The West Indies lost the series 2-1 and relinquished the Wisden Trophy they won in the Caribbean in early 2019.
Holder’s ranking took a hit after his underwhelming showing at Old Trafford where he took only two wickets for 107 runs as the West Indies fell to defeat by 269 runs.
At the end of the second Test that was also played at Old Trafford, Holder had 834 ranking points. However, having underperformed with the ball in the final Test, the Barbadian lost 24 ranking points, which triggered his fall down the rankings.
However, he maintains his number 2 ranking in the all-rounder rankings behind England’s Ben Stokes.
Meanwhile, Kemar Roach, who took his 200th Test wicket in the final Test in which he snared four wickets, collected four ranking points to move up a spot from 16th in the rankings.
Shannon Gabriel holds firm at 19. Chase is at 31.
Holder did not bowl on Thursday when his team fielded for the second innings of the match. He was also not required to bat. However, head coach Phil Simmons offered assurances that the allrounder would be fine.
"Jason has had a slight niggle on his ankle and that is what has held him back from bowling,” Simmons said. “He will be back to bowling in the four-day game and should be bowling his full quota. As for the batting, if you get one ball and you’re out, that’s all you can do.”
Simmons also provided some positive news on fast bowler Shannon Gabriel who is returning to first-team action following ankle surgery.
“He looks ready, that was evident here. When you see how he bowled in the first innings, then again yesterday (Wednesday) and even more so this morning (Thursday) you could see he's close to 100 per cent. Now we want to get him up to 100 just before the Test match.”
West Indies will have a four-day warm-up match starting June 30 at Emirates Old Trafford, before they travel down to Southampton for the first match at the Ageas Bowl, starting July 8.
Shannon Gabriel nabbed the first three wickets, Holder the next six including England counterpart Ben Stokes for a team-best 43, and Gabriel grabbed the last wicket to finish with 4-62.
England, at 174-9, didn’t look like reaching 200 but Dom Bess hit 31 not out and shared 30 with fast bowler James Anderson, the last man out.
An early tea was taken with England set to repay the West Indies' batting lineup in ideal bowling conditions.
Gabriel and Holder reduced England to 106-5 at lunch.
But the break enlivened Stokes and Jos Buttler, who came out punchy and riding some luck.
Stokes, dropped on 14 by Kemar Roach on the run, was dropped again on 32 off Roach to a simpler chance by Shamarh Brooks at extra cover.
Stokes and Buttler combined for 67 and 13 boundaries in the empty arena until Holder drew Stokes forward on 43 and earned an edge behind.
Buttler, on 35, was out to another seaming ball by Holder and a low, one-handed catch behind by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich.
When Jofra Archer was out for a duck after a West Indies review showed his front pad blocked his leg stump, Holder had his fifth wicket and taken 3-1 in 14 balls.
The five-wicket haul was Holder’s seventh, and sixth in his last 10 tests.
Mark Wood on 5 slashed at Holder straight to Shai Hope at gully, and Holder would finish the innings with career-best figures of 20-6-42-6.
Bess and Anderson gave England a little lift to get past 200, but Anderson lost his off stump trying to defend Gabriel, who removed opener Rory Burns (30) and Joe Denly (18) in the morning.
Jordan, who was recently called to the West Indies squad to replace Jomel Warrican for the South Africa tour, proved incisive and economical taking 3-32 from 19.5 overs.
Chase returned figures of 3-94 and Shannon Gabriel 2-45 from 10 to bowl the South Africa Invitational XI out for 317 in 89.5 overs in reply to the West Indies’ first day score of 283-9.
Captain Wihan Lubbe, who opened the innings, led the scoring with 71 while Dewald Brevis scored 50 for the South Africans.
After Gabriel had his opening partner Bryce Parsons dismissed for 25 with the score at 39, Lubbe and Daniel Smith took the score to 112 when the latter was dismissed by Raymon Reifer for 33.
