Joshua Da Silva

Da Silva made a well-compiled 100 off 149 balls as the Windies scored a massive 517 in their first innings of a tour match against a Zimbabwe XI in Bulawayo. The match was declared a draw on Monday after the West Indies reached 82-2 in their second innings after dismissing the hosts for 122.

“It’s always good when you get to spend some time in the middle in a practice game. I had fun out there,” the 24-year-old Trinidadian said.

“It is a decent pitch. Some balls are staying a bit low but I think the boys have really applied themselves and made the most of the opportunity to get into the middle. The goal set out by Kraigg (Brathwaite) was to bat a day and a half and we did that. Kraigg gave us a target of 450 an hour after lunch on the second day and we got that as well. We ticked all the boxes and, hopefully, we can transfer that into the Test series,” Da Silva added.

Brathwaite got a hundred of his own, stroking 116 off 170 deliveries, and Da Silva commented on his skipper’s form heading into the series.

“Everybody’s seen it. We know the kind of form he’s in and ever since he’s gotten the captaincy his form has taken an uphill climb. It’s been a joy to watch for me and I try to take little things from him and add it to my game,” he said.

Da Silva also commended his bowlers, especially Alzarri Joseph, who he said was able to extract some good pace out of a slow wicket.

“I think Alzarri’s pace opening up really surprised them. He was bowling quite fast on the pitch and it’s not a quick pitch by any means. To see him run in, give his full effort and bowl as fast as he could was really good.”

During the two-Test series, the impressive young batsman scored 174 runs at an average of 43.5 and featured in several key partnerships that were ultimately crucial to the success of the West Indies.

In the first Test at Chattogram, Da Silva added 99 for the sixth wicket with Jermaine Blackwood which helped his side get past the follow-on score after Bangladesh has scored 430 in their first innings and then had the West Indies struggling at 154 for 5.

Then in the second Test after Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner put together 216 runs, he and Mayers added another 100 for the sixth wicket that took the West Indies within sight of victory while chasing a challenging 395.

He and Bonner also put on 88 in the second Test match that rescued the visitors from 178 for 5.

In those crucial knocks, Da Silva said there was a common important factor.

“Batting time. With Mayers, I just wanted to stay there with him. I was basically a spectator, but that was the job necessary to achieve the team goal,” he said. “Bonner and I bat well together, just because we fully back each other’s ability.”

Da Silva also featured in a 118-run seventh-wicket stand with Alzarri Joseph in the second Test that swung the pendulum towards the West Indies.

 Joseph scored 71 runs in the partnership but it was Da Silva’s presence at the other end that provided that sense of security that the West Indies relied so heavily on. It was only part of the reason why he said he enjoyed that partnership with the West Indies No. 9 batsman the most.

“I have to say that my favourite partnership was with Alzarri,” he said. “The way he came out and took it to the bowlers without fear was great to be a part of.”

Joseph belted eight fours and five sixes in his knock of 82 that took the West Indies to 409 all out, laying the platform for their eventual 17-run victory.

He also believes the performance of the players on the sub-continent will also be a welcome headache for selectors for future series but the arising dilemma will ultimately benefit West Indies cricket.

Several senior team members including Captain Jason Holder, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks, Sheldon Cottrell and Nicholas Pooran among others declined invitations from Cricket West Indies to join the three T20, two-Test tour citing Covid-19 or personal concerns.

Their withdrawal forced the selectors to assemble a squad of players who have been on the fringes of the senior team for years but who have been unable to break into the side.

It was no surprise then when Bangladesh swept the T20 series 3-0. However, things have changed for the better once the Test series began. The visitors stunned their hosts pulling off a remarkable three-wicket victory at Chattogram and are in a commanding position in the second Test that began in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Test debutants Kyle Mayers, whose double century won the first Test for the West Indies and Nkrumah Bonner, who has produced scores of 86 and 90, has performed well beyond expectations.

Meanwhile, Joshua Da Silva, who had played just one Test match prior to the tour, has seemingly cemented his place in the side, playing critical roles in the victory in the first Test and helping put the West Indies’ in its current commanding position in the second Test.

Ambrose, who is member of the commentary team in Antigua for the CG Insurance Super50 tournament, believes that performances like these have put pressure on the players who opted out of the tour and the selectors who will have to choose a team for the series going forward.

