West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has several reasons to be “very proud and very happy” after his team won the three-Test series against England 1-0.
The 10-wicket victory before lunch on the fourth day of the final match at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada was a fitting reward for determination shown by the lower order batters with Joshua Da Silva standing out, and fine bowling from medium-pacer Kyle Mayers.
So for their fans, it was a good feeling to “rally round” the West Indies as they showed off the Richards-Botham Trophy.
Last Friday after the second day’s play, I noted that fortunes had fluctuated on a pitch which helped the pace bowlers, with West Indies closing on 232 for eight – just 28 runs ahead on first innings.
What followed was very refreshing. The 23-year-old Da Silva, who resumed on 54 after going to the crease at No. 8, went on to record his maiden century (100 not out) in his 14th Test, while Mayers grabbed his first five-wicket haul in his 11th Test (5-18) for match figures of 7 for 31 off 27 overs.
Let’s look at the fighting qualities of the batters after West Indies were under some pressure on 95 for six before they were dismissed for 297.
The fact that the last four wickets added 202 runs was very commendable and clearly gave the team a big lift. Wicketkeeper Da Silva featured in successive partnerships of 33 with Mayers, who made 28, 49 with Alzarri Joseph (28), 68 with Kemar Roach (25) and 52 with Jayden Seales (13).
Then Mayers, in his only Test of the series, showed his all-round ability. Among his scalps in both innings was the England captain and top batter Joe Root (0 & 5).
England’s 120 in the second innings left West Indies with just 28 to win – the target reached roughly half-an-hour before lunch on Sunday.
“Very proud,” remarked Brathwaite. “My first home series win, so very happy. It was a very, very good series for us. In two hard-fought draws in the first two games I thought England played extremely well and we had to show some fight in the last days of both of those games. But coming here, we ramped it up. It’s been a remarkable effort.”
There was general criticism of the flat pitches at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Kensington Oval in Barbados, but as Brathwaite stated, West Indies still found themselves having to bat defiantly on the final day.
In Antigua, set 286 to win, they slipped to 67 for four before Nkrumah Bonner (38 not out) and Jason Holder (37 not out) stood firm for 35.4 overs in adding 80 in a total of 147 for four off 70.1 overs.
With a victory target of 282 in 65 overs in Barbados, West Indies were 93 for five in the 45th over before ultimately rallying to 135 for five through Brathwaite (56 not out) and Da Silva (30 not out).
Player Of The Series Brathwaite was the only batter on either side to score over 300 runs. His aggregate was 341 including one century and two half-centuries for an average of 85.25.
Da Silva scored 195 runs and topped the overall averages (97.50). He was also competent with the gloves, taking 10 victims (8 catches/2 stumpings).
Three others managed over 100 runs including century-makers Bonner and vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood. Bonner got 177 (ave: 44.25), Blackwood 160 (ave: 32.00) and opener John Campbell 112 (ave: 22.40).
Shamarh Brooks would have been disappointed with his performance of only 79 runs (ave: 15.80).
The pace bowling was commendable. Veteran Roach took 11 wickets (ave: 26.27); Seales also had 11 (ave: 26.45) and Joseph 10 (ave: 37.30).
Holder’s figures with both ball and bat were below expectations – four wickets (ave: 59.00) and 94 runs (ave: 23.50) – but the former skipper showed lots of energy in the field as a motivator. And he took a remarkable one-handed catch to his right at leg gully from a firm flick by Chris Woakes off Roach in the second innings of the final Test.
Mayers topped the bowling averages (4.42).
Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul was dropped after the first two Tests, having taken five wickets (ave: 50.80).
Now Brathwaite has warned against complacency as he reflected on the team’s goals in the build-up to the series.
“We had a camp before the series began, and we said this is one of our best series at home, we’ve got to fight hard,” he said. “It’s carried through in every game, someone else raising their hand and doing the job, whether it’s in the field, or with the ball or with the bat, spending time. The effort was remarkable.
“I believe this is the start,” Brathwaite said. “But we can’t become complacent. We have got to keep learning, keep improving. That is one thing with the youngsters in the team – Joshua, Jayden, Alzarri – they are willing to listen. That is the only way to get better, Jason Holder and Kemar Roach and Jermaine Blackwood really leading the way, and the guys learnt a lot on the job. I think it’s the start and we have to continue to work hard.”
Generally, West Indies have dominated against England at home. And since losing in 2004 (3-0) they boast of three series wins and a draw.
This was the first time West Indies had won a Test in Grenada, in what was the fourth match. They drew against New Zealand in 2002 and lost by four wickets to Bangladesh in 2009, and by nine wickets to England in 2015.
As it stands, West Indies have won five times and lost twice against England in the last 14 Tests they have played against them at home. They won 1-0 in 2009, drew 1-1 in 2015, won 2-1 in 2019 and now 1-0.
It is their best record against any team at home since the start of 2006. The only other teams against whom they have won more than they have lost at home in this period are Zimbabwe (2-0), Bangladesh (4-2) and New Zealand (3-2).
Statistics provided by Cricinfo revealed further interesting information. For example, 12.76 was the average for the top seven batters in the Grenada Test. It is the lowest average for the top seven in a Test match in the last 71 years (min 20 innings). The last time the top order had a poorer average was in an Ashes Test at the Gabba in December 1950.
In the second Test at Kensington Oval, it was pointed out that Brathwaite scored 216 runs, facing 673 balls – more than any other West Indies batter in Tests, having spent almost 16 hours at the crease. He made 160 (489 balls, 710 minutes, 17 fours) and 56 not out (184 balls, 245 minutes, 4 fours).
As a bowler, Brathwaite has a unique record as well – the most Test wickets (25), without dismissing the same man twice.
What matters, however, is for Brathwaite to ensure that West Indies can maintain a fighting spirit, leading to more success.
Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (rebranded Elite in 2012) Championship for four decades and provides statistics and stories for the BCA website (www.barbadoscricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com
