The tourists ended day one on 313-5 in their 90 overs, led by the skipper who retired his innings after reaching 116 from 170 balls.
Brathwaite, a member of the ICC Test Team of the Year for 2022, shared in a 137-run opening stand with Tagenarine Chanderpaul after the hosts won the toss and elected to field first.
Their stand ended when Chanderpaul was dismissed for 46 by pacer Tanaka Chivanga in the 43rd over.
The next man to go was Raymon Reifer for 23 before Nkrumah Bonner (3) and Jermaine Blackwood (17) followed soon after.
With the team at 240-4 in the 71st over, Kyle Mayers and Devon Thomas combined to add another 55 runs to the Windies’ total before Mayers was dismissed for 46.
The day ended with Thomas and Joshua Da Silva at the crease on 42 and nine, respectively.
Chivanga, Donald Tiripano, Wessly Madhevere, Priveledge Chesa and Milton Shumba all took a wicket apiece.
Scores after Day One: West Indies 313-5 from 90 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 116, Kyle Mayers 46, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 46)
The opening batsman has led by example for far, as he dug in for a patient 49 of 81 balls to anchor the early chase of Bangladesh’s first innings score of 430.
In terms of building partnerships, however, the team has already had some early wobbles with John Campbell (3) and Shayne Moseley (2) being sent back to the pavilion early. Both were dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman.
Brathwaite will no doubt be hoping that Nkrumah Bonner, who had a solid showing in the three-day warm-up match against the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, will be part of the first significant partnership of the innings. Bonner has so far stroked a watchful 17 from 58 balls.
“It’s key to get runs on the board. We did well getting to 70-odd for two and we just have to look to build partnerships tomorrow,” Brathwaite said at the end of play.
“I’m looking for a big first innings, which will be crucial, a big first-innings total on the board,” he added.
The batsman believes the team should be aided by a pitch that is good for batting, which he expects to hold up.
“I thought it (pitch) played well today. Not much spin, some balls did spin but the bounce is quite true, it’s not too low. I think it will hold up for the next day, day and a half and possibly, day four, day five, it will start to wear a little bit,” he added.
The West Indies are looking to defend their hold on the Wisden Trophy in a three-Test series against England beginning July 8 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
During a press conference, earlier today, head coach Phil Simmons, had said he would be using the three-day warm-up to focus on two things in particular.
One; whether or not Gabriel was fit enough to last the tour, and two; what a batting line-up without Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer might look like.
As such, Brathwaite, the team’s long-time vice-captain, will have for company, his opening partner John Campbell, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich as batsmen, while Raymon Reifer holds down the all-rounder role in the team.
Brathwaite also has a formidable bowling attack with young Chemar Holder, Anderson Phillip, Keon Harding, Oshane Thomas and Marquino Mindley to choose four from.
Holder will lead a team that includes the returning Jermaine Blackwood and Sunil Ambris, as well as Nkrumah Bonner. He also has to guide some newcomers in Joshua DaSilva, and Kyle Mayers.
There is also the newby in Preston McSween, who might get a game, but the skipper may choose to go with the experience of Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel up front, backed up by the offspin of Rahkeem Cornwall and Alzarri Joseph.
The last time the West Indies and England met, the latter, who were visiting the Caribbean, failed to hold on to the Wisden Trophy after suffering a 2-1 defeat.
Captain Joe Root has said his side would love to take revenge and take back the Wisden Trophy, but the visitors are confident they can give a good account of themselves, even without some of their stars and in English conditions.
The 28-year-old Brathwaite, who recently replaced Jason Holder as captain of the West Indies, is expected to depart for England following the conclusion of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
The opening batsman could possibly make his debut against Surrey next week but is much more likely to be available for the team’s next fixture against Somerset.
Brathwaite is no stranger to English county cricket, having previously played for Yorkshire (2017), Nottinghamshire (2018), and Glamorgan (2019). For his part, he revealed that he was eager to return to playing County cricket.
