HEADINGLEY: Moeen Ali’s fine counter-attacking innings laid the foundation for England to push for a final-day victory in the second Test against West Indies.
England lost three wickets before tea but Moeen made a 93-ball 84 to help his side declare on 490-8, a lead of 321.
Joe Root (72), Dawid Malan (61), Ben Stokes (58) and Chris Woakes (61 not out) also helped England, who started the day just two ahead, take control.
West Indies’ openers survived a six-over spell to reach 5-0 at the close.
That leaves the tourists needing an unlikely 317 runs for victory, despite them dominating the first three days at Headingley.
England, who lead the three-match series 1-0, trailed by 169 after the first innings but have moved into a position from which they need 10 wickets on the final day to win.
It would be only the 20th time in Test history a team has won having conceded a first-innings lead of 150 or more.
With Stokes and Malan at the crease, England were cruising in the afternoon session, but three quick wickets for spinner Roston Chase put the match back in balance.
Stokes was caught at long-off from the first ball after a drinks break, Malan was bowled two overs later, and Jonny Bairstow followed soon after as he was bowled playing a reverse sweep.
That brought Moeen and Woakes together, and they survived until tea, when England were seven wickets down with a lead of 188.
At that point the match could have gone either way, but it was England who took control as they added 133 in just 28 overs.
Moeen was his typical attacking self, hitting a series of flowing boundaries through the off side in a 117-run partnership.
Woakes contributed just 31 to that stand but was the perfect foil for Moeen, and took the upper hand alongside Stuart Broad when Moeen was caught in the deep.
Shortly after Woakes became the sixth player to score a half-century in the innings, Root boldly declared, his side having reached their highest ever score without a player hitting a century.
Having missed chances earlier in the day, West Indies were run ragged, but could at least take solace from surviving overs from James Anderson, Broad and Moeen before the close.
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