Lubbe became the third wicket to fall and Gabriel’s second when he was caught behind as the South Africans reached 146-3.
Brevis made his half-century and Ruan de Swardt, 40, to help their side keep on track but South Africa XI slipped to 218-6 as Jordand Chase chipped away at the middle order.
Evan Jones (23) and Corbin Bosch, who scored an unbeaten 31 as the side breached 300 but Jordan cleaned up the tail to restrict the lead to below 50.
With the first day and a part of the second a wash-out, the West Indies intra-squad game came down to a one-inning affair and by necessity, a draw.
There were two points of interest with the bat, none of them coming from the usual suspects.
On day three Joshua Da Silva scored an unbeaten 133 as Jason Holder’s XI recovered from 120-5 on Tuesday 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. On Wednesday, only Sunil Ambris, with 25 managed a score in the double digits.
In fact, the next best scorer for Holder’s XI, who faced a team led by his vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite, was the extras column, with 43 runs going a-begging.
In reply, Brathwaite’s XI scored a paltry 178 all out, the only bright element of the innings coming from Kyle Mayers, who scored an unbeaten 74, running out of partners before he could get to three figures.
But Mayers failure to get to three figures wasn't for a lack of effort. He was savage, scoring his 74 from just 56 deliveries in which he clubbed three sixes and nine fours.
Shannon Gabriel was the pick of the bowlers for Holder’s XI, showing himself to be somewhere back to full fitness with an impressive bowling performance of 4-42.
Kemar Roach, 2-25, Holder, 1-21, Joseph, 2-64, and Reifer, 1-21, also got in on the action.
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.
Gabriel, who took the wickets of Tom Blundell, Will Young and Ross Taylor, ended the day with figures of 3 for 57. Holder, who was arguably the best bowler on the day, had 2 for 65. Either bowler should have had Nicholls out before he got to 50. In fact, three of the West Indies front line bowlers could have snared his wicket but Nicholls rode his luck to what is his sixth Test century that put New Zealand in a command at 294 for 6 on a tricky pitch.
Shamarh Brooks dropped a difficult chance off the fifth ball of the 28th over when Nicolls, then on 22, flicked Alzarri Joseph to short leg. However, the fielder was unable to hold on.
Then in the 36th over, when on 30, Nicholls hooked Joseph over the long leg boundary, a shot that should have resulted in a catch had Jermaine Blackwood held his ground on the boundary ropes and not run into 10 yards only to see the ball land just beyond where he had been standing. Joseph sank to his knees in anguish.
The easiest chances were to come later.
Facing Gabriel in the 41st over Nicholls edged to Darren Bravo who floored a regulation catch at second slip. The frustrations of the West Indies players were further deepened in the 44th over when Chemar Holder found Nicholls’ edge only for Bravo to floor another catch at slip.
Riding his wave of good fortune, Nicholls mounted partnerships of 70 with Young, who became Gabriel’s 150 Test victim when Jason Holder pulled off a stunning catch diving low to his right at second slip. Young made 43 helping New Zealand recover from 78 for 3.
A 55-run fifth-wicket stand with BJ Watling followed. The partnership was broken when Watling chopped a back-of-a-length delivery from Alzarri Joseph onto his stumps at 203 for 5.
And, just when it seemed as if the West Indies were about to make further inroads into the New Zealand line up, Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell put on 83 before Mitchell, who was dropped by Holder off Roston Chase when on 41, became Chemar Holder’s second Test wicket, trapped lbw for 42.
The 22-year-old Barbadian had earlier got Tom Latham caught behind by Joshua Da Silva for 27 to have New Zealand at 63 for 2.
Kyle Jamieson, who scored an unbeaten half century in the first Test is not out on one at the other end.
Alzarri Joseph has taken 1 for 65 from 17 overs.
