West Indies

Da Silva, 22, one of the shining lights for what was otherwise a disastrous tour of New Zealand earlier this month. He made a composed 57 in the second innings on his Test debut after being called up to replace injured wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich.

His performance already has tongues wagging across the Caribbean about the Trinidadian taking over from his Barbadian colleague behind the stumps for the West Indies.

However, while Sir Vivian, who has scored 8540 runs from 121 Test matches, did not opine on whether Da Silva was ready to be the West Indies number-one wicketkeeper-batsman, he definitely likes what he sees. He expressed his opinions to the Antigua Observer in a recent interview.

“I think some of these guys should have a look at him and see how simple he keeps his game because even for the period I saw him at the crease he was compact, not flashy and had the bat coming down with all kinds of flashiness,” Sir Vivian said.

“He looks very respectable to me like he knows his game.

“You see him when he is batting and when he is looking to defend, how straight his bat is. He looks organized to me and you’re not seeing that in all the other guys.”

After reading about the Master Blaster’s remarks, Da Silva told Sportsmax.TV he appreciated the observations from the all-time great.

“I am honoured to see what Sir Viv has said and complimenting about my batting,” he said.

“I am just playing a simple basic game. I am not trying to be too flashy, score when I can score and defend when I can defend so it’s a great honour to get some compliments from a great like Sir Viv and I will take that and keep working at my game and getting better.”

Since making his debut against New Zealand, in December of last year, the batsman has averaged 37.62 in five Test matches, with a high score of 92.  The half-century was one of two scored by the player during the period.

Da Silva has scored 301 runs so far, his innings often providing much-needed stability at crucial times in the team’s batting line-up.  Despite narrowly missing out on a triple-figure and a few half centuries, the player admitted he was pleased with his work to date.

“I don’t think I could have been more proud of what I have done so far in Test cricket. I definitely would have wanted to convert some of those forties into fifties and that 90 into a 100, but hopefully there are going to be a lot more opportunities to do that,” Da Silva told Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

Da Silva recently played a crucial part in the Test series draw with Sri Lanka, which saw batsmen with the upper hand for most of the series, partly due to a flat surface.

“I don’t think we could fault any bowler or batsman according to the conditions. It was quite challenging for the bowlers. Overall, I thought we had a very positive series, a lot of good things came out of it.”

The 22-year-old Trinidadian has so far scored 234 runs at an average of 39 in his fledgeling career, and in all three matches he stepped in to play significant knocks for the West Indies, none perhaps more important than his Test-best of 92 that he scored in the recent second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka that helped the West Indies to a hard-fought 17-run win.

In the wake of his recent performances that resulted in wins for his team, Da Silva thinks the experiences have helped him grow as a player.

“My game has come a long way. There’s definitely still a lot to be done but I am happy with the improvements made so far and learning to adjust to different conditions,” he told Sportsmax.TV, highlighting that much of his recent learning came while playing against Bangladesh.

“I have definitely improved my patience and discipline at the crease.  This allowed me to bat a lot more balls in Bangladesh and not get caught up in how many runs I had scored,” he continued conceding that “I need to improve my fitness in order to make concentrating for longer periods easier.”

His performances to date have had cricket writers characterizing him as the glue that is holding the West Indies middle-order together. He said he doesn’t pay much attention to those characterizations.

“I don’t think much of it. I’m just doing my job,” he said.

 “When given the opportunity, I try to make the best of it, by batting to the situation and putting runs on the board.”

It was a much better batting performance from the West Indies in their second innings, bowled out for 317, their best total of the series.

 The loss means the West Indies lost the two-match series 2-0.

Resuming on 244 for 6, still needing 85 to make New Zealand bat again, West Indies lost their first wicket of the day in the second over with the score of 252.

 Captain Jason Holder was bowled by Tim Southee for 61, playing down the wrong line to a delivery that hit the top of off stump. He had added only run one to his overnight total.

It was Southee’s first wicket of the second innings after taking 5 for 32 in the first when the West Indies were bundled out for 131.

With the score at 282, Southee picked up his second wicket when he had Alzarri Joseph caught down the legside by BJ Watling after a well-played 24 that came off 12 balls and included three fours and two majestic sixes square of the wicket.

