BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and deputy Jermaine Blackwood both carved out valiant hundreds as West Indies left their mark on day three of the second Test with an exceptional batting effort here yesterday.
The 29-year-old Brathwaite crafted an unbeaten 109 – his tenth Test hundred – while the 30-year-Blackwood unfurled an equally outstanding 102 – his third Test century – as West Indies marched to the close on 288 for four, in reply to England’s massive first innings of 507 for nine declared.
And even though West Indies still trailed by 219 runs heading into today’s fourth day, they managed to haul themselves to within 20 runs of avoiding the follow-on, leaving the contest an open affair going into the decisive stages of the affair at a vociferous Kensington Oval.
Resuming the morning on 71 for one, West Indies seemed set for a struggle especially when Shamarh Brooks added just eight to his overnight 31 and Nkrumah Bonner perished for nine, reducing the home side to 101 for three, 45 minutes before lunch.
But Brathwaite and Blackwood combined in a 183-run fourth wicket partnership ensuring West Indies dominated the next two sessions while frustrating England’s attempts to make inroads.
Unflappable and brandishing a seemingly impregnable defence, Brathwaite stonewalled England’s attack, facing 337 balls in just short of 8-¼ hours at the crease and counting a dozen fours, in his first Test hundred at his home venue.
Blackwood, meanwhile, dispensing with the cavalier in favour of prudence, struck 11 fours off 215 deliveries in just under five hours, before finally succumbing half-hour before the close to a rare misjudgement and falling lbw to part-time off-spinner Dan Lawrence.
“This one means a lot. Obviously I’ve never scored a Test hundred at home,” Brathwaite said afterwards.
“My mother was here and she’s never watched me play a game before, and my father and all my aunts were here so it was amazing.”
He added: “The time spent at the crease, I was very happy with that. Obviously England got a big score so I think batting the whole day was crucial for us.”
Blackwood, criticised for his rash shot in the second innings of the last Test with West Indies attempting to save the game, said he had his sights on something big ahead of this contest.
“It was very special. The last time I played England here I scored 85 and 46 not out so this is a very special innings for me,” the Jamaican said.
“The last game I didn’t score any runs so I told myself this game I’m really going to settle down and bat some balls.”
Starting the day 436 runs in arrears, West Indies lost Brooks half-hour into the morning, scooping an attempting cut at a long hop from left-arm spinner Jack Leach into the hands of Chris Woakes at point.
And Bonner lasted only 33 deliveries before being adjudged lbw to medium pacer Ben Stokes in the second over after drinks.
Blackwood enjoyed a slice of luck before he had scored, hit in front by Stokes and given not out, but replays showing he would have been LBW had England chosen to refer to DRS.
Unfazed, he went to lunch on seven with Brathwaite on 44, as West Indies cautiously made it to lunch on 114 for three.
Brathwaite raised his slowest-ever Test fifty in the third over after the resumption and hardly put a foot wrong en route to 79 at tea, with West Indies having reached 196 for three.
He punched Woakes down the ground for two stylish boundaries in the first over after the interval to move into the 80s, before producing an exquisite on-drive off debutant seamer Saqib Mahmood to ease to 96.
Brathwaite eventually reached his hundred nearly an hour after tea, working Leach behind point for a brace.
Blackwood, meanwhile, punched Leach in front of square for four in the last over before tea to bring up his second slowest fifty in Tests, to reach the break unbeaten on 50.
Bowled on 65 off a Saqib no-ball, Blackwood once again composed himself to make England pay for their indiscretion.
He cruised into the 80s by hammering Stokes to the mid-wicket boundary, moved to 94 with a boundary to third man off Woakes before reaching his landmark with a single wide of slip off Leach, with seven overs left in the day.
His only major error of the day led to his downfall, offering no stroke to Lawrence and leaving the umpire with little choice.