“Most of these guys are still young and they got an opportunity to impress and they certainly did that,” said Ambrose, who took more than 400-wickets in his stellar career that spanned more than a decade.

“Now, it’s going to make selection extremely difficult come the next series because, in my opinion, some of these guys must play. The guys that didn’t go to Bangladesh, some of them will miss out and the great thing about it is that West Indies cricket looks good for the future because most of these guys are still early 20’s.”

Meanwhile, Ambrose rates the victory in the first Test “right up there” with the very best West Indies Test victories.

“We’ve got to admit that,” Ambrose said. “Some people may say it’s only Bangladesh. I’m not for that. Bangladesh is a quality team, especially in their own backyard, and to chase 395 on the last day; and Kyle Mayers, what a brilliant innings, 200-plus not out. It was an exceptional performance by him and the whole team.”

Ambrose believes the team should push for victory in the second Test given the position it finds itself in.

“We’ve scored more than 400, Bangladesh are just 100-and-something for 4, we should push for a win. Bowl them out cheaply and enforce a follow-on or bat and get some quick runs, bat them out of the game and look for a win.”

He said he was happy that the team won the first Test because not many people gave them a chance of winning.

“To have won that game in that fashion was so refreshing. I am so excited for the guys. Most people talk about “second-string team”. I don’t like those words because these guys are the next in line of what we had, so therefore I am so happy that they have done well and showed all the negative ones who think they can’t do it that they can do it at this level.”

The Windies lost the first test to the Sri Lankans by 187 runs in Galle while only managing to score 230 and 160 in their two turns at the wicket.

The problem, according to Da Silva, was a technical one.

“We played a bit too far in front of us, especially in the first innings,” he said.

Da Silva was one of the bright spots in the second innings, making a well-played 54 off 125 balls as part of a 100-run partnership with Nkrumah Bonner, who remained not out at the end on 68.

Speaking after the match, Da Silva highlighted the difficulty of the conditions that the batsmen faced.

“Conditions were challenging. The pitch was turning a lot and the straighter ball was sliding on a bit so it was a difficult new-ball wicket but once the ball got a bit softer, it was a bit easier and we were able to get more on top of the bowlers,” he said.

The Trinidadian also gave some insight into what led to the big second innings partnership with Bonner that saw them take the score from 18-6 to 118-7.

“Well, when I got into the wicket with Bonner we had to rebuild. We had to think about how we were going to get out of a bit of a collapse so we just wanted to bat balls and both of us wanted to be at the wicket at the end of the day,” said Da Silva.

He also said that Sri Lanka didn’t do anything the Windies didn’t expect going into the game.

“They just played the cricket they know how to play. They used their spinners wisely and they batted well in the conditions they know how to bat very well. They used their home advantage,” he said.

Finally, Da Silva explained what needs to change for the West Indies to turn the series around.

“I just think the boys need to fight. We need to believe in ourselves. Nobody goes out there to fail. Everybody’s trying their best so just a bit of application and give yourself some time. You have a lot more time than you think,” he said.

The Windies will be looking to even the series in the second test which begins on Sunday at 11:30 pm local time.

The tourists entered day three at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham on 57-2, leading by 23 runs in their second innings.

They eventually progressed to 196-5 off 44 overs before declaring, leaving the County Select XI needing 163 to win.

The West Indian second innings batting effort was led by a well-compiled 66* from Alick Athanaze, his second half-century of the game.

The 25-year-old Dominican faced 99 balls, hitting 11 fours in the process.

He was well supported by wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva who finished not out on 51 off 69 balls including six fours.

Medium pacer Sonny Baker took 2-49 off eight overs for the Select XI.

The hosts then lost a pair of early wickets before play was brought to a close due to rain with them on 30-2 in the 11^th over.

The West Indies will now turn their attention to the first Test against England which starts on Wednesday, July 10 at Lord’s.

