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.
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.
The West Indies were given a special dispensation to train while they were isolation but have now began more intensive training as they ramp up their preparations for their three T20 Internationals and two Test-series that begins on November 27.
Phil Simmons revealed that there are specific areas which the team has been focused on that will hopefully translate in better performances in what is expected to be a challenging tour.
“The big areas are consistency, especially in the bowling and understanding situations, especially in the batting,” Simmons said.
We have situations when we have been in control of games and people give away their wickets, so things like that are the main things that we are concentrating on now.”
Overall, things have been going well Simmons said, explaining that while some days have been cold there have also been warm days which they players have enjoyed.
“When its warm, West Indies teams tend to thrive so they’ve been very good. They’re enjoying it,” he said.