During the series, Root was picked up on the stump mics responding to an unheard comment from Gabriel. "Don't use it as an insult," he said. "There's nothing wrong with being gay."
Gabriel was charged the next day for an alleged homophobic remark and did not contest the charges. The footage received widespread attention. The player was charged with a Level Two offence under article 2.13 of the ICC's Code of Conduct, covering "personal abuse".
Having recently recovered from injury, Gabriel could be in line to face up with Root again when the teams compete in a three-Test series next month. The bowler has downplayed the incident and has insisted he has long moved past it.
"To be honest that was in the past," Gabriel said. "I don't really think about it too much. Whatever happened or whatever was said, I don't really want to harp on about that, I'm just looking to the future now. I've just come here to play good cricket if selected, and do my best for West Indies cricket,” he added.
"I just think the way they dealt with it was blown way out of proportion," he added. "The story that was told was not entirely true, but I just want to move on and forget that."
Pooran hit five fours and eight sixes in his 111 that came from just 82 balls and was instrumental in getting the Red Force to 312-6, the highest score in the competition this season.
Chasing 313 for victory, Barbados were restricted to 302-8 despite an incredibly valiant 130 not out from 79 balls by Roshon Primus, his highest List A score.
The Pride were in early trouble at 13-2 in the fourth over after Shannon Gabriel had Zachary McCaskie caught at slip for one before returning to bowl Kyle Hope for four. The Pride slipped into further trouble at 45-3 when Sunil Narine had Shai Hope caught behind for 24.
Johnathan Carter and Nicholas Kirton got Barbados back on track with a 63-run partnership that got them to 108 when Shannon Gabriel picked up his third wicket, having Carter caught at deep backward point by Jason Mohammed for 45.
Kirton did not last much longer.
Fourteen balls and 10 runs later, he was caught by Narine off the bowling of Yanick Cariah for 35 leaving Barbados sinking fast at 118-5, still 195 runs behind.
When Shamar Springer was trapped lbw by Imran Khan for five, all seemed lost for Barbados, who at this point were 146-6.
However, Roshon Primus and Akeem Jordan were not ready to give up. Together they put together a run-a-ball 93 runs for the seventh wicket before things unraveled for Barbados for the final time. Jordan was run out off the first ball of Gabriel's eighth over for 33. Gabriel then picked up his fourth wicket next ball when he bowled Jomel Warrican for a duck and suddenly Barbados, who were 239-6 had slipped to 239-8.
Primus continued to resist. Consecutive sixes and a boundary in the 45th over bowled by Terrance Hinds brought Primus his maiden List A century from just 61 balls.
With 17 needed from the final over being bowled by Shannon Gabriel, Primus hit the first ball for four but three dot balls followed, meaning Barbados needed 13 from two deliveries. Primus took two from the fifth and the match was over. Primus' unbeaten knock included 10 fours and nine sixes and with Camarie Boyce (13 not), he put on 63 for the ninth wicket but it was simply not enough.
Shannon Gabriel was the best of the Red Force bowlers finishing with 4-43.
Batting first, T&T Red Force were in early trouble losing two wickets inside three overs after Akeem Jordan dismissed Kjorn Ottley for one and Jason Mohammed for a duck with consecutive deliveries. The early dismissals brought Jangoo and Bravo together and they put on 92 for the third wicket before Bravo was caught at fine leg by Jomel Warrican off the bowling of Springer for 54 in the 24th over.
His dismissal brought Pooran to the crease and he immediately went after the bowling playing some injudicious shots and was fortunate not be dismissed early on. However, as he settled into his innings, he pummeled the bowling racing to 50 in just 41 balls. He put on 147 with Jangoo before the latter was caught by Jordan off Springer for 81 in the 44th over. Pooran was eventually dismissed in the 46th trying to hit Springer for six.