"I truly look forward to the opportunity to represent Gloucestershire," Brathwaite said.
"I have always enjoyed county cricket and cherished the times I've been able to play in England. I'm excited to come to Bristol and do my best for the team, the club, and of course the Gloucestershire supporters,” he added.
Having made his Test debut at just 18, Brathwaite has averaged 32.24 over 67 matches with a top score of 212 made against Bangladesh in 2014.
This year, under his captaincy, West Indies have won two Tests against Bangladesh and drawn the opening Test of their two-match series against Sri Lanka
At the break, Brathwaite was unbeaten on 235 and Shane Dowrich, 19. So far the pair have added 34 runs for the fifth wicket from nine overs.
Resuming from his overnight score of 183 and the West Indies 353 for 3, Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood, 19 overnight, pushed the score for 429 when the latter was bowled by Rachin Ravindra for 53.
Blackwood scored his runs from 82 balls in his 115-minute stay at the crease during which he hit four fours. Together the pair that came together at 322 for 3, put in 107 runs in 27.1 overs as the West Indies continued to build on their massive total.
Ravindra has taken 2 for 59 from 19 overs.
Brathwaite hit 10 fours on his way to a top-score of 75 from 114 balls while Brooks, who opened with Brathwaite because Tagenarine Chanderpaul was unwell, got 56 off 116 balls including five fours.
All-rounder Holder (50) and Jermaine Blackwood (42) are the not out batsmen as the tourists closed the day on 297-5 from 90 overs. The other batsmen dismissed were Raymon Reifer (21), Nkrumah Bonner (15) and Kyle Mayers (17).
West Indies have two tour matches before the Test series begins in Perth on November 30.
On a flat pitch, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat first.
Brathwaite and opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul then both played typical patient knocks to end the day 112-0 after 51 overs when the heavens opened.
In the process, Brathwaite brought up his 29th Test fifty while Chanderpaul, playing in just his third match, brought up his second half century in Tests.
Both batsmen ended the day not out on 55, with Brathwaite’s knock coming off 138 balls and including two fours and Chanderpaul’s coming off 170 balls and including eight boundaries.
Despite getting some positive starts, West Indies batsmen were unable to push on against a CA XI that does not feature any players with Test experience, which basically underscores the Caribbean side's chances, or lack thereof, heading into the first Test against Australia next week.
Scores: West Indies 251 for 8 (Greaves 65, Hodge 52, Brathwaite 52, Haskett 3-57) vs Cricket Australia XI
After opting to take first strike on a dry Karen Rolton wicket, captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who showed class in their previous Test Down Under last summer, led from the front with his 52 at the top.
Kavem Hodge and Justin Greaves, both showed Head coach Andre Coley that they are ready for a Test debut, as they scored 52 and 62 respectively.
But amidst the positives, were also concerns for the Regional side. Top-order batters Kirk McKenzie (23) and Alick Athanaze (zero) were both bounced out, in dismissals that will no doubt catch the attention of Australia's seamers.
Brathwaite's dismissal also raised eyebrows. He was caught trying to paddle-sweep Doug Warren in a half-hearted shot that capped a collapse of three wickets for three runs.
Another collapse of four wickets for eight runs, came late in the day around the second new ball, after Hodge and Greaves steadied the innings and took the score to 223 for 4.
Liam Haskett led the CA XI's bowling attack with three for 57, while rising New South Wales talent Jack Nisbet finished with two for 50, and Victorian spinner Warren claimed two for 47. Between them, the three bowlers have played a total of nine first-class matches.
That adds impetus to the genuine concerns over the form of the once-proud team from the Caribbean headed into the two-Test series. They will field at least three debutants in next Wednesday's first Test in Adelaide, with seven uncapped players in their 15-man squad.
Former captain Jason Holder and all-rounder Kyle Mayers both opted out of the tour to pursue Twenty20 opportunities.
West Indies were beaten convincingly in two Tests in Australia last summer, with only five players from that tour in the current squad.