The West Indies still trailed by 47.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Da Silva, who was making his Test debut,was a picture of composure. On 25 overnight, he moved onto his first Test half century with aplomb farming the bowling to protect Chemar Holder, who was also playing in his first Test.

The 50^th run was long in coming. After almost two overs on 49, he dropped a Trent Boult delivery into the onside for a single. His maiden half century came up in 77 balls and included five fours.

He celebrated his milestone by smashing a Daryl Mitchell delivery straight down the ground for his sixth four which also brought up 300 runs for the West Indies.

He was eventually trapped lbw by Neil Wagner for 57 to leave the West Indies on the verge of defeat at 307 for 9. He faced 84 balls in his 135-mimute stay at the crease.

Chemar Holder, who had edged a Southee delivery to get off the mark and then brutally hit Mitchell down the down the ground for consecutive fours, remained unbeaten on 13 after Wagner bowled Gabriel for 0 to seal a comprehensive victory.

Wagner finished with 3 for 43 while Boult took 3 for 97.

Scores: New Zealand 460 (Henry Nicholls 174, Neil Wagner 66. Gabriel 3 for 93). West Indies 131 ( Blackwood 69; Southee 5 for 32, Jamieson 5 for 34) and 317 (Campbell 68, J.Holder 61, Da Silva 57; Wagner 3 for 54, Boult 3 for 96).

Da Silva scored an unbeaten 133 as Jason Holder’s XI recovered from 120-5 yesterday to post 272 against the bowling of Preston McSween, 3-28, and Chemar Holder, 2-35.

There was also a wicket apiece for Oshane Thomas, 1-24, Keon Harding, 1-69, Markino Mindley, 1-32, Anderson Phillip, 1-16, and Rahkeem Cornwall, 1-32.

Da Silva formed good partnerships with Raymon Reifer, who scored 22, and Alzarri Joseph, who scored 38. Yesterday, only Sunil Ambris, with 25 managed a score in the double digits.

In fact, the next best scorer for Holder’s XI, who are competing against a team led by his vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite, was the extras column, with 43 runs going a-begging.

In reply, Brathwaite’s XI have found things just as difficult, with Kyle Mayers, on 43, and Mindley on nine, the batsmen at the crease with the score on 112-7 from just 25 overs.

Shannon Gabriel has been the pick of the bowlers for Holder’s XI with 3-34.

Kemar Roach, 1-14, Holder, 1-21, Joseph, 1-17, and Reifer, 1-21, have also got in on the action.

Earlier, Da Silva, batted for just over six hours, facing 248 deliveries for his tally and smacked 17 boundaries in a mature knock.

The West Indies are in preparation mode for the #RaisetheBat series against England, with the first match of a three-Test affair slated to begin on July 8 at the Rose Bowl in South Hampton.

The team will then play in two games at their Old Trafford base on July 16 and 24.

The selection of veteran players Chris Gayle, Fidel Edwards, and Dwayne Bravo has ruffled the feathers of some fans who insist the team should be more focused on developing younger players. 

With the T20 World Cup coming up, however, the position of the panel of selectors, and articulated by Pollard himself, has been to leave the door open for any player that can meaningfully contribute to the team winning a third title.

Gayle (41), Edwards (39), and Bravo (37) have been called up to the team ahead of a series of T20 contests, ahead of the global tournament, which began with a series against Sri Lanka back in February.

“When you look at if from a logical perspective if you go with youngsters there will still be noise.  No matter what you do there will be noise,” Pollard told members of the media, in addressing the issue.

“So, I think it’s what’s best for us, what’s best for us, and what we think is best for us going into a tournament like that.  If those guys can be assets for us, then why not get the opportunity to use the little bit of experience or a little bit of cricket that they may have left in them," he added.

“It’s a situation that we are looking to pick the best team.  So, these guys they play around the world, and we get the opportunity to see them play around the world and we wonder why they are not playing for us but then when we select them, we ask the questions, why are we selecting them?  Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”   

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has emphasized the need for a realistic approach when setting long-term goals for improving the Test team’s status on the global stage.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, the 31-year-old, who has so far made eight centuries in 54 Test matches, said even in the nets, he is trying not to get out, and he is constantly challenging himself to lift his game and helping other players.