Full Scores:

West Indies 339 off 72.1 overs (Kavem Hodge 112, Alick Athanaze 74, Kirk McKenzie 73, Mikyle Louis 50, Farhan Ahmed 4-48, John Turner 4-60) & 196-5 dec. off 44 overs (Alick Athanaze 66*, Joshua Da Silva 51, Mikyle Louis 28, Sonny Baker 2-49)

County Select XI 373-4 dec. off 85 overs (William Luxton 112*, Hamza Shaikh 84, Tom Prest 53, Harry Duke 46*) & 30-2 off 10.3 overs

Athanaze, the left-handed batter, is the captain of Windward Islands Volcanoes while Jordan, the right-arm seam bowler, plays for Barbados Pride.

Both have demonstrated good form in the first two rounds of the current four-day West Indies Championship.

Athanaze had scores of 41 and 51 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in Round 1 and followed up with a career-best 141 against Guyana Harpy Eagles in Round 2. He is a product of the West Indies Under 19s Rising Stars where he was one of the stand-out players at the 2018 ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup.

Jordan had match figures of 5-86 against Guyana and followed up with 7-113 against Jamaica Scorpions to be one of the leading wicket-takers in the West Indies Championship after two rounds of matches.

Athanaze and Jordan replace left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and batter Nkrumah Bonner who are part of the squad for the just-concluded series in Zimbabwe.

Jayden Seales is unavailable for selection following a knee injury and subsequent surgery, while Anderson Philiip has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.

Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “Athanaze is one of the young players who we have invested in, and he played well in the ‘A Team’ and CWI President’s XI. He showed great promise in the CG United Super50 last year and then got his first hundred in the West Indies Championship last week. We believe he should be given an opportunity at this level. He has also showed leadership, as captain of the Windwards at the start of this season.”

Haynes added: “Jordan has been very impressive from last year, he has continued to bowl well, and has been excellent in the first two matches so far this year. He is very skilful, can bowl the new ball, and looks to put the ball in the right areas. He is also a sharp fielder and good catcher close to the wicket. This will be a challenging tour. There is no easy away tour in Test cricket. South Africa have a good team, but I am sure we will be up for the task and will do well in these two Test matches.”

The upcoming Series is the final Test fixture for both teams in the ICC World Test Championship. West Indies are currently in sixth place and have the opportunity, with a Series win to move above South Africa, currently in fourth place, in the final table.

West Indies are due to arrive in South Africa on 17 February. They will face South Africa in two Test matches at SuperSport Park in Centurion (28 February to 4 March) and the Wanderers in Johannesburg (8 to 12 March). Following the Tests, West Indies will then play a white ball series. The squads for these will named at a later date.

FULL SQUAD

Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)

Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)

Alick Athanaze

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Roston Chase

Joshua Da Silva

Shannon Gabriel

Jason Holder

Akeem Jordan

Alzarri Joseph

Kyle Mayers

Gudakesh Motie

Raymon Reifer

Kemar Roach

Devon Thomas

After bowling the West Indies out for 345, Bangladesh ‘A’, trailing by 108 runs on first innings, reached 274-6 at stumps, for a lead of 166 runs heading into the final day of play on Friday.

The hosts owe their position to half-centuries from opener Shadlam Islam, Shahadat Hossain and Irfan Sukkur, the latter being unbeaten on 64 and who along with Nayeem Hasan have so far added 65 runs for the seventh wicket.

The West Indies ‘A’, resuming from their overnight score of 268-6 with Joshua da Silva on nine and Kevin Sinclair on one, took the score to 329, a stand of 63 for the seventh wicket that was broken when Sinclair was dismissed for 32 by Hasan Sakib, who would eventually take all four West Indies wickets.

Akeem Jordan, Anderson Phillip and Jair McAllister all fell cheaply leaving da Silva high and dry on 47. The West Indies ‘A’ captain was visibly irritated when McAllister went for an ill-advised pull shot and was out caught for a duck first ball of the 97^th over, to be last man out thus denying his captain a chance to achieve another 50.

Hasan Sakib's four wickets came at a cost of 59 runs.

Trailing by 108 on first innings, opener Shadlam Islam made 74 while helping lay the foundation for the Bangladesh ‘A’ fightback. At 51-2 after losing the wickets of Zakir Hasan for 13 and Saif Hasan for 16, Islam featured in a 56-run third wicket partnership with Mohammad Naim, who was eventually dismissed by Sinclair for 28.

The loss of Naim’s wicket brought Shahadat Hossain to the crease and he and Islam further frustrated the West Indies bowlers while putting on 68 for the fourth wicket.

