The West Indies have not won a home Test series since 2022 when they defeated Bangladesh 2-0, producing a pair of dominant seven and ten wicket wins at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, respectively.
Two years later, the regional side will have an opportunity to replicate that score line when they take on the same opponent in the second Test beginning on Saturday at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.
The West Indies will, no doubt, be confident heading into this game after a dominant 201-run win in the first Test last week.
With that in mind, the team will need to exercise killer instinct to defeat a gritty Bangladesh side who will be looking to avoid a third series defeat in a row after losses to India and South Africa in September and October.
Vice-captain and wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva shared these sentiments upon his arrival to the island ahead of the second Test.
“Coming here 1-0 up in the series, it’s always a good feeling but we’re not finished yet. We’re looking to make that 2-0 and win the series,” Da Silva said.
The first Test was a trip down memory lane for fans of West Indies cricket as the hosts used a barrage of pace to trouble the Bangladeshi batsmen. With no specialist spinner in the line-up, the majority of the wickets came from Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales with Justin Greaves also getting in on the action.
“Raw pace and talent,” Da Silva said describing what fans can expect if the same bowling attack in fielded on Saturday.
“Led very well by Kemar (Roach) and Alzarri (Joseph). We also have the newcomers like Shamar (Joseph) and Jayden (Seales) who’s bene around for some time now but is still learning his craft. The pace is there and you can see the fear that they put into the batsmen. It’s about using that advantage that we have and hopefully that’s a reason we make it 2-0,” he added.
Individually, Da Silva will be hoping this trip to Jamaica is similar to his last when he captained the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force against the Jamaica Scorpions in the West Indies Championship in April.
Da Silva made 106 off 140 balls and helped the Red Force defeat the Scorpions by an innings and 125 runs.
“It’s always nice to be in Jamaica. Last time I was here I got a First Class hundred so hopefully that form can continue,” he said.
With scores of 5, 1, 2*, 4, 27, 14 and 22 in his last seven Test innings, Da Silva will be hoping for a repeat of that performance against the Scorpions.
The West Indies got a commanding score of 450-9 declared in the first innings of the first Test but were bowled out for 152 in the second innings.
Heading into this game, Da Silva has called for more consistency from the batting unit, himself included, this time around.
“The first innings we got 450 which was the goal. You cannot bat well all the time but at the end of the day we just need to be consistent. I think that’s what the batsmen need to do, myself included. As a batting group, we have some young batsmen in the middle order. Guys with less than 10 Test matches or coming up on 10 so, for us, it’s about learning to be consistent and getting those 300-400 scores,” he said.
“We know we’re going to get the wickets. It’s just for the batsmen to put on the totals for them. I’m not worried about it. I believe we have the talent it’s just about the boys finding their feet and I’m confident we’ll get the job done,” he added.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
Rutherford’s 46* in vain as Perera smashes 74* to lead New York Strikers to nine-wicket win over Northern Warriors
Sherfane Rutherford’s 17-ball 46* was in vain as his Northern Warriors were defeated by nine wickets by the New York Strikers in Abu Dhabi T10 action at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Rutherford hit two fours and five sixes to help the Warriors post 111-3 from their 10 overs after being put in to bat by the Strikers.
Finn Allen provided a good foundation for Rutherford’s late blitz with his 30 off 15 balls at the top of the innings.
The Strikers bowling was led by Sunil Narine’s 2-16 from two overs.
Sri Lankan Kusal Perera then put the Warriors bowlers to the sword on his way to 74* off just 27 balls to lead the Strikers to victory, hitting six fours and seven sixes as New York reached 112-1 off just eight overs.
Asif Ali made 21* in support of Perera.
Azmatullah Omarzai took 1-13 from two overs in the midst of the carnage.
The Strikers now have three wins and three losses from their six games and find themselves fifth on the points standings with six points.
