Windies batsmen deliver improbable victory
Dear Editor,
Champions! West Indies are champions at last! Well, not quite, but the victory in the first Test match against Bangladesh was certainly the stuff champions are made of.
This under-strength West Indies team was expected to take a beating; they had already lost the One-day International series and the Test series was expected to follow a similar pattern.
The last time these two teams faced off against each other in Bangladesh, the host decimated the Caribbean men inside three days of both Test matches, and even stronger teams than the West Indies have come up short against the Tigers in their own backyard.
It came as no surprise, then, that Bangladesh took control of the Test from day one, the first four days belonged to the Bangladeshis, but what took place on day five gave concrete evidence why the purists among us are still in love with Test cricket.
It was only a few weeks ago that the Indians pulled off a massive heist Down Under, against the Aussies, chasing over 300 runs on the final day. One now wonders if this feat was on the minds of the overnight batsmen Nkrumah Bonner and Kyle Mayers, both debutants, as they began day five with their backs against the wall, or the plan was just to bat the 90 overs in the day and secure a draw — which itself would have been a significant achievement. Whatever the plan was, it’s clear that they were resolute and determined to bring joy to cricket fans across the Caribbean.
Mayers made a brilliant 210 not out, whilst Bonner fell short of a century, falling for a resolute 86, their partnership of 216 runs laid the platform for a push for victory. Mayers began to open his shoulders shortly after Bonner’s dismissal as the victory target dropped below the 100-run mark. He launched the spinners and the lone seamer out of the stadium for massive sixes as the Tigers crumbled under the pressure. His innings ensured an improbable victory and gives the West Indians all the confidence going into the second Test. Have we seen the birth of the next batting star from the Caribbean? Kyle Mayers has brought hope to many, Remember the name, no, that phrase won’t be used, putting a curse on this batting talent is not our intention, but we’ll surely be expecting to be writing more about this stroke player in the future. Hopefully he’ll kick on to become a stalwart in this West Indies team. For now, though, let us enjoy this victory. Some may say it’s only against Bangladesh, but it certainly was a top performance, one of steel and character.
Kemar Bogle knb800@yahoo.com