Sinclair eventually broke through trapping Islam for 74 before dismissing Afif Hossain for four as Bangladesh ‘A’ slipped to 180-5. Sinclair picked up his third wicket when he dismissed Shahadat Hossain 50 with the lead at 101.

That would be the last success for the West Indies bowlers for the day as Sukkur and Nayeem Hasan kept the tourists’ attack at bay until the close.

Sinclair’s three wickets cost 76 runs while Akeem Jordan has so far picked up 2-38.

Earlier on, the West Indies made a fight of it with half-centuries from Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood and solid contributions from Kyle Mayers and Joshua da Silva. However, the good work was undone by a late order collapse in which the visitors lost five wickets for six runs on either side of the tea interval that put Bangladesh in a position of strength going into Saturday’s penultimate day.

Batting a second time, Bangladesh were 47 for 3 at the close.

Resuming from their overnight score of 75 for 2, the West Indies lost the wicket of Nkrumah Bonner first ball of the morning for his overnight score of 17.

The Jamaican stretched forward to defend a Taijul Islam delivery that spun enough to catch the outside edge and flew to the left of Najmul Hossain Shanto, who snatched it at first slip.

Bonner’s dismissal brought Mayers to the crease and together with Brathwaite, who was 49 overnight took the score to 130 when the West Indies captain was bowled leaving a Nayeem Hasan delivery that bounced and spun before clipping to top of off. He had made 78, his 20 Test half-century that came off 111 balls from which he struck 12 fours.

Blackwood and Mayers added 24 when the latter became the first of Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s four victims and played a large part in the batting collapse that was to come.

Meanwhile, Blackwood brought up his 14^th Test 50 in a stand of 99 with Da Silva that took the score to 253.

Da Silva, who had been looking more at ease as the tea interval approached, was caught behind for 42 off a Nayeem Hasan delivery that found a faint outside edge and triggered a collapse that saw the West Indies lose their remaining wickets in just 23 balls.

Blackwood failed to add to his pre-tea score of 68 when Miraz had him caught behind playing at a delivery that was spinning past the stumps. He had faced 146 balls and struck nine fours in his more than three-hour stay at the crease.

Miraz then bowled Cornwall for 2 and then had Kemar Roach hole out to deep mid-wicket without scoring to return figures of 4 for 58 from 26 overs.

Taijul Islam bowled Jomel Warrican for four for figures of 2 for 84, while there were also two wickets each for Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman.

With a lead of 171, Bangladesh lost two wickets in two balls to Cornwall and were in early trouble at 2 for 1. Shannon Gabriel then got Shadman Islam out for 5 as the West Indies mounted a fightback to have the home side 33 for 3.

However, Monimul Haque remained unbeaten on 31 and Musfiqur Rahim on 10 as Bangladesh reached 47 for 3 at stumps.

The Red Force started the day 51-3, needing 110 more runs to make the Pride bat again, and they got off to the worst possible start after Chase removed Jason Mohammed for 10 to leave the score at 55-4.

55-4 became 64-5 as opener Keagan Simmons was next to go for 31, caught off the bowling of Chase.

Yannic Cariah was the only other batsman to put up any resistance, finishing 35 not out as Joshua Da Silva (14), Imran Khan (2), Terrance Hinds (1), Uthman Muhammad (7), and Shannon Gabriel (8) all fell in quick succession to restrict the Red Force to 139 all out, condemning them to their second straight outright loss.

Chase took 3-26 from 12 overs while Akeem Jordan and Justin Greaves were also instrumental with 3-31 off 11.1 overs and 2-27 from nine overs, respectively.

Final scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 133 and 139, Barbados Pride 294.

The tourists ended Thursday 79-6 off 34.5 overs, needing a further 171 runs to force England to bat again.

Similar to the first innings, the West Indian top order failed to impress as Kraigg Brathwaite (4), Kirk McKenzie (0), Mikyle Louis (14) and Kavem Hodge (4) all fell within the first 20 overs of the innings with the West Indies teetering at just 37.

Alick Athanaze was next to go after battling hard for 22 to leave the West Indies 55-5 in the 29^th over before Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva looked set to see out the English bowling for the rest of the day.