CWI launches innovative player development program in Tasmania
In a groundbreaking initiative to develop the next generation of West Indies Women’s cricket stars, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has launched a new player development program in Tasmania, Australia.
Four promising Under-25 players — Jannillea Glasgow, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shawnisha Hector, and Kate Wilmott — are currently honing their skills in the region’s premier cricket competition, marking a significant step forward in women’s cricket development.
The program, conceived by West Indies Women’s Head Coach Shane Deitz and Assistant Coach Damien Wright, has been integrating young talents into Tasmania’s premier first-grade cricket competition.
Glasgow and Wilmott represent New Town Cricket Club, while Fraser and Hector represent Clarence Cricket Club. Fraser also appeared for Clarence in the men’s third-grade competition, while Wilmott took a wicket for New Town in a match against North Hobart.
In New Town’s seven-run win over Clarence in a women’s T20 game, Glasgow scored an unbeaten 70, while Hector remained not out on 66 for Clarence.
The initiative also provides an opportunity for these emerging cricketers to train alongside professional athletes, including members of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) Hurricanes team.
“This is a wonderful initiative that combines high-performance training with valuable match experience. Our players are getting extensive batting time and taking on leadership roles, which is crucial for their development. They’re training four to five times a week, using world-class facilities and gaining exposure to different playing conditions,” said Assistant coach Wright, who is accompanying the players in Hobart.
“It’s been a great opportunity for the girls to open the batting and play in the high to middle order. They are being called upon to score runs, face the new ball, and perform with the ball as well. There are a lot of positives, and hopefully, it can continue,” he added.
The comprehensive program includes bi-weekly training sessions with the WBBL Hobart Hurricanes, regular gym work at premier facilities, including Ninja Stadium, formerly known as Bellerive Oval, and participation in both T20 and 50-over formats of the game.
This initiative is strategically timed, with players preparing for international commitments in India this December and a home series against Bangladesh in January.
Cricket Tasmania has played a pivotal role in facilitating the initiative, further demonstrating Cricket West Indies’ commitment to innovative player development and strengthening international cricket relationships.
This initiative could pave the way for future development and expand opportunities for more Caribbean players to gain valuable experience in Australian conditions.
Jansen's seven-wicket haul hands Sri Lanka lowest-ever Test total
Marco Jansen’s seven-wicket haul put South Africa 281 runs ahead on the second day of their test in Durban as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 42, their lowest Test total.
It was a day Sri Lanka will want to forget as 19 wickets fell, and they had their second-shortest innings, facing just 83 balls.
South Africa started the day on 80-4 and while getting off to a slow start, going 117-7 after 15 overs, Temba Bavuma’s 70-run total helped them to close the first innings with a total of 191.
The South Africa bowling attack then picked up the mantel with Jansen providing the standout performance. He achieved an economy of 1.9 in just under seven overs, taking seven wickets and conceding only 13 runs.
Kagiso Rabada (1-10) and Gerald Coetzee (2-18) also played their part in limiting a tepid Sri Lankan batting line-up, which saw Kamindu Mendis (13) and Lahiru Kumara (10) the only players to reach double figures for Sri Lanka, while five of their batters were out for a duck.
It took just under 14 overs until South Africa were back at the crease for their second innings, where opener Aiden Markram (47) fell just short of reaching a half-century.
They ended the day with Bavuma (24) and Tristan Stubbs (17) back in to bat, with their partnership of 43 so far representing the second-highest of the match. They will start day three on 132-3.
Data Debrief: Jansen destructive in pace attack
The 41 balls Jansen bowled during the innings is the joint-fewest in history to take seven wickets.
His first wicket took his total to 50 for South Africa in men’s Tests. He’s taken at least one wicket in 12 of his 13 Test bowling innings in South Africa.
He also put South Africa well on their way to back-to-back wins in men’s Tests at Kingsmead for the first time since January 2008, following their 220-run victory against Bangladesh in their last match at the venue (April 2022).
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