With the score 256-5, 300 looked on the cards and the Red Force duly obliged thanks to a sparkling cameo from Akeal Hosein who smashed 42 from just 20 deliveries. He hit three fours and three sixes in a 53-run sixth-wicket stand with Terrance Hinds before he was caught by Jordan off Springer in the final over.
Hinds was not out on nine and Sunil Narine on two at the end.
Springer finished with 4-64 from nine overs while Jordan returned figures of 2-31 from his allotment of 10 overs.
Resuming on 258-4, England lost a wicket in four consecutive overs to collapse to 280-8, with Ollie Pope falling first and failing to add to his overnight score of 91.
The collapse brought Broad to the middle and the left-hander hit the Windies’ bowlers to all parts of Old Trafford, reaching his half-century in 33 balls — putting him tied for third place in the all-time list of England’s fastest test fifties.
Broad’s 45-ball innings ended when he holed out in the deep off an ambitious swept volley, but by then he had frustrated the West Indies and put England back in charge of a series currently poised at 1-1.
His potentially game-changing ninth-wicket partnership with Dom Bess was worth 76 runs, with Broad hitting nine fours and a six.
Bess was left stranded on 18 after Anderson was the last man out for 11. England added 111 runs in the session.
Earlier, Pope was dropped at slip off Shannon Gabriel before the same paceman got one through the gate his very next over.
Chris Woakes (1) then slashed at a wide ball onto his stumps to give fast bowler Kemar Roach his 200th test wicket.
Jos Buttler, who resumed on 56, was out for 67 when he edged Gabriel to Jason Holder at second slip and the West Indies captain also pouched a catch to remove Jofra Archer (3) off the bowling of Roach.
Roach had team-best figures of 4-72.
The Windies, who won the first test in Southampton before losing the second match in Manchester, are looking to capture a test series in England for the first time since 1988.
With the championship scheduled to begin next month, Red Force coach David Furlonge confirmed the news, as he revealed that Shannon Gabriel is also on the mend.
Seales, who sustained a knee injury in December 2022, overcame that setback after a successful surgery, but was again placed on the sidelines by his current injury, which he sustained during the West Indies A team tour of South Africa late last year.
The injury ruled the 22-year-old out of selection for the current West Indies tour of Australia, and he will be out of action a little bit longer.
“They are coming along. Jayden will most likely be out for the first three games. They have been training every day while the three-day game was going on, so they are coming along, but we don’t think Jayden will be ready for the first three games of the season,” Furlonge shared in an interview with Trinidad Express.
Neither Gabriel nor Seales featured in the trial match at Preysal, but both were at the venue going through their paces and rehab work.
“We have a fitness test on Monday and then they will get ready for the North/South,” Furlonge noted.
On that noted, Furlonge pointed to the positives, as he highlighted a few players that shone during the three-day trial encounter and is anticipating similar efforts in the four-day North/South Classic which bowls off on Thursday at the National Cricket Centre.
“I think the contracted players did well and it shows that they have been putting in the work. We are coming together well.
“The top order batters [Kamil Pooran and Kjorn Ottley] got some runs but one or two other players didn’t get off. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we can see everybody getting runs and big scores as we go into the tournament,” Furlonge said.
“The contracted bowlers did well but we also saw Aamir Ali getting some wickets as well, and Jacen Agard bowling well although he didn’t get wickets. So, it was good to see these young bowlers playing hard and defending a small total in the second innings.
“We want to see the game last four days and we want to see some good performances and consistency from the players. We also want to see the guys putting out the effort and playing with passion,” he added.
The teams were due to contest a three-Test series from June but it was postponed until July. If it is decided that the tour will go head it will most likely be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, whether the tour occurs is contingent on guarantees that the West Indies players and management will be safe.
According to Andrew Mason, the Barbados-based cricket commentator and host of the Mason and Guest talk show, he has confirmed that the players were contacted and that Trinidadian fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was among them, having recovered from surgery and is now fit to play again.