This proved not to be the case as Holder became Gus Atkinson’s ninth wicket of his magical debut in the day’s last over for 20 to leave the West Indies 79-6 off 34.5 overs at stumps.

Joshua Da Silva was 8* at the close of play.

James Anderson, Atkinson and skipper Ben Stokes have taken two wickets, each, so far.

Earlier, the hosts progressed to 371 all out off 90 overs after beginning day two 189-3.

Both overnight batsmen, Joe Root and Harry Brook, went on to bring up their fifties.

Root eventually fell for a 114-ball 68 including seven fours while Brook made an even 50 off 64 balls including five fours and a six.

The top scorer on the day, however, was debutant Jamie Smith who hit eight fours and two sixes on his way to a 119-ball 70.

On his return to the Test arena, Jayden Seales was the pick of the West Indian bowlers with 4-77 from 20 overs.

Gudakesh Motie and Jason Holder provided good support for Seales with 2-41 off 16 overs and 2-58 off 18 overs, respectively.

Full Scores:

West Indies 121 all out off 41.4 overs (Mikyle Louis 27, Gus Atkinson 7-45) & 79-6 off 34.5 overs (Alick Athanaze 22, James Anderson 2-11, Ben Stokes 2-25, Gus Atkinson 2-27)

England 371 all out off 90 overs(Zak Crawley 76, Jamie Smith 70, Joe Root 68, Ollie Pope 57, Harry Brook 50, Jayden Seales 4-77, Gudakesh Motie 2-41, Jason Holder 2-58)

Shannon Gabriel then took two of the four Bangladeshi wickets to fall by the end of play that left the West Indies fully in charge of the match.

Resuming from their overnight score of 223 for 5 with Bonner on 74 and Da Silva on 22, the pair that put on a sixth-wicket stand of 45 overnight, extended that partnership to 88 when Bonner was dismissed by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who had him caught by Mohammed Mithun at leg slip for 90, his highest Test score.

His dismissal brought Alzarri Joseph to the crease and together with Da Silva put on 118 runs for the seventh wicket which took the West Indies from 266 for 6 to 384 for 7 when the Trinidadian wicketkeeper/batsman was bowled by Taijul Islam for 92, which surpassed his previous best of 57 against New Zealand last December.

Joseph went shortly after with the score at 396, caught by wicketkeeper Liton Das swiping leg side at a Abu Jayed delivery. The Antiguan hit eight fours and five sixes in his score of 82 that was just four runs short of his Test-best of 86 made against New Zealand in early December 2020.

The West Indies added 12 more runs with Jayed and Islam mopping up the last two wickets as the visitors were all out for 409, their best total of the series.

Jayed returned figures of 4 for 98 while Taijul Islam took 4 for 108 in the West Indies innings that lasted 142.2 overs.

Tasked with batting out the remaining 37 overs to conclude the day’s play, Shannon Gabriel dismissed Soumya Sarkar for a duck and Naismul Hossain Shanto for 4, to have Bangladesh in early trouble at 11 for 2 after just 14 balls.

Tamim Iqbal and Monimul Haque began to repair the damage with a third-wicket stand of 58 when Rahkeem Cornwall had Haque caught behind for 21 as Bangladesh stumbled to 69 for 3. The home side fell into deeper trouble two runs later when Joseph had Iqbal caught at short midwicket for 44.

Mushfiqur Rahim, who is unbeaten on 27 and Mithun, six, ensured that Bangladesh got to the close on 105 for 4, still 304 runs behind the West Indies first innings total.

Trailing by a mammoth 171 runs on first innings, the West Indies rallied to a remarkable three-wicket victory thanks to a double century from debutant Kyle Mayers and sterling contributions with the bat from fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva. Spinners Jomel Warrican and Rahkeem Cornwall also played their part with the ball.

Understandably, the players are still euphoric over the improbable victory but Brathwaite said it was now important to remember that everything starts anew for the second Test.

"The biggest thing is not to get carried away. We are happy with the win, but we know we start from zero,” he warned.

“It is one of the things that the coach has stressed on in the practice sessions. Guys are working hard. For me, to them is to stay disciplined and stick to your plans both as a bowling and a batting unit.”

