Cornwall strikes twice

—after Brathwaite, Blackwood fail to deny Tigers big lead

CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh, CMC – West Indies conceded a dangerously large lead despite half-centuries from captain Kraigg Brathwaite and his deputy Jermaine Blackwood, but Rahkeem Cornwall stunned Bangladesh with two wickets in one over, as the visitors clawed their way back into the opening Test here yesterday.

Brathwaite carved out an uncharacteristically, strokefilled 76 while Blackwood was in his element with an enterprising 68 but West Indies dramatically lost their last five wickets for six runs to tumble to 259 all out, 15 minutes after tea on the third day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva supported with a compact 42, a knock that was in direct contrast to that of debutant left-hander Kyle Mayers, who produced a flamboyant 40.

With the Windies trailing by 171 runs on first innings, off-spinner Cornwall (2-28) removed opener Tamim Iqbal and new batsman Najmul Hossain, both without scoring in the space of three deliveries as Bangladesh slumped to one run for two wickets in the second over of their second innings.

Captain Mominul Haque halted the slide with an unbeaten 31 before speedster Shannon Gabriel claimed the unsettled opener Shadman Islam for five, half-hour before the close, to leave the hosts on 47 for three and a lead of 218 runs overall, heading into Saturday’s penultimate day. In a dramatic start to the morning, West Indies lost Nkrumah Bonner (17) to the first delivery, edging left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (2-84) to Najmul at first slip on 79 for three.

Jermaine Blackwood drives elegantly during his 68 on Friday’s third day of the opening Test.

However, Brathwaite continued in the same vein from the previous evening, entertaining with an array of attacking strokes to post his 20th Test half-century and his second in nine innings on Bangladesh soil.

More importantly, he put on 55 for the fourth wicket with Mayers, a stand which not only repaired the innings but forced the hosts on the defensive.

Brathwaite struck 12 fours off 111 balls in just short of three hours at the crease while Mayers faced only 65 deliveries and crunched seven fours.

Resuming on 49, Brathwaite reached his fifty with a single in the second over but then moved into high gear, driving left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman (2-46) down the ground for four and twice sweetly punching Taijul through cover point for successive boundaries.

He moved into the 70s by smashing off-spinner Nayeem Hasan (2-54) to the square boundary before coming down to Taijul in the next over to unfurl a powerful straight dive for four.

A hundred was beckoning when Brathwaite bizarrely misjudged an off-break from Nayeem in the next over, offered no stroke and had his off-stump pegged back, 45 minutes into the day’s play.

Mayers’s approach, meanwhile, belied his experience. Twice he audaciously drove Mustafizur for boundaries in the morning’s third over, before also stylishly cutting Nayeem and Taijul for fours.

He appeared on course for a half-century when he missed a bat-pad defensive stroke and was lbw to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the first of the off-spinner’s four wickets.

Ultra-edge subsequently showed Mayers had gotten an inside edge but had been unaware.

Stumbling on 154 for five and still well adrift of the follow on, West Indies needed a partnership and got one, Blackwood and Da Silva combining to add a precious 99 for the sixth wicket on either side of lunch.

Unconvincing initiallya, Blackwood settled to hit nine fours off 146 deliveries in just under 3-¼ hours while Da Silva, composed from the very start, faced 141 balls in a shade over 2-½ hours and counted three fours and a six.

They carried West Indies to lunch on 189 for five and Blackwood, unbeaten on 34, reached his 14th Test fifty and second in his last four innings, three overs before the drinks break with a cover-driven four off Mehidy.

West Indies were beginning to take command when both batsmen perished in the last seven deliveries before tea. Da Silva had just driven Nayeem to the long off boundary to bring up the 250 when he swished aimlessly at the next delivery and was caught at the wicket.

And with the first ball of the next over, Blackwood went softly, tickling a leg side catch to the wicketkeeeper off an innocuous delivery from Mehidy.

Perched on 253 for seven at tea, West Indies’ tail lasted a mere 18 deliveries after the resumption, with Mehidy taking two of the three wickets.

The decision to hand Cornwall the new ball then paid dividends, as he trapped Tamim lbw with his fourth ball, the left-hander missing a forward defensive prod.

Two balls later, he found Najmul’s edge for Blackwood to gobble the catch at first slip, to leave Bangladesh in strife.

Mominul and Shadman put on 32 before Gabriel, introduced first change, got the rewards for his aggression when left-hander Shadman gloved a lifter to give Da Silva a simple leg side catch.