The West Indies are playing an intra-squad match in preparation for their three-Test series against England starting on July 8.
Brathwaite faced 162 balls for his 84 that included nine fours while Hope scored 83 during a knock that helped keep the middle order together before the team collapsed after he was dismissed at 275 for 6.
The last three batsmen failed to score meaning the Brathwaite XI was unable to push the score past the three-hundred-run mark.
Brathwaite’s XI got off to a shaky start when John Campbell was caught by Alzarri Joseph off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel for 0 with the score at 9. Sharmarh Brooks and Brathwaite added 40 for the second wicket before the former was caught behind off Gabriel for 17.
Hope joined Brathwaite at the crease and together they mounted a third-wicket stand of 102. However, with the score at 152, Kemar Roach breached Brathwaite’s defences and ended his 220-minute stay at the crease.
Hope, now settled, and Roston Chase began to stage another useful partnership but with the score at 224 Preston McSween induced Chase to nick one to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva for 37.
From there it was down to Hope to hold the lower order together but once he got out with the score at 273, Joseph quickly wrapped up the tail as the last four wickets fell with the score at 275.
The lanky Antiguan ended with figures of 4 for 60. Shannon Gabriel who did the early damage returned figures of 3 for 32 while there was a wicket each for Roach and Rakheem Cornwall.
The unexpected return to leadership for the 28-year-old comes after 12 players, including captain Jason Holder and vice-captain Roston Chase declined to take part in the tour, due to concerns over the coronavirus. Bangladesh is noted as one of the world’s Covid-19 hots with 510,080 confirmed coronavirus cases and 7,479 deaths. Brathwaite had been previously been replaced as vice-captain by Chase, ahead of the New Zealand tour.
The tour was sanctioned following a report from a health and safety team, which was sent on a pre-series tour of the country but that was not enough to assure the majority of the players.
Former Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies A team captain, Jason Mohammed, will lead the ODI team with Sunil Ambris as vice-captain.
The absence of the A-list players will see Kavem Hodge, the right-handed top-order batsman, called to the Test squad for the first time. Left-handed opener Shayne Moseley and all-rounder Kyle Mayers will now feature in the first team for the first time, after making trips to England and New Zealand as reserves earlier this year.
Two players have earned their first call-ups for the ODI squad — Akeal Hosein, a left-arm spinner allrounder; and Kjorn Ottley, a left-handed top-order batsman.
West Indies Test Squad
Kraigg Brathwaite (captain)
Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain)
Nkrumah Bonner
John Campbell
Rahkeem Cornwall
Joshua Da Silva
Shannon Gabriel
Kavem Hodge
Alzarri Joseph
Kyle Mayers
Shayne Moseley
Veerasammy Permaul
Kemar Roach
Raymon Reifer
Jomel Warrican
West Indies ODI Squad
Jason Mohammed (captain)
Sunil Ambris (vice-captain)
Nkrumah Bonner
Joshua Da Silva
Jahmar Hamilton
Chemar Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Kyle Mayers
Andre McCarthy
Kjorn Ottley
Rovman Powell
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Hayden Walsh jr
Chasing the Caribbean side’s mammoth 571 all out, the home side batted through the final 15 overs of the day without much trouble on another placid track. Henry Cooper 19 and Rachin Ravindra, 22, will resume batting on day three.
Earlier, Kraigg Brathwaite’s 246 was the foundation for the West Indies’ mammoth total. He was eventually out to a Michael Rae delivery after facing 400 balls in a knock that lasted almost 10 hours. He hit 17 fours and a six.
Resuming from his overnight 183 and the West Indies 353 for 3, Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood, 19, took the score to 429 when Blackwood bowled was bowled by Rachin Ravindra for 53.
Blackwood scored his runs from 82 balls in his 115-minute stay at the crease during which he hit four fours. Together the pair that came together at 322 for 3, put in 107 runs in 27.1 overs as the West Indies continued to build on their massive total.