"We as a team don't want to get too far ahead. We have five days of Test cricket to play. We are very happy to have won the first Test. We want to buckle down. Victory has meant a lot for us. The guys are very proud of winning the first Test, but we look forward to the next five days."

The victorious captain said the focus must now be on playing even better cricket once play begins in Dhaka.

"We can improve on our first innings score to help us set the game up better. We did well in the second innings. We have to be a little sharper in the field in periods when there's probably been a partnership. We can be a little tighter," he said.

At close of play Da Silva was unbeaten on 73 and Kevin Sinclair not out on 47 with the West Indies 417-6.

Resuming from their overnight score of 220-2 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 70 and Alick Athanaze on 35, the West Indies ‘A’ pressed on to 281 when Chanderpaul was dismissed by Musfik Hasan for 83.

He had his seven fours in his 236-ball stay at the crease before Hasan had him caught behind. Four balls later Hasan caught and bowled Brandon King for a duck as the West Indies slipped from 281-2 to 281-4 after 83 overs.

Six balls and two runs later, Athanaze’s aggressive knock came to an end when he was trapped lbw by Ripon Modol for 85 and all of a sudden the West Indies were in danger of collapse at 283-5. Athanaze faced 98 balls during which he struck 12 fours and three sixes.

Da Silva and Yanick Cariah took the score past 300 during a partnership of 34 that ended when the latter was stumped off the bowling of Nayeem Hasan for 14.

The captain and Sinclair then put on an unbeaten partnership of 100 by close of play.

Musfik Hasan who took the wicket of Kirk McKenzie for 86 and Raymon Reifer for 26 on Wednesday’s opening day has been the best bowler so far taking 3-54 from the 20 overs he bowled.

The 31-year-old left-hand batsman stamped his authority on the Harpy Eagles bowlers with a solid unbeaten 48-ball 71, which included seven fours and two sixes. And almost like rubbing salt in the opponent’s wounds, Cariah returned to grab five wickets for a mere 34 runs in five overs to restrict Harpy Eagles to 176 in reply to Red Force’s 290.

Captain Darren Bravo continued his good form with another half-century knock of 51 off 60 balls, while Kjorn Ottley, stroked 52 of 57 deliveries in the Red Force’s daunting total.

Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 290-8 (50 overs); Guyana Harpy Eagles 176 all out (34 overs)

Sent in to bat, Red Force relished the conditions. Though they lost Evin Lewis (16) in the fifth over with the score at 27-1, wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva (27) and Ottley, who had six boundaries and one six in his knock, added 64 for the second wicket.

Ottley was the first to go, caught by Gudakesh Motie off Veerasammy Permaul and Da Silva followed soon after, leaving Bravo and Jason Mohammed (26) to post another 58 runs for the fourth wicket.

Bravo, who had six fours in his innings went caught off Sherfane Rutherford and Mohammed stuck with Cariah in a 45-run fifth-wicket stand before the former was undone by Motie.

Still, Cariah remained aggressive and with small contributions from those in the lower order, saw Red Force to their match-winning total.

Romario Shepherd (2-43) and Sherfane Rutherford (2-55), were the pick of the Harpy Eagles bowling.

Guyana’s response started positively, but was never allowed to bear fruit, as Jayden Seales, Akeal Hosein, Sunil Narine and Terrance Hinds combined to remove Tagenarine Chanderpaul (19), Chandrapaul Hemraj (21), Tevin Imlach (26) and Shimron Hetmyer (24), with an even 100 runs on the board in the 17th over.

From there, it was left for Cariah, bowling his leg spin, to mop up the remaining batsmen of which only Rutherford (30) and Kevin Sinclair (20), offered any real resistance to the onslaught. Narine had the next best Red Force figures of 2-18.

Action in the tournament continues on Sunday with Windward Islands Volcanoes crossing swords with Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground.

At stumps on Thursday, Bangladesh reached 47 without loss in their second innings, still needing to score 414 more to achieve a most unlikely victory.

Resuming from their overnight score of 157-7 with Nasum Ahmed on seven and Tanzim Hasan Sakib on 17, Bangladesh ‘A’ were bowled out for 205 thanks to Nasum Ahmed’s unbeaten 38.