In addition to Gabriel, Mason reports, others called include Darren Bravo, Joshua Da Silva, Anderson Phillips and Shannon Gabriel.
Sunil Ambris, Preston McSween, Alzarri Joseph, Jahmar Hamilton and Rahkeem Cornwall; John Campbell, Paul Palmer, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Markino Mindley, Shimron Hetmyer, Veerasammy Permaul and Keemo Paul; Jason Holder, Kraigg Braithwaite, Shane Moseley, Kemar Roach, Chemar Holder, Keon Harding, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, Sharmarh Brooks, and Jamal Warrican.
CWI CEO Johnny Grave seemed to have confirmed the news during an interview on the Cricket Show, saying that the West Indies would want a minimum of four weeks in the UK to prepare for the first Test.
Two of those weeks, he said, could be in quarantine if the squad was based at a place where it could train.
He said he would need to be 100 per cent sure that travelling to England didn't put any player at unnecessary risk.
"We've had, as you can imagine, lots of conversations individually and - as of the start of this month - we started really a much wider discussion with the ECB over what a tour might look like," said Grave.
The West Indies will play three ODIs on March 16, 18 and 21, followed by three T20Is on March 25, 26 and 28.
In the ODIs, Shai Hope will have his first series as captain with allrounder Rovman Powell appointed as the new vice-captain. In the T20Is, captain Rovman Powell will be supported by a new vice-captain in batting allrounder Kyle Mayers.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel has earned a recall to the ODI squad on the back of his performances during the CG United Super50 Cup last November.
He was the joint leading wicket-taker spearheading the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force bowling attack, taking 15 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.2. He last played ODIs for the West Indies at the ICC Cricket World Cup in July 2019.
Left-arm pacer Obed McCoy has been named in the T20I squad subject to medical clearance. Fast bowler Jayden Seales remains unavailable for selection following a knee injury and subsequent surgery, while another fast bowler Anderson Phillip has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.
Lead Selector the Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “We have had some injuries to our fast-bowling pool so therefore we see Gabriel as an ideal fit heading into South Africa, and the surfaces we expect to play on. It is felt that we need someone to get those early wickets and he is the kind of bowler that can do that. Judging from his performances in the CG United Super50 Cup, he is potentially a wicket-taking option up front.”
Haynes added: “For the T20Is, we have an experienced squad. What we are looking for is to form a cohesive unit and look at the players who we believe can form the nucleus as we build towards doing very well and challenging when we host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June 2024.”
FULL SQUADS
One-Day Internationals
Shai Hope (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Keacy Carty
Roston Chase
Shannon Gabriel
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Nicholas Pooran
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
T20 Internationals
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Johnson Charles
Sheldon Cottrell
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
White ball schedule in South Africa
Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)
Meanwhile, Nkrumah Bonner, who was struck on the head during the first match that the West Indies lost by an innings and 63 runs inside three days, remains unavailable due to concussion protocols. Alzarri Joseph has also failed to break into the squad following his short stint playing in England.
“Shannon Gabriel has been declared fully fit and as someone who was the spearhead of the attack before, he has returned to the 13-man squad. With Bravo, we have someone who is an experienced batsman and gives us a quality batting option,” said CWI Chief Selector Roger Harper, who said the team has to significantly improve on its performance from the last Test in which the West Indies were bowled out for scores of 97 and 162 against a disciplined and incisive South African attack.
“The team now has to play to the standard we know we’re capable of. We didn’t bat anywhere near to our potential in the first Betway Test and we have to improve with the bat in this upcoming match.”
The full squad is Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales.
The second Betway Test Match bowls off on Friday, June 18 at 10 am (9 am Jamaica Time) at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. The series will be contested for the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy.
Holder claimed an impressive 6 for 42 and Gabriel 4 for 62, as England were dismissed for 204, in the first innings. Gabriel’s performance is all the more impressive with the series being the player’s first competitive match since recovering from ankle surgery last year.