The most recent example of his development came on Saturday when he made a stroke-filled 135 against New Zealand ‘A’ in their drawn match against the West Indies at the John Davies Oval at Queenstown.

Bravo said the runs were not the most important thing about that innings, it was more about spending time out in the middle and getting to understanding the conditions. The maturity, he said, has developed after being given the opportunity to lead.

“I am at a stage where I think I understand my game much more. I am more mature in the way I think, so we will see how it goes. I am excited about this series and I think it is about time I get the runs flowing once more,” he said.

“I think captaining Trinidad and Tobago Red Force gave me that insight as to what it takes to be a leader. It helped me with my game and the way I see things. I enjoy the game a lot more now, so I am looking forward to the challenge.”

The Test squad will remain in the southern island city for a four-day warm-up match, starting Thursday just prior to the start of the first Test from December 3-7 at Seddon Park in Hamilton, and the second Test on December 11-15 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Before that, West Indies will face New Zealand in the first T20 International at Eden Park on Friday night.

Joseph, the hero of the historic Test victory at the Gabba, where he took 7 for 68, has set tongues wagging with his remarkable debut in the longer format of the game.

The young bowler had already announced his arrival in style by claiming a maiden five-wicket haul in his debut Test in Adelaide, a feat that included dismissing none other than Steven Smith with his very first ball in Test cricket. The cricketing world couldn't help but take notice of Joseph's incredible talent and composure on the grand stage.

Despite Joseph's absence from the initial white-ball squads for the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia, Sammy is eager to integrate the Test hero into the T20 and ODI squads. While Joseph has limited experience in T20 cricket, having played only two matches and yet to take a wicket in the format, Sammy sees him as a potential all-format star for the West Indies.

"He will definitely be an all-format player," asserted Sammy. "I can't wait to get my hands on him in this squad. But look, everything has a process to it. That's the way myself and the chairman of selectors operate. What he's done, he's created a really good headache for me with the World Cup coming up, building forward in the ODI team."

The Windies were due to resume on 10-2 after being set a highly improbable 399 to win, Stuart Broad having taken six wickets on Sunday to take his tally in the longest format to 499.

A bleak Monday in Manchester prevented a ball from being bowled, so Joe Root's side must hope they will have enough time to regain the Wisden Trophy on the final day.

Scattered showers are forecast for Tuesday, but the outlook is more positive than on a grim penultimate day.

Shai Hope and Kraigg Brathwaite were unbeaten at stumps on a one-sided third day after Broad removed John Campbell and nightwatchman Kemar Roach.

England paceman Broad finished with magnificent first-innings figures of 6-31 in the morning session after bludgeoning a rapid half-century on Saturday.

Wet weather in Manchester prevented Joe Root's side from making further inroads after reducing the Windies to 32-1 in reply to 469-9 declared on Friday.

A more positive forecast for days four and five will give England hope they can still level the series, having gone down by four wickets in the first Test in Southampton last week.

The Windies are bidding for a first series victory in England in the longest format since 1988.

Quinton de Kock marked his 50th international appearance in the format by smashing 72 from 51 deliveries, helping the Proteas to post 167-8 - their highest total so far.

Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen contributed 23 and 32 respectively, yet South Africa lost a clatter of wickets in the closing stages.

Obed McCoy claimed two in the penultimate over as he finished with career-best figures of 4-22. There was also a run out to follow in the next, the last of five wickets to go down for the addition of just 20 runs across the final 18 deliveries.

Evin Lewis (27) and new opening partner Lendl Simmons (22) added 51 for the first wicket in West Indies' reply, yet for the second outing in a row they faltered in the face of high-class spin.

Having claimed 1-16 last time out, Tabraiz Shamsi seemingly turned the match in his team's favour by taking 2-13, Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer (17) the batsmen to depart to the left-arm slow bowler.

Andre Russell blasted 25 in a hurry but his departure at the end of an expensive Anrich Nortje over shifted a see-saw contest back in favour of South Africa. Left needing 15 off the last, West Indies came up just short despite a final-ball six from Fabian Allen.