Hasan Sakib failed to add to his overnight score when he was bowled by Veerasammy Permaul, who took all three remaining Bangladeshi wickets to finish with figures of 3-38. Kevin Sinclair took 2-75 and Anderson Phillip 2-36.

With a healthy lead of 240 runs, the West Indies declined to enforce the follow-on and went in search of quick runs. Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored 83, his second such score of the match as the West Indies raced to 220-5 from 55.2 overs. Captain Joshua da Silva contributed an unbeaten 47, his third such score of the series.

Saif Hasan was the chief wicket-taker with 3-62 while Nasum Ahmed supported with 2-56.

Set a mammoth 461 for victory, Bangladesh ‘A’ still have a mountain to climb to achieve victory on the final day. Mahmudul Hasan Joy will resume on 28. With him at the crease is Zakir Hasan on 14.

West Indies ‘A’ lead the series 1-0.

The West Indians made 314-9 declared from 93.2 overs after starting day two 46-0 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 28 and Zachary McCaskie on 17.

The pair put on a further 20 runs before McCaskie was the first man to fall for 31 in the 17^th over.

Kirk McKenzie then came and went quickly for a duck bringing Kavem Hodge to the crease to partner Chanderpaul.

The pair put on an excellent 110-run third wicket partnership before Chanderpaul fell for a top score of 78 off 150 balls in the 54^th over. Chanderpaul’s knock included 12 fours. Vice-captain Tevin Imlach was next to go for 16 to leave the West Indies 196-4 in the 60^th over.

Hodge was then joined by captain Joshua Da Silva and the pair added 17 before Hodge was the fifth man to fall, going for a well-played 73 off 151 balls including nine fours.

Da Silva (20), Kevin Sinclair (39) and Akeem Jordan (40) then all added crucial contributions as the innings eventually ended with the tourists leading by 27 runs.

The South African bowling was led by Tshepo Moreki with 3-56 from 19 overs while Dane Piedt took 2-60 from 23.2 overs and Hardus Viljoen took 2-91 from 21 overs.

South Africa “A” were 3-0 off three overs at stumps.

Full scores: South Africa “A” 287-9 dec. off 78.5 overs (Keegan Petersen 59, Tony De Zorzi 55, Clyde Fortuin 53, David Bedingham 47, Jayden Seales 3-23, Akeem Jordan 3-61, Kevin Sinclair 2-64) & 3-0 off 3 overs

West Indies “A” 314-9 dec. off 93.2 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 78, Kavem Hodge 73, Akeem Jordan 40, Kevin Sinclair 39, Zachary McCaskie 31, Tshepo Moreki 3-56, Dane Piedt 2-60, Hardus Viljoen 2-91)

Charles snared six wickets for 75 runs in 23.1 overs, including four maidens, as he proved most destructive for the Red Force, who pegged the Scorpions against the ropes at 159-9, after the vistors earlier ended their first innings at a daunting 432.

Jeavor Royal, on 33, and Andrae Dennis, yet to score, will resume batting for the Scorpions, who are 273 runs behind heading into Friday’s third day.

Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 432 all out (Joshua Da Silva 106, Terrance Hinds 79, Amir Jangoo 51, Kjorn Ottley 45, Khary Pierre 43, Navin Bidaisee 31; Jeavor Royal 3-113, Ojay Shields 2-61, Peat Salmon 2-83).

Jamaica Scorpions 159-9(Kirk McKenzie 57, Jeavor Royal 33 not out; Bryan Charles 6-75, Khary Pierre 2-46).

Earlier, Red Force resuming on 308-7, added another 124 runs to their overnight total, thanks to Terrance Hinds and Khary Pierre, who put together 91 for the eighth wicket. Hinds, added 58 runs to his overnight score of 21, in a just over two-hour 118-ball knock that included seven fours and five sixes.

Pierre, who resumed on one, had two fours and two sixes in his 99-ball 43, as the Red Force lower order built on the momentum left by captain Joshua Da Silva, who initially revived the innings with a well-played century.

Royal was the most successful Scorpions bowler with 3-113 from 37 overs, while pacer Ojay Shields and off-spinner Peat Salmon took two wickets apiece.

If the Scorpions were frustrated by Red Force’s prolonged innings, then their week got a bit worse, as they failed to contend with the skill and precision of spinners Charles and Pierre.