Brathwaite was the sixth wicket to fall with the score at 483 after 130.4 overs of batting.
Raymon Reifer, 46, Jason Holder, 24, and Shane Dowrich 23 contributed to the lower order effort that took the West Indies to their final total. Of note was the 53-run, ninth-wicket stand between Reifer and Alzarri Joseph, who made 22.
Cole McConchie was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 130 from 36.1 overs in which he claimed the wickets of Holder, Reifer and Rahkeem Cornwall who failed to score. Rae took 2 for 100 and Ravindra 2 for 102 were also among the wickets.
The Barbadian opener, who was on 183 at stumps shared an opening stand of 111 with John Campbell, who made a relatively brisk 45 from just 62 balls before he was bowled by Blair Tickner. The Jamaican struck eight boundaries during his 106-minute stay at the crease.
Bravo joined Brathwaite and together they mounted a 189-run stand that put New Zealand 'A' on the defensive. Brathwaite’s 100 came up in 139 balls during which he hit eight fours and a six. Bravo, picking up from where he left off in the first match, hit six fours while bringing up his 50 in 90 balls.
The pair took a 171 balls to mount the 100-run partnership with Bravo doing the bulk of the scoring with 52 of the runs. The Trinidadian looked set to get his second ton in a week when Rachin Ravindra had him caught by Tickner for a well-played 93 scored off 167 balls in another long stay at the crease, 221 minutes.
After a brief partnership of 22 with Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks fell cheaply for 5 with just six overs remaining in the day’s play. However, Jermaine Blackwood was on 19 at the close with Brathwaite at the other end looking forward to the possibility of a double century when play resumes on Friday (5pm Jamaica, 6pm ECT).
So far, his 183 has come from 262 balls and includes 14 fours and a six.
Ravindra has so far taken 1 for 45 from 14 overs while Tickner was more expensive giving up 90 runs from the 20 overs he bowled in the day. Michael Rae, who took the wicket of Brooks, has 1 for 74 from his 20 overs.
England are in a good position, having ended the day on 258-4, a far cry from the 122-4 they were in when Buttler came to the crease.
Before that, Kemar Roach had removed second-Test century-maker, Dom Sibley, for a duck, trapping him leg before wicket in the first over of the day.
Then came the run out of Joe Root for 17, Roston Chase clipping the bales.
Ben Stokes and opener Rory Burns tried to fashion a recovery before the latter was pushed back with some short deliveries before being bowled by Roach for 20.
The West Indies were looking good with England at 92-3, and when Burns was caught brilliantly at slip by Rahkeem Cornwall off the bowling of Roston Chase for 57, the West Indies were in great shape with two new batsmen and England teetering at 122-4.
But that’s where it ended as Pope, 91, and Buttler, 56, saw out the day in relative comfort, their partnership now worth 136.
“I thought we started very well. Obviously Buttler and Pope had a good partnership, they batted well and so we know we have some hard work come tomorrow,” said Brathwaite in a press conference following stumps.
While Pope and Buttler have rescued England from a precarious position, Brathwaite does not believe the game has gotten away from the West Indies and tomorrow brings a fresh opportunity.
“We had a plan and obviously to bowl first but it’s been a pretty even day and obviously good from the two at the crease but I think tomorrow we have to start well and look to limit them to as few as possible,” said Brathwaite.
While tomorrow’s morning session is important, Brathwaite says the West Indies won’t panic and will stick to their plans and be patient.
“We have to start well and by that I mean we don’t have to rush wickets. I think if we build pressure by bowling a lot of dot balls and no boundary balls, that will create pressure to bring wickets. We don’t have to rush it in the morning session, I believe once we keep it tight, the tightness will bring wickets,” he said.
Despite a well-played 72 by Shamarh Brooks and 47 from Demario Richards, the Marooners, resuming their second innings at 96-2, crumbled for 193, as they again failed to contend with the Holder, who took 5-69 and Warrican, who took 3-16, to end with match figures of 8-140 and 7-45 respectively.
