England took control of the second Test against West Indies as the hosts established a 207-run lead at the close of play on Saturday's third day at Trent Bridge.

The hosts ended the day on 248-3, aided by two century partnerships from Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, and Joe Root and Harry Brook. Both Brook, on 71, and Root, on 37, will resume batting on Sunday.

Despite Chris Woakes claiming the wickets of Alzarri Joseph (10) and Jayden Seales (duck) in successive balls, a final-wicket stand of 71 from Shamar Joseph (33) and Joshua da Silva, who was left unbeaten on 82, saw West Indies, who resumed at 351-5, reach 457.

Scores: England 416 & 248-3 (Duckett 76, Brook 71*, Pope 51, A Joseph 2-58) lead West Indies 457 (Hodge 120, Da Silva 82*, Woakes 4-84) by 207 runs

England's second innings, which they began 41 runs adrift, got off to a nervy start as opener Zak Crawley (three) was run out by Jayden Seales at the non-striker's end.

However, much like they did in the first innings, Duckett (76) and Pope (51) settled the hosts down with a 119-run second-wicket stand, before Alzarri Joseph claimed both in the space of eight deliveries.

Still, Brook and Root also produced an important, unbroken 108-run partnership that placed Ben Stokes' side in command heading into day four.

Data Debrief: Successive century partnerships for Duckett and Pope

With a strong finish to their opening innings, the Windies reached 457 - their highest total on English soil since 1995.

England's response was led by Duckett and Pope's impressive stand of 119, their second three-figure partnership of the series.

They became only the ninth pair to make two century stands for England in a men's Test, and first since Joe Root and Alistair Cook achieved the feat against Pakistan eight years ago.

When England posted 416 on the opening day of the second Test at Trent Bridge, many felt West Indies chances of even getting close to that total were dimmed by the host’s formidable bowling attack.

But as the sun rose high in the Nottingham sky on Friday’s second day, so did the fortunes of the Caribbean side, thanks to a stunning fightback led by the ever-composed Kavem Hodge.

The Dominican batsman, in only his second Test series, etched his name in the annals of cricketing history, as he scored a maiden Test century, a knock that not only underscored his talent and grit, but more importantly, revived West Indies hopes of securing a positive result on this occasion.

Hodge’s 120 off 171 balls, ensured that West Indies, who were hammered by an innings and 114 runs in the first Test at Lord’s, closed the day at 351-5, 65 runs behind heading into Saturday’s third day.

“It's a dream come true,” Hodge, who made his debut against Australia earlier this year, declared in a post-day press conference.

“Obviously, playing the game from a youngster growing up, that's something that you want to do, especially at the highest level in England against England. I'm really happy and I'm satisfied about it, especially, also given the position that the team is in, it's always good to help to the team, so I'm grateful for that,” he added.

Coming to the crease with the West Indies teetering at 84-3, Hodge faced a daunting task, as the Andre Coley-coached side needed a hero –or in this case, two. This, as Hodge had an able partner in his Dominican compatriot Alick Athanaze, who made a well-played 99-ball 82.

Together, they steadied the innings, with a crucial 175-run fourth-wicket partnership that took the fight to the English bowlers. Hodge played the perfect foil to Athanaze's aggression, rotating the strike and providing the support his teammate needed.

“We always batted well together, we played for the same franchise back home and we've had a lot of partnerships, big partnerships. So it's always good to spend time with him. He's a bit more aggressive than I am. I'm more the accumulator, so I tend to go under the radar and go about my business quietly, but it is always great to spend time with him at the wicket,” Hodge said of 25-year-old Athanaze.

“It's always good to know that the friends, family, and the nation is looking on. That's one of the things you want to do as an ambassador for your country, is put them on the map. Always have a positive light for your country. So I'm really grateful for that,” he added in reference to Dominica celebrating their feat.

Reflecting on his innings, Hodge pointed to the importance of staying focused and taking things in stride. In fact, the 31-year-old even highlights that his current success is a testament to his unflinching desire and resilience, as there were times when being overlooked sparked doubts about his ability to make it to the big stage.

However, after scoring 18 half-centuries, five centuries, and over 3,000 runs at the First Class level, the all-rounder, who also took 2-44 during England's innings, eventually got the big break against Australia in February.

“There were times where I started to doubt myself because I wasn't getting the opportunity. There were times where, you know, to make a test team, obviously because of COVID, we had something called the best invest where they would, like, bring guys in and then they would split the squad into two, and then we would have warm up games and practice games to select the team.

“I think I've taken part in that, like six or seven times, and every time, a selector or the coach would come to me and say, ‘we're not going to select you; we're looking in this direction’. So every time I went to the best invest, it just took a little bit out of me. But I'm just grateful that I stuck with it and things are now working out, so I'm happy for that,” Hodge explained.

He continued: “So it (century) was always a dream, and I always wanted to just give myself the best chance to get there. There were times where I had a little bit of doubt, but I never thought about giving up. I always thought I would just try and try and try. If it didn't happen, it didn't happen.