Proteas set the pace thanks to De Kock

De Kock celebrated reaching a personal milestone with a brutal display of hitting, his 51-ball knock at the top of the order including five fours and two sixes. The wicketkeeper-batsman is in impressive form, having now scored 266 runs in his past five T20 innings away from home.

Call of duty needs a reboot

The West Indies have batted second in each of their past 10 T20I meetings with South Africa, winning the toss in all but one of those games. However, the strategic decision may need a rethink before the sides face each other again, as they have gone on to win on just four of those occasions.

The wicketkeeper-batsman made 141 not out on the second day in St Lucia, striking seven sixes in an onslaught that none of his team-mates came close to matching.

In response to West Indies' feeble 97 all out, South Africa ran up 322 for a 225-run first-innings lead, before limiting the home side to 82-4 second time around.

The tourists will therefore carry a lead of 143 into day three, with West Indies buckling again and looking set for a humiliating home loss.

De Kock, on four not out overnight, set the tone on Friday when he cut away the first delivery of the morning to the boundary.

The man on the end of that treatment, Kemar Roach, avoided being hoisted for a six by the increasingly aggressive De Kock, but Jayden Seales, Rakheem Cornwall and Jason Holder were each carted twice, while Kyle Mayers was also flogged for a maximum.

Across the day, De Kock made 137 of the 194 runs scored by South Africa's batsmen, the 28-year-old finding little support as he posted his sixth Test hundred. Rassie van der Dussen was out in mid-morning for 46, having added just 12 to his overnight score, Holder (4-75) having him caught by Shai Hope at gully.

The wickets kept tumbling while De Kock continued untroubled, Wiaan Mulder's 25 being the only significant other contribution. Keshav Maharaj perished to a majestic catch from substitute Kieran Powell off Cornwall, the short-leg fielder reaching down to his right to make the perfect grab.

West Indies had no answer to De Kock, and nor did their opening batsmen subsequently know how to handle South Africa's Kagiso Rabada, both Kraigg Brathwaite and Powell pinned lbw by the paceman as the hosts slid to 25-2 second time around. When Anrich Nortje had both Hope and Mayers held at third slip, West Indies were 51-4. A punishing defeat beckons on Saturday, surely.

De Kock's one-man show

The scorecard tells us that there were other South African batsmen involved on Friday, but it barely felt like it. De Kock's performance was majestic and dominant, his innings containing 12 fours and those seven sixes and coming from just 170 deliveries. His Test best stood at 129 before this knock, which he managed against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2019 and in an undefeated innings at Centurion against England three years earlier.

Innings mauling incoming

West Indies have offered nothing to suggest there is a twist to come in this match. Captain Brathwaite might try to rally the troops, but this is surely all about damage limitation now. The South African quicks again bowled with terrific control, and they must be excited about the prospect of a second Test at this Gros Islet ground again next week.

Charles' astonishing 118 from 46 balls and an excellent 51 from Kyle Mayers got the Windies to what looked to be a series-winning total of 258-5 on Sunday.

Yet De Kock (100 off 44) had other ideas, with South Africa's former captain leading the Proteas to a sensational triumph and the highest successful run chase in T20Is.

By the end of the third over the hosts had scored 62 without loss, and they added an additional 20 runs from the next 18 deliveries. South Africa's total of 102-0 from the first six overs is the highest powerplay score in a T20I involving Test-playing nations, and the fastest first hundred runs scored in a T20I involving a full ICC member.

In the process, De Kock struck South Africa's quickest 50, from just 15 balls – the fifth-fastest half-century in the shortest format.

De Kock should have been caught in the deep shortly after, but did not let up as he cruised to his maiden T20I century, taking just 42 deliveries to get there, before falling to Raymon Reifer soon after.

Reeza Hendricks (68 from 28 balls) picked up the slack, though he followed Rilee Rossouw (16) in heading back to the pavilion when the Windies claimed wickets in swift succession in the 12th and 13th overs.

Romario Shepherd caught David Miller to hand West Indies a further flash of hope, yet three big hits from new captain Aiden Markram (38) put the Proteas back in control as they cantered to victory and levelled the series.

Charles' record ton overshadowed

If it was not for De Kock's sparkling knock, Charles would have been the story.