Requiring a mere 34 for victory, Zachary McCaskie, unbeaten on 28, and Shayne Moseley, unbeaten on seven, easily surpassed the target in just under five overs.
The win which came inside four days –after the first day was lost to a wet outfield caused by a ruptured water main –was also spurred by Kevin Wickham’s 139 and Jonathan Drakes’ 84, which laid the foundation for the massive target, that was well defended by the bowlers.
Scores: Barbados Pride 344-8 dec & 35-1; Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners 185 & 193
Brooks and Shatrughan Rambaran resumed the Marooners second innings on 44 and 15 respectively, with the latter only adding eight to his overnight score before being bowled by Chaim Holder.
Captain Jonathan Carter’s stay in the middle was short-lived as he was removed by Chemar Holder for one. However, Brooks and Richards, formed a tidy fifth-wicket partnership that briefly threatened to make things interesting, as they kept the Pride bowlers at bay with solid defensive strokes, while also pouncing on the loose deliveries to erase the deficit and gift Marooners a slender lead.
When Chaim Holder accounted for both, they would have hoped that the remaining batsmen would have added to the tally and possibly give their bowlers something to work with in the Pride’s second turn at bat. But it was not to be, as Chaim Holder completed his second First Class five-wicket haul when he had Romario Greaves (two) trapped in front, while Warrican snared the last three wickets.
Though they lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite for naught three balls into the innings, the Pride were never in any danger and McCaskie quickly wrapped things up with five boundaries in his 14-ball 28, while Moseley held the other end.
Meanwhile, the contest between Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles was abandoned after no play was again possible for a third straight day at Conaree Cricket Centre, in St Kitts.
Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 215 for four (Jason Mohammed 100 not out, Tion Webster 50, Amir Jangoo 27, Vikash Mohan 20 not out; Ronsford Beaton 2-39, Veerasammy Permaul 2-42) vs Guyana Harpy Eagles.
The 26-year-old son of Windies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul will make his bow in the five-day game on Wednesday, and Brathwaite suggests he could soon be setting the standards.
Chanderpaul made a century and a fifty against a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra as West Indies prepared for this series, leaving no doubt he will open the innings as the two-Test series begins.
"I think it was great to see. He'll do extremely well at this higher level," Brathwaite said. "He has a lot of patience, he has good defence, and in Test cricket that's the basics you want, and from there you can always branch off and play a few shots.
"He was an example for us in the first game, and if we take a leaf out of his book for this series I think we'll be in good stead as batsmen.
"I didn't open with [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul, but I played with him. Obviously he was a great, so it's not shocking he had a son that's playing. I think 'Tage' will do a fantastic job and let's hope he could even do greater things, like his father would have done."
Australia's men have not lost any of their last 11 Test series against West Indies (W10, D1) and have won their last eight in succession, last suffering a defeat in the format in 1993 against the Caribbean opposition.
Brathwaite appreciates the scale of the challenge this time, saying: "We know Australia is a superior team. We've got to play 10 days of hard cricket, that is the main focus."
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has taken a standout 14 wickets at an average of 15.5 at Perth Stadium in Tests against India and New Zealand, and now he gets a third outing at the venue.
Lyon told cricket.com.au: "I'm pretty excited to be honest. There's something about the ground. I used to enjoy bowling at the WACA as well, where you're able to use the breeze to your advantage and get some drift. Drift and bounce are the big things over here, and they are my biggest weapons."
Recent form provides hope for Windies
While Australia have dominated this rivalry of late, the current year has been a strong one for West Indies in Tests, with the team winning series against England and Bangladesh without losing a match.
The successive series wins followed a run that saw them win only one of their eight series prior (D2, L5), and West Indies have not won three in succession since a run of success from August 2012 to March 2013.