Charles, 28, first removed opener Javaughn Buchanan (10), and later ripped through the middle order, erasing any hopes the Scorpions had of staging a fightback.

In fact, only West Indies left-handed batsman Kirk McKenzie, who topscored with a patient 153-ball 57, including two fours and two sixes, offered some resistance, before Royal became the second batsman to pass 20 runs. Pierre had 2-46 in 21 overs.

Elsewhere, at Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago, Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners lead Guyana Harpy Eagles by 142 with three second innings wickets intact.

Scores: Campuses & Colleges Marooners 200 all out (Demario Richards 43, Romario Greaves 36, Avinash Mahabirsingh 23, Amari Goodridge 22, Jediah Blades 22 not out, Jarion Hoyte 21; Nial Smith 3-45, Veerasammy Permaul 3-51, Gudakesh Motie 2-40, Isai Thorne 2-45) and 165 for seven (Odaine McCatty 56, Shamarh Brooks 54 not out; Kevin Sinclair 2-29, Gudakesh Motie 2-42, Veerasammy Permaul 2-44).

Guyana Harpy Eagles 223 all out (Raymond Perez 62, Tevin Imlach 55, Kevin Sinclair 37, Kevlon Anderson 27; Avinash Mahabirsingh 17.4-2-51-8).

At the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Barbados Pride lead Cricket West Indies Academy by 21 with seven second innings wickets in hand.

Scores: Barbados Pride 155 all out (Jonathan Drakes 35, Kevin Wickham 27, Shian Brathwaite 26, Demetrius Richards 21 not out; Johann Layne 3-23, McKenny Clarke 3-26, Joshua Bishop 2-25, Ramon Simmonds 2-43) and 109 for three (Kraigg Brathwaite 49 not out, Shian Brathwaite 21; Joshua Bishop 2-11).

CWI Academy 243 all out (Ackeem Auguste 76, Carlon Tuckett-Bowen 49, Johan Layne 38, McKenny Clarke 30; Akeem Jordan 4-76, Raymon Reifer 2-32, Jair McAllister 2-40, Shaquille Cumberbatch 2-75).

Meanwhile, At Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago, Leeward Islands Hurricanes were 232 runs ahead of Windward Islands Volcanoes, with eight second innings wickets intact.

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 300 all out (Mikyle Louis 100, Jewel Andrew 68, Jeremiah Louis 43, Jahmar Hamilton 34; Ryan John 3-67, Gilon Tyson 2-33, Daren Cyrus 2-70) and 111 for two (Mikyle Louis 33, Kieran Powell 31).

Windward Islands Volcanoes 179 all out (Johann Jeremiah 41, Shamar Springer 33, Kavem Hodge 29, Stephan Pascal 25; Daniel Doram 16-5-34-6, Hayden Walsh Jr 3-21).

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.

Cornwall was unbeaten on 60, his first half-century in Test cricket as the West Indies closed the day on 268 for 8 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 169. Kemar Roach is on four, the two have added seven runs for the ninth wicket so far and will be hoping to add a few more come tomorrow.

Cornwall and da Silva came together after Suranga Lakmal had bowled Jason Holder for 19 for his fifth wicket of the match and have the West Indies at 171 for 7, just two runs ahead of Sri Lanka’s first innings total.

However, by the time da Silva got out caught behind for 46 trying to uppercut Dushmantha Chameera, they had stretched the lead to a healthy 91. Cornwall’s innings was a mix of stern defence and big-hitting for his highest Test score that included nine fours and two sixes and seemed at ease against both pace and spin.

Da Silva, who playing in just his fourth Test, featured in yet another lower-order recovery for the West Indies, was more sedate soaking up deliveries while wearing down the Sri Lankan bowlers. His 46 took 124 deliveries from which he hit five fours.

It was a welcome partnership for the West Indies, who were restricted by some disciplined bowling from the Sri Lankans.

A number of their batsmen got starts but each failed to carry on, pried out by penetrative bowling from Lakmal, who exhibited accurate pace and swing while claiming the wickets of Brathwaite for 3, Mayers for 45, Jermaine Blackwood for 2, Alzarri Joseph for a duck and Jason Holder to return figures of 5-45.

Chameera also claimed the wicket of John Campbell for 42 to end with 2-71.

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*