His century, which came from 39 deliveries and included 11 sixes and 10 fours, was the fastest T20I hundred by a West Indies player, surpassing a record set by Chris Gayle in 2016 (47 balls). Unfortunately for the tourists, it was not enough.

Bad day for the bowlers

It was certainly a day for the batters at SuperSport Park. South Africa's bowlers set the tone for what was to come as they struggled to keep the Windies under wraps, despite Wayne Parnell (2-42) dismissing Brandon King in the first over.

The Windies attack then suffered as De Kock, Hendricks and then Markram put them to the sword in a stunning display.

By her normal standards, Dottin has had an average start to the tournament with the bat, scoring just 43 in two matches.  An abundance of caution in regard to a recent shoulder injury also means the player has not bowled a lot of overs either.  Despite that, however, Dottin has a knack for showing up when her team needs her.

On Wednesday, with England off to a solid start in pursuit of a below-par West Indies score of 225 for 6, Dottin flew high, at full stretch and with one hand, to pluck a hard cut shot from opener Laura Winfield-Hill out of the sky and give the team a crucial breakthrough.

In the team’s first match, against New Zealand, with the hosts needing just six in the last over Dottin, who had not bowled for the whole match, demanded the ball and promptly took two wickets and effected a run out to secure a dramatic win for the team.

“Deandra is one of the persons that set a high standard for herself in whatever aspect of the game she plays…I think that was a crucial moment in the game,” Mohammed told members of the media.

“Deandra is a game-changer, whether it is with bat or ball or in the field.  It was a spectacular catch and I know we can expect more from Deandra.”

Having seen Marnus Labuschagne achieve the rare feat of a double and single century in the same match with his 104 not out, the hosts had declared on 182-2 on Saturday.

With 498 to defend, hopes of an easy cruise to the finish line proved more complicated for Pat Cummins' side, with the skipper forced off with a quad strain in the fourth innings.

Though he later returned to the field, the tourists proved to be anything but easy pickings in Perth, with Brathwaite (101 not out) leading a spirited charge in pursuit, to finish the day on 192-3.

Nathan Lyon (2-54) and Mitchell Starc (1-36) made some headway with the ball, but there is still work to do for the hosts to finish the job.

The day had appeared to belong to Labuschagne, becoming only the third Australian and eighth player overall to post a double century and a single century across the two innings of a red-ball match.

However, Brathwaite, ably supported by Tagenarine Chanderpaul (45), gave the Windies a glimmer of hope heading into an intriguing final day.

Two declarations the treat for Australia

Having curtailed their own innings twice, it is a testament to the hosts' dominance that they look absurdly sharp ahead of what will be a busy month that also sees them welcome South Africa for red-ball encounters.

For Labuschagne in particular, with his total score eclipsing his previous best of 274 set against New Zealand in 2020, it proves that his resurgence in Galle against Sri Lanka last month was no fluke, too, in what will be a major relief.

West Indies on brink of defeat

Having seen Australia rack up their second-biggest total against them in the country – behind Sydney in 1969 – it was always going to be a long stretch for the tourists to take this one.

With a full day of cricket ahead, it will take some serious effort from their middle order and tail to either play for a draw or mount a shock result.

The former captain arrived at the crease with his side at 116-6, after a Proteas attack led by Gerald Coetzee had torn through their top order at Wanderers Stadium.

With a diligently impressive performance however, the former number one all-rounder in the world dug his side out of dire straits for a final total of 251 all out in Johannesburg.

His efforts will have spared the blushes of Kraigg Brathwaite's men, though Temba Bavuma's side will still feel they have the advantage heading into the rest of the week.

West Indies had made the best possible start to the first session, dismissing South Africa for a final total of 320 after taking their remaining three wickets for the loss of just nine runs.

Any hope of mounting a steadfast pursuit though appeared to crumble quickly though, with the loss of openers Kraigg Brathwaite (17) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (1) inside the first dozen overs.

Coetzee, who finished with figures of 3-41, subsequently removed Reifer and Blackwood in quick succession, reducing the visitors to 51-4.

Roston Chase (28) and Kyle Mayers (29) mustered a half-century partnership before they too were dismissed, leaving West Indies over 200 behind with just four wickets in hand.

South Africa likely had high hopes of finishing off the tail with little further effort, but they did not count on the stubborn resistance offered by Holder, who guided their fightback on the front foot.

