Mckenzie upbeat despite falling short of century
SYLHET, Bangladesh (CMC) — Lefthanded opener Kirk Mckenzie said he was disappointed by his failure, again, to reach triple figures but was now focused on making amends in his remaining opportunities.
The 22-year-old Jamaican topscored with 91 on Wednesday’s second day of the second four-day “Test” against Bangladesh A, following on his 86 in last week’s drawn first encounter.
“Getting close to a hundred again and missing out is a bit disappointing but it’s just for me to lift my head up,” said Mckenzie who has been in good nick in recent months.
“I have one more game to play and probably a next time batting in this game so I’ll just try to keep the form going and see how much I can score in the other innings.”
Mckenzie was at his attacking best, lashing nine fours and three sixes in an innings which required only 122 balls.
Crucially, he put on 116 for the second wicket with all-rounder Raymon Reifer (37) after he lost his opening partner — Test left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul — cheaply as West Indies A reached lunch on 26 for one.
With a second first class hundred beckoning, Mckenzie holed out in the deep trying to find the long boundary.
“Coming into this game, I came in confident from the last game so I just tried to push on from that last game and see how much I could score,” he said.
“I find the conditions really good. The ball is coming on to the bat really nice [and] there’s not much devils in the pitch so I just tried to play as straight as possible and tried to stay within myself for most of the innings.”
For Mckenzie, his half-century was his fourth score of fifty or more in his last five first class innings.
In the Headley Weekes Tri-series in Antigua last month he lashed a superb 221 for West Indies Academy against Team Weekes.