwood who was reprieved by Stokes overstepping on the second evening when he was caught at slip and it was the same man who survived when he was dropped by the diving Tredwell on 43 and then when he edged Stokes through the vacant second slip on 80. For Anderson this was another frustrating day, with little reverse swing on offer, but he did move a big step closer to the record when he had last man Benn caught by Root at short leg. Yet the ultimate English frustration belonged to Cook and Trott.
target: England closed day three of the first Test on 116 for three, 220 runs ahead .
  West Indies were bowled out for 295 in their first innings .
  James Tredwell took four wickets in West Indies innings .
  Jermaine Blackwood hit his maiden Test century for the hosts .
  Jonathan Trott (4) and Alastair Cook (13) both failed with the bat again .
  Ian Bell was run out for 11 as England slumped to 52 for three .
  Joe Root (32*) and Gary Ballance (44*) unbeaten at stumps on day three .