Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored 61 even as England’s seamers made inroads into the visitors’ batting line-up before a 109-run partnership for the sixth wicket helped West Indies reach 282 on the opening day of the third and final Test at Edgbaston on Friday.

England, in reply, were reduced to 38/3 in their first innings at stumps.

Wicketkeeper-batter Joshua Da Silva made 49 with former skipper Jason Holder (59) as the pair rescued the innings after being reduced to 115/5 at one stage.

West Indies, who trail 2-0 in the series, won the toss and elected to bat on what looked a flat wicket, but faced a stern examination from England’s seamers, who beat the bat on numerous occasions with swing and seam.

Da Silva remained unbeaten at tea, having made a doughty half-century at Trent Bridge that had helped his side edge into a slender first-innings lead in that match.

Not to mention that he was joined by Holder, who struck Shoaib Bashir for four over mid-on, then six over long-on off consecutive deliveries just before the interval.

The visitors rode their luck in the morning session for 95 minutes with an opening stand of 76 between Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis, before the latter edged seamer Gus Atkinson to wicket-keeper Jamie Smith when on 26.

The West Indies’ good first session turned sour when Kirk McKenzie’s brisk 12 from nine deliveries was ended as Mark Wood uprooted his middle stump, and Alick Athanaze (2) chopped an Atkinson delivery onto his stumps.

The tourists went to lunch at 97/3 but continued to lose wickets after the re-start when Brathwaite was strangled down the legside and edged Wood to Smith.

Kavem Hodge showed poor judgement when he was bowled leaving a Chris Woakes delivery for 13 and with the score on 115.

Mark Wood’s pace wasn’t quite what it was at Trent Bridge but it caused West Indies enough problems. There were several occasions when the ball just missed the bat by a whisker in the first session.

But Da Silva and Holder patiently steadied the innings, not without alarm, and progressively found the going easier against the older ball.