Windies in charge ...

Gabriel torments Bangladesh to lead WI assault

OPENER KRAIGG Brathwaite stroked his first hundred in nearly a year, while Shai Hope passed 50 for the first time in 13 innings, but it was speedster Shannon Gabriel’s devastating four-wicket burst which rocked Bangladesh and put West Indies on course for a comprehensive win in the opening Test.

Playing on yesterday’s second day of the contest at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, West Indies piled up 406 all out in their first innings, with Brathwaite topscoring with 121 – his seventh Test hundred but first since his 134 at Leeds last August.

Hope, without a half-century since scoring one last October on the tour of Zimbabwe, chipped in with 67, while captain Jason Holder (33) and tail-ender Kemar Roach (33) produced breezy knocks down the order to add to Bangladesh’s pain.

MIRACLE NEEDED

Armed with a huge lead of 363, West Indies quickly demolished the tourists’ top order, leaving the innings in shambles at 62 for six and in need of a miracle to avoid falling 1-0 behind in the two-Test series.

Bangladesh trail by 301 runs heading into today’s third day with only four wickets intact.

Gabriel, fresh off a 20-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, was again at the heart of the Windies juggernaut, snatching four for 36, while Holder chipped in with two for 15.

Requiring a massive effort following their record-low 43 all out in the first innings, Bangladesh again found themselves hurt by the Windies quicks, as wickets tumbled spectacularly.

West Indies had earlier batted themselves into an impregnable position after resuming the day on 201 for two.

Starting the day on 88, Brathwaite raised triple figures inside the first hour when he cut pacer Kamrul Islam to third man for four, and was unbeaten on 121 at lunch with the Windies on 271 for three.

However, Brathwaite failed to add to his lunch time score , dismissed off the fourth ball following the resumption when he was taken low at cover off left-arm spinner Shakib (2-71), with West Indies adding a single run to their interval total.

All told, Brathwaite faced 291 deliveries in 61/2 hours at the crease and counted 11 fours.

The Windies then lost two further wickets cheaply to slide to 288 for six as overall, three wickets perished for 16 runs in quick time.