In truth, concerns regarding Gabriel’s overall match fitness had quickly evaporated when he removed England opener Dom Sibley and provided plenty of deliveries that teased the edge of the batsmen in the first session. He went on to account for, Rory Burns, Sibley's opening partner, Joe Denly, and James Anderson at the bottom of the order.
“Shannon was outstanding. He came in after not playing cricket for a while, coming back off injury. He is one of those players we try to manage as best as we possibly can,” Holder said following the end of the day’s play.
“He is a strike force for us, he is a weapon. I think we were able to use him in short bursts where he can run in and express himself. To me his consistency was good, and he looked good.”
In reply, the West Indies were 57 for 1 at the end of play, with John Campbell the batsman dismissed, on 28, by Anderson.
The West Indies are in England to play in a historical Bio-secure Test series against England for The Wisden Trophy and Gabriel made the squad after a long injury layoff.
According to West Indies coach Phil Simmons, Gabriel is being carefully led back into the rigours of international cricket and will likely be a part of the 14-man squad on tour, rather than in the reserves.
“Shannon has been named in the reserves. Yes, he is one of West Indies’ prominent fast bowlers but coming back from injury and we just have to make sure that especially that he was fit enough to go through the tour,” said Simmons.
At this stage, Gabriel is still not an automatic pick, but Simmons believes there is every chance he will play some part in the tour.
“There is a possibility of Shannon Gabriel joining the touring party of 14,” said Simmons.
Gabriel has not played since September of 2019 after a brief spell with Gloucestershire. The pacer’s sidelining came after an ankle injury that required surgery.
The last time Gabriel faced England, he helped the Caribbean side win back the Wisden Trophy in a 2-1 series win where he bowled with real menace, spilling over into a verbal exchange with England captain Joe Root.
According to Gabriel, that instance, for which he was suspended for five One-Day Internationals, is in the past.
Test Squad: Jason Holder (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach
Reserve Players: Sunil Ambris, Joshua DaSilva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Anderson Phillip, Oshane Thomas, Jomel Warrican
In addition, the 81-year-old Perreira says he is totally and utterly disappointed that there has been no cover for fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who in his estimation has deteriorated.
“We have given contracts to people who played four Test matches in a year, that cannot be fair,” Perreira said on the Line & Length TV Show on Sportsmax.
“The omission of (Shamar) Brooks and (Roston) Chase was surprising given the limited amount of cricket they played, I mean two series? Four or five Tests? I was hoping that WIPA would not have pushed for contracts now, especially since there is no first-class season.
“You dropped players and don’t give them contracts so how will you adequately judge their form and scores. Ideally, because of all that’s going on, those contracts should have been delayed until after the South Africa or Australia tour….or even Pakistan,” he passionately explained.
“(Shimron) Hetmyer not given a contract? He was losing weight and looked good in the IPL and we have to be careful not to lose players. Chairman Roger Harper said they are working with him, but doing what?! We just rushed a bit this year with the contracts,” he said.
As far as Gabriel is concerned, Perreira pointed to the fact that the 33-year-old who has 157 wickets from 54 Tests has slumped over the last season and CWI should have seen fit to contract two younger fast bowlers as cover for him.
“Gabriel is getting on and had an operation on his ankle. He is not the same! He struggled for rhythm and pace in England, seemed out of sorts against Sri Lanka, and in my estimation can’t play back-to-back Tests matches anymore.
“Gabriel is not bowling 140kmph easily and one good spell is not good enough. Surely, if you pick him, then the Board should have contracted two young fast bowlers to work alongside him and (Kemar) Roach,” he said.
The Guyanese Perreira who is a St. Lucian resident also endorsed the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, previously the Beausejour Stadium as the venue to hosts the West Indies vs South Africa series and advocates for a crowd of at least 1,000 spectators in the Johnson Charles stand, once they can prove a certificate of vaccination against the COVID19 virus.