A 58-run stand for the 10th wicket saw him drag West Indies within three figures of the Proteas, before Gudakesh Motie was caught off Simon Harmer for 17 to curtail their resistance.

Dean Elgar (3 not out) and Aiden Markram (1 not out) added four without loss for the hosts in the final three overs of the day, but at stumps, they could yet come to rue their inability to maintain their cushion.

Holder sets number eight record 

Arriving as the late-breaking cavalry for his team, not only did the 31-year-old put his side firmly back in contention but he entered the history books too.

His score of 81 is the best by a batter at number eight in a Test at Wanderers Stadium, exceeding the 78 set by Mark Boucher for South Africa against Pakistan in 1998.

Coetzee justifies inclusion

Having only made his Test bow in the pair's first game last month, it was a less-than-auspicious debut for the 22-year-old, with three wickets across both innings.

Here, he matched that figure in less overs, though his ultimate average was hurt by West Indies' late resistance.

Root missed the first Test at the Rose Bowl – which the Windies won by four wickets – due to the birth of his second child.

However, the skipper has returned for the second Test, which starts at Old Trafford on Thursday, with the tourists aiming to secure their first series win in England since 1988 in the longest format.

Denly makes way, with the 34-year-old batsman having made 18 and 29 behind closed doors in Southampton.

With Root coming in at number four, Zak Crawley will move up to bat at three – the 22-year-old keeping his place in the side on the back of an impressive 76 in the second innings last week.

England have not confirmed the rest of the team, with Stuart Broad vying to be included after the experienced paceman was left out for the first Test.

After an exceptional start in the first round, having gathered all eight points from their four matches to top Group D, and making into the Super Eights as a serious title contender, West Indies witnessed a dip in form against England, and South Africa. This cost them their semi-final berth.

Still, captain Powell is proud of how the team progressed throughout the year, moving up the ladder to third place in June 2024 [a recent loss saw them drop a position] in the ICC Men’s T20 International Team Rankings.

“I think the cricket we have played in the last 12 months or so is commendable," stated Powell in the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Credit has to be given to the team. If you can take a year to move from number nine to number three in the world, that's tremendous work."

West Indies put up quite a show during the tournament, with a number of home players firing up the crowd's imagination. There were brilliant wins over New Zealand and Afghanistan.

The West Indies captain shared his joy in seeing a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again.

“We haven't won the World Cup, but there was a lot of improvement. There's a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again about West Indies cricket. We have done some very good things over the last 12 months.”

“Now is where the work starts. It's for us to continue to work as a group, still be tight, and hopefully, just hopefully, we can continue to climb the rankings and make the Caribbean people proud.”

Powell acknowledged the support they received on and off the field during the home World Cup and identified it as a sign that the team was headed in the right direction.

“That (the support) has been fantastic. For all the venues that we have played, for all the social media likes and stuff that people have given us, we as a team really appreciate it.”

Emphasizing on comeback of the West Indies’ cricketing culture, he added, “It's good to see that some buzz is back in the Caribbean for cricket, because we know how long that has died down. Now people are rallying around the West Indies as they do. Now, when we hear the anthem play, as players we feel something. I think that is heading in the right direction.”

The Windies succumbed to a disheartening loss against South Africa to step back from the tournament as they failed to defend a target of 123, in 17 overs (DLS).

A poor batting display kept them restricted to 135 runs in 20 overs, with Roston Chase (52 runs in 42 balls) bagging himself a half century. With the ball, Alzarri Joseph, Andre Russell, and Chase did an excellent job picking up a total of seven wickets between them but thanks to a composed finish from Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada, the South Africans took home a three-wicket win with five balls to spare.

Though dismayed at this outing, Powell credited his side for their spirit.

“As a batting group, this is one batting performance we'll try our best to forget. I think we didn't bat well in the middle overs especially," Powell said.

"You see both teams bat on the wicket. Obviously, it wasn't an easy wicket, especially to get started. I think it was a commendable bowling effort. 130 (135) at the halfway mark, we said we're just going to give it our all, whatever happens, happens.

"Credit has to be given to the guys at the halfway mark. They believed, even though it was only 135. They fight to the very end."