SYLHET, Bangladesh, CMC – Left-hander Kirk McKenzie passed fifty for the fourth time in five innings but narrowly missed out on three figures, as West Indies A carved out a small lead on day two of the second four-day “Test” here yesterday.
Replying to Bangladesh A’s 237, the Caribbean side ended the day at Sylhet Academy Ground on 268 for six – a lead of 31 runs.
The 22-year-old McKenzie once again led West Indies A, top-scoring with an attacking 91 which came from only 122 balls and included nine fours and three sixes.
Keacy Carty also got among the runs with 68 but perished with the close beckoning, while Alick Athanaze chipped in with 45 and Raymon Reifer, 37.
Earlier, fast bowler Akeem Jordan claimed five for 45 as the hosts lost their last five wickets for 62 runs after resuming the morning on 175 for five.
Shahadat Hossain, unbeaten overnight on 25, carried the fight for his side with a top score of 73, which came from 124 deliveries and included 10 fours and two sixes.
However, he lost overnight partner Nayeem Hasan after the 23-year-old had added only five to his 12 at the start, as three wickets tumbled for 13 runs in the space of 35 deliveries – Jordan striking twice.
Tottering on 199 for eight, Shahadat inspired a 34-run, ninth wicket stand with Tanvir Islam (4) to revive the innings, before fast bowler Jair McAllister and Jordan picked up the last two wickets.
In reply, West Indies A suffered an early setback when Test left-hander Tagenarine Chanderpaul missed a defensive stroke to a good length delivery on leg stump, and was adjudged lbw to seamer Khaled Ahmed for four with 16 runs on the board.
On 26 for one at lunch with McKenzie unbeaten on 18, West Indies A flourished on the resumption as McKenzie and Reifer stretched their second wicket stand to 116.
Reifer faced 78 deliveries and counted two fours and two sixes but his dismissal, clipping left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam to short mid-wicket, led to a slide which saw three wickets go down for seven runs in quick time.
McKenzie was one of the casualties, holing out down the ground off off-spinner Saif Hassan (2-37). In his four previous innings, the Jamaican had knocks of 50, 0, 221 and 86.
In need of a revival at 139 for four, West Indies got it through Carty who anchored two critical stands, putting on 79 for the fifth wicket with Athanaze and 48 for the sixth with captain Joshua Da Silva, who was unbeaten on nine at the close.
The left-handed Athanaze struck eight fours in a 60-ball knock before falling lbw to off-spinner Nayeem Hasan while Carty faced 111 balls counted five fours and two sixes before going run out in the day’s penultimate over.