Batting a second time the West Indies were at the time of writing 18-1, a lead of 413. Raymon Reifer was the batter out for just one.
In response to the West Indies’ first innings score of 517, Zimbabwe XI, resuming from their overnight score of 52-5, added 70 more for the loss of their remaining five wickets.
Timycen Maruma, who was on 15 overnight was eventually dismissed by Motie for 37 while Milton Shumba, who was on nine added only four before he was bowled by Gabriel for 13.
Tafadzwa Tsiga scored an unbeaten 21 and number-11 batter Faraz Akram added 19 managing to get the score past 100 after Zimbabwe XI had slumped to 87-9.
Joseph took 2-12, while Motie returned figures of 2-24. Gabriel, who is returning from an extended break because of injury, finished with 2-21.
The match concludes on Tuesday.
World-class spinner Shakib Al Hasan and a full-strength Bangladesh made short work of the regional team in a lopsided 3-0 sweep of the ODI series last week. The Windies went into the series without several of its regular first-team players who pulled out of the tour for various reasons.
The ODI team, which was captained by Jason Mohammed, was the hardest hit, however, with at least eight players making their international team debut. With more proven campaigners like bowlers Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, and batsmen Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood, the Test team should be in better shape, in terms of experience in any case.
“It’s a big difference, we may have one, maybe two debutants for this Test series, whereas we had 10 for the ODI series. So, it’s a huge difference,” Simmons said.
“The good thing is that those guys have been down here before. On the last tour down here, Kraigg (Brathwaite) was captain, and Shannon and Roach were here. So, it’s good to have that kind of experience going into a Test series,” he added.
The West will play Bangladesh in a two-Test series, which begins on February 2nd. The second Test will take place between February 10th to 15th.
Williamson was unbeaten on 97 at the close with the hosts on 243-2 on a grassy pitch at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Opener Tom Latham was dismissed for 86 but Ross Taylor is 31 not out.
West Indies captain Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl first on a well-grassed pitch after morning rain washed out the entire first session.
When play finally got going after lunch, West Indies struck in the fourth over when Shannon Gabriel trapped Will Young lbw for four. Young had escaped being caught behind the ball before when wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich inexplicably pulled out of a catch after Gabriel’s rising delivery took the edge of the opener’s bat.
Notwithstanding the early success, the West Indies bowlers were not nearly as effective as they could have been. They struggled with line and in some instances, length which allowed Williamson and Latham to proceed relatively untroubled.
A vast number of deliveries were simply allowed to go by to the wicketkeeper.
Aided in part by the wayward bowling, Williamson and Latham posted a second-wicket stand of 154 before the latter was bowled by Kemar Roach.
Any hopes of further breakthroughs were quickly dashed however as Taylor and his captain put on an unbroken stand of 75 by the end of the day’s play.
Darren Bravo scored a masterclass 135 and Shamarh Brooks 80 on Saturday as the West Indies, replying to New Zealand ‘A’s 308 for 3 declared ended the day on 329 for 6.
They batted on Sunday taking the score from 329 for 6 to make 366 and establish a lead of 58. Nkrumah Bonner compiled 24 from 50 balls but there was little contribution otherwise with Shayne Moseley remaining unbeaten on 11 at the end.
Jacob Duffy was the best of the bowlers taking 3 for 49 with his medium-paced deliveries while Blair Tickner returned 2 for 66 from 27 overs.
However, any thoughts the West Indies would have harboured that their bowlers would do a better job in New Zealand ‘A’s second time at the crease were dashed despite the fact that first-innings century-maker Rachin Ravindra was bowled for by Shannon Gabriel for just 10 with the score at 27.
Will Young and Devon Conway shared in an unbroken stand of 97 when the match was called off after 45.3 overs. By then Young had scored 64 and Conway 41 as they frustrated a blunt West Indies attack.
Gabriel finished with 1 for 23 from nine overs.
