Junior Bennett, the former Jamaica cricket coach, says West Indies have shown that they can upset England and retain the Wisden Trophy once they can seize critical moments in the series finale which starts Friday.

Entering the decisive match at Old Trafford, the three-Test series is locked at 1-1.

West Indies had taken a surprise 1-0 lead after winning the opening Test at The Ageas Bowl by four wickets, but England roared back in the second match with a 113-run victory at Old Trafford.

“We played some good cricket in that last Test. Had our batting been just a little bit more consistent we would have saved [the match],” Bennett told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“It wasn’t a total disaster; there are many positives coming out of the second Test. In cricket, you have to learn to identify the key moments of the game, the crucial stages of the game, and react accordingly,” he added.

In the second Test, England, who were asked to bat first after losing the toss, compiled 469-9 declared to set up the match. Left-hand batsman Ben Stokes, with 176, and opener Dominic Sibley (120) both stood out.

West Indies were looking set to at least earn a draw when they were 242-4. Though getting to 270 runs — which meant they avoided being forced to follow-on — the loss of their remaining six wickets inside 17 overs ended their first innings at 287.

Kraigg Brathwaite (75), Shamarh Brooks (68) and Roston Chase (51) all contributed half-centuries.

That collapse paved the way for England’s victory push in the rain-affected encounter. They racked up 129-3 declared in their second innings, leaving West Indies an improbable target of 312 runs on the final day.

The hosts, who batted bravely to force a draw, were bowled out for 198 in their second innings.

Brooks led the way with 62, while Jermaine Blackwood made 55.

Bennett, one of the most decorated coaches in regional cricket, said the major drawback was that no West Indian had gone on to score a century.

“I don’t think we batted as well as we could have. We fought hard to save the follow-on, but when you look at it, in the top six batters, they all got some starts. But no one carried on, and that’s extremely important for someone in the top six to really carry on to a hundred, and so on,” he told the Observer.

He insisted that it would have been “a different ball game” had West Indies batsmen added a few more runs and batted a little longer in the first innings.

“We have to show more application, in terms of our batting. Those extra runs and possibly an hour that our batters missed out on definitely cost us in the end. Had we restricted their lead to about 120 runs or so their approach would have had to be different.

“With a lead like that they could not start as aggressively in the second innings because they would realise that if they bat carelessly they could be all-out for 100 and odd and set West Indies with a little over 200 to get with plenty of time remaining,” explained Bennett, the chairman of selectors for Jamaica Scorpions in regional domestic cricket.

West Indies, the world eighth-ranked Test side, are holders of the Wisden Trophy after beating number four-rated England 2-1 in the Caribbean last year.

However, England have not lost a Test series at home to West Indies since 1988. The West Indies team’s last Test tour to England — in 2017 — ended 2-1 in favour of the hosts.