Cummins closing in
Home captain Pat Cummins (199) is one away from becoming the 19th player to take 200 wickets for Australia in men's Tests. This will be his 44th Test, and if he takes that wicket in Perth it will mean Cummins becomes the fifth-fastest player to reach 200 for Australia (Clarrie Grimmett – 36 matches, Dennis Lillee – 38, Stuart MacGill – 41, Shane Warne – 42).
The day began with Chanderpaul and Brathwaite resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on 116 and Chanderpaul on 101.
The pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. His knock lasted 312 balls and included eight fours.
With the Windies 336-1, Kyle Mayers was promoted to number three to provide quick runs and did that, contributing 20 off just 24 balls before he became the first of Brandon Mavuta’s five wickets.
The 25-year-old leg spinner then claimed the wickets of Raymon Reifer (2), Jermaine Blackwood (5), Roston Chase (7) and Jason Holder (11) to complete his maiden Test five-wicket haul.
During all that, Chanderpaul brought up his maiden Test double ton off 416 balls, finishing up not out on 207 off 467 balls as the West Indies declared on 447-6 after 143 overs.
Mavuta ended with figures of 5-140 off 41 overs.
The Zimbabwean reply started well as openers Innocent Kaia and Tanunurwa Makoni saw off the West Indian new ball pair of Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph in the process of bringing up their 50-run partnership in the 21st over.
Makoni’s resistance ended in the 27th over when he flashed at a wide one from Joseph, being easily caught by Kyle Mayers at slip with the partnership at 63.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie then got in on the action in the 32nd over when he produced a feint edge off Chamu Chibhabha which West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva safely held. Chibhabha made nine.
Kaia then brought up his maiden Test fifty off 98 balls.
With the Zimbabweans seemingly heading towards stumps with eight wickets in the shed, West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite decided to try his hand at bowling the last over of the day.
The decision proved to be a genius one as Brathwaite removed opposite number Craig Ervine for 13 to leave the hosts 114-3 off 41.4 overs at stumps, trailing the Windies by 333 runs.
Scores: West Indies 447-6 declared off 143 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 207*, Kraigg Brathwaite 182, Brandon Mavuta 5-140) Zimbabwe 114-3 off 41.4 overs (Innocent Kaia 59*, Tanunurwa Makoni 33, Kraigg Brathwaite 1-5, Gudakesh Motie 1-25, Alzarri Joseph 1-25)
The Joshua Da Silva-captained team will engage their South African counterparts in three Tests between November 21 and December 8.
“It will give us an opportunity to boost our red-ball opportunities outside of the Caribbean. Earlier this year, we went to Bangladesh, and we did well there, and now we are going to another part of the world – South Africa. It will give us an opportunity to explore the brand of cricket that we want to play,” Coley said in an interview with CWI Media.
“Our next international assignment is in Australia, and six months after that we go to England, so this A team is positioned to offer red-ball playing opportunities on the back of the just-concluded Super50 Cup,” he added.
Coley, who is also Head coach of the senior West Indies Test side, is no stranger to South African conditions, having guided a Kraigg Brathwaite-led squad on last year’s tour.
“The South Africans are a team that want to play a specific way, and they always look to challenge you, but they respect our players. The pitches have offered pace, have offered bounce, so you will have pitches on which you can trust the bounce,” Coley reasoned.
“Players can, therefore, express themselves, whether they are batting or bowling, but it has never really been a place where the spinners have excelled. So, it’s also an opportunity for our spinners to learn to be effective in those conditions, and I am looking forward to being there,” he noted.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Da Silva will have Tevin Imlach as his deputy in a squad that also boast the experience of left-handers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kirk McKenzie, as well as fast bowlers Jayden Seales and Shermon Lewis.
Kevlon Anderson, fast bowler Shamar Joseph, and Jamaican spin bowling all-rounder Abhijai Mansingh, are also in the squad.
Coley, a former Jamaica wicketkeeper-batsman, pointed out that while the main objective is to come away from the tour victorious, there are other goals that are equally important for the development of the West Indies squad.
