Lunch England 57 for 4 (Stokes 5*, Bairstow 5*, Roach 2-31) vs West Indies

For all the talk of a red-ball revamp, England found themselves in worryingly familiar territory, losing four wickets early on the opening day of the first Test against West Indies in Antigua.

Kemar Roach bowled beautifully to claim two wickets, while Jayden Seales and Jason Holder took one each - the latter without conceding a run in five overs - as England slumped to 57 for 4 at lunch on Tuesday.

It could have been worse for England, save for a couple of missed slips catches but, as it was, the fact that by the break their highest score so far was Dan Lawrence's 20, the not-out batters Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow had it all to do.

Having won the toss, England captain Joe Root opted to bat first on a dry, cracking pitch that he expected would break up further in bright and breezy conditions.

As expected, the tourists plumped for spinner Jack Leach, meaning Saqib Mahmood was left out of the side, while West Indies picked left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul alongside a four-man seam attack in Roach, Seales, Holder and Alzarri Joseph. Kyle Mayers and Anderson Phillip missed out on selection for the hosts.

Opener Alex Lees, drafted into the England squad in England's post-Ashes clear-out, scored off the fifth ball he faced in Test cricket, threading Roach through backward point for four. He only survived another three balls though, before he was rapped on the front knee roll by a full, straight Roach delivery which narrowly evaded the bat and struck in line with middle and off and, despite a hopeful review, Lees was sent on his way with just those four runs to his name.

Zak Crawley had looked in decent touch early, driving Seales deftly to the boundary twice in three balls. But then Joshua da Silva took a stunner - diving low to his left as Crawley sent an inside edge off Seales that slipped past off stump into the keeper's outstretched glove - and all of a sudden, England were 17 for 2 with barely 20 minutes of play gone.

In ever-familiar territory with an innings resurrection riding on Root's shoulders - this time at No. 3 - it was almost 23 for 3 when Root, on 9, slashed at a rising Roach delivery which then sailed through the fingers of Jermaine Blackwood at third slip. As the ball raced to the boundary, both sides were left to ponder the potential significance of the moment.

Roach ensured it was a moot point, probably to Blackwood's relief, as Root left the very next ball, a pin-point in-ducker that clipped the top of off stump and England were, in fact, 27 for 3 and in a bad place.

Dan Lawrence was reprieved in similar fashion, Blackwood missing a tough chance off Roach in the cordon again, although Blackwood eventually clung on to dismiss Lawrence, reaching for a Holder outswinger and sending a thick outside edge to second slip.

At 48 for 4 inside the first hour and a half of play, it fell to experienced duo Stokes and Bairstow to offer England some direction, as they ground through the second hour of the session, adding nine runs in 8.2 overs before lunch.