Coley will be assisted by former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams and former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait.
“You learn to win over time. We want to see our primary batsman scoring loads of runs, as well as the all-rounders and bowlers averaging above 20 or 30 and building lower order partnerships, that will help to expand our batting options,” Coley said.
“Once we are able to tick the boxes that we have agreed upon, 75 per cent or more of what we have aimed for, that will help to define success,” he ended.
The West Indies won the first Test in Chattogram by three wickets.
Cornwall, who had nine wickets in the match, took 4 for 105 as Bangladesh, chasing 231 for victory after bowling the West Indies out for 117, made 213 all out.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite 3 for 25 and Jomel Warrican 3 for 47 also played crucial roles as the Caribbean claimed their first away series win since 2017 and only their third in almost a decade.
It was Brathwaite who got the wickets of Soumya Sarkar for 13 after he and Tamim Iqbal, who had raced to a 46-ball 50, that took a sizeable chunk out of the intended target. The pair put on 59 for the opening stand when Sarkar edged Brathwaite onto the wicketkeeper’s gloves before popping forcing Cornwall to dive forward at slip to complete the catch.
He then had Iqbal caught at short cover for 50 that included nine fours and Bangladesh were 70 for 2.
Wickets fell steadily after that with Cornwall claiming the wickets of Shanto (11), Mohammed Mithun for 10, the dangerous Liton Das for 22 and Taijul Islam for 8.
Warrican claimed the valuable wicket Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the last man out, for 31, to add to the wickets of Mominul Haque, who made 26 and Mishfiqur Rahim for 13.
Brathwaite got the ninth Bangladeshi wicket to fall and his third of the match when he trapped Nayeem Hasan lbw for 14.
Had it not been for the match-winning performance of its bowlers, the West Indies might have been hard-pressed to achieve victory given their woes with the bat earlier in the day.
Resuming from their overnight score of 41 for 3, a lead of 154, the West Indies struggled to press home their hard-earned advantage.
Bonner, who was on eight overnight, batted resolutely for his top score of 38, hemmed in by tight bowling and aggressive fields that took away his favoured scoring areas. However, even as he fought, wickets fell steadily at the other end the West Indies lost their last seven wickets for 76 runs.
Joshua Da Silva was the only other West Indies batsman on the day to make double figures, getting 20 before he became one of Islam’s four wickets. The spinner conceded a miserly 36 runs from the 21 overs he bowled.
Nayeem Hasan, who bowled Bonner shortly after lunch, took 3 for 34 and Abu Jayed 2 for 32.
The trophy pays tribute to two all-time greats – whose rivalry and friendship embodies the close relationship and mutual respect between the two sides. The unveiling ceremony was held on Sunday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua ahead of the first Apex Test match which starts on Tuesday, March 8.
The sparkling new trophy symbolizes “Courage. Friendship. Respect” – values that represent the Test cricketing rivalry between West Indies and England, and of two legends who best define them – Sir Vivian Richards and Lord Ian Botham.
It has an ultra-modern design and consists of an upside-down cup, based on a Georgian rummer, with the joining sphere a cricket ball. One end is a rummer for drinking rum and the other a wine/ale goblet. The rummer has palm fronds and the ale cup has willow leaves. The ceremonial idea is that the winning team holding the trophy would have the rummer that represents their team face upward while they held it and it would be ceremoniously turned over when the other team wins.
Test matches between these two rivals date back to 1928 when West Indies made their first trip to England. The teams, under the captaincy of Kraigg Brathwaite and Joe Root, will renew the rivalry with the Apex Test Series.
“It’s a truly special feeling to have the fantastic trophy named in honour of my great friend Ian and myself. We played a lot together and built a great friendship on and off the cricket field,” said Sir Vivian. “As I said earlier, I am truly delighted to know that the game that I have shown my love for all my life is naming such a prestigious award in recognition of what I managed to achieve. It’s a beautiful trophy and I want to again thank everyone who came up with this idea and contributed to its creation."
Botham said he was honoured to have a trophy in his name.
“It’s a great idea and a truly lovely trophy. It really stands out and I’m honoured to have my name on the trophy alongside my friend Sir Viv,” he said.
“The captain who picks up the trophy at the end of the upcoming series will be a happy man.”
Meanwhile, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite said he was eager to get going on Tuesday in what he expects to be a closely contested series.
“We’re really excited and ready for the upcoming Apex Test Series against England. This is going to be an amazing three weeks of cricket,” Brathwaite said.
“It’s extra special too that we’re playing for the new Richards-Botham trophy, a fitting tribute to these two great men. We want to be the first team to get our hands on it and celebrate with our fans.”
England’s captain Joe Root believes the trophy named in honour of the two greats is a fitting tribute to the rivalry between the two teams.
“Test series between England and West Indies are iconic, and to have a trophy named after arguably the two most outstanding England and West Indies cricketers of all-time in Lord Ian Botham and Sir Vivian Richards is a fitting tribute for this great rivalry. We are enthused about the next month of competition, and we hope to make the England fans proud by lifting the Richards-Botham trophy,” he said.
The Apex Test Series will feature three Test matches. The first at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the second Apex Test will be played at Kensington Oval, Barbados from March 16-20, with the climax in the third Apex Test at the Grenada National Stadium, Grenada on March 24-28
This is in addition to 90 players across the region who are contracted to Territorial Board Franchise Squads.
The West Indies Men’s contracted player list sees fast bowler Jayden Seales, left-arm seamer Obed McCoy and allrounder Odean Smith awarded international retainer contracts for the first time. The West Indies Women’s contracted player list sees allrounders Mandy Mangru and Jannillea Glasgow along with batter Rashada Williams awarded international retainer contracts for the first time, all of which are development contracts.
For 2022-23, CWI has changed the Men’s retainer contract structure to offer player contracts across all formats of cricket, compared to specific red or white-ball contracts in previous years. The offer of retainer contracts to all players follows an Evaluation Period of performances from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, which is also supported by statistics from the previous 2019 -2020 Evaluation Period. This allows for all players to be appraised immediately after the Evaluation Period and provides a notice period before new contracts start on 1 July 2022. The system is designed to reward hard work and performance results.
“Congratulations to all the players who have been offered contracts. We think this is a dynamic group, with the right mixture of experience and youthfulness to properly represent the people of the Caribbean. With general retainer contracts, it gives us a pool of talented and dedicated cricketers, who can take West Indies cricket forward in years to come,” said West Indies Men’s Lead Selector the Hon. Desmond Haynes.
West Indies Women’s Lead Selector, Ann Browne-John also offered her congratulations.
“The selectors have placed a great focus on the young developing players because these are the ones who will help to build the team as we look towards the future. The panel believes that the combination of experienced players and the emerging players will give a good base as we continue to prepare teams for international matches and the T20 World Cup early next year,” she said.
“I am delighted for all the players who have been offered retainers for the upcoming period. This represents a significant investment in the ongoing development of our international players whilst also ensuring our best players are available for selection,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
Full list of contracted players:
West Indies Men
Jermaine Blackwood
Nkrumah Bonner
Kraigg Brathwaite
Joshua Da Silva
Jason Holder
Shai Hope
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Rovman Powell
Kemar Roach
Jayden Seales
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Hayden Walsh Jr.
West Indies Women
*Denotes developmental contract
Aaliyah Alleyne
Shemaine Campbelle
Shamilia Connell
Deandra Dottin
Afy Fletcher
Cherry Ann Fraser *
Shabika Gajnabi *
Jannillea Glasgow *
Chinelle Henry
Mandy Mangru *
Hayley Matthews
Anisa Mohammed
Chedean Nation
Karishma Ramharack
Kaysia Schultz *
Shakera Selman
Stafanie Taylor
Rashada Williams*
