WI vs Eng, 2nd Test: Captain Brathwaite's unbeaten half-century dashes visitors' hopes of victory
Mar 21, 2022
Bridgetown [Barbados], March 21 : Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite's unbeaten knock of 56 helped the hosts pull off a draw on Day-5 of the second Test played here at the Kensington Oval.
Resuming the day at 40 for no loss England reached the 50-run mark. The visitors lost the wicket of opener Alex Lees as slow left-arm orthodox bowler Veerasammy Permaul dismissed him for 24.
West Indies then got priced scalp of England captain Joe Root for 9 by Permaul at the score of 67 for 2. Medium-pacer Alzarri Joseph too chipped in dismissing Zak Crawley for 40 as hosts lost the third wicket for 74.
Dan Lawrence and Ben Stokes then struck a partnership to take England's total beyond the triple-figure mark but rain struck at 106 for 3.
Post rain break Kemar Roach broke the 36-run partnership to dismiss Stokes for 19. Jonny Bairstow joined Lawrence and the duo took England's total beyond the 150-run mark.The 51-run partnerhip was broken as Jayden Seales. Six runs Seales struck again to dismiss Lawrence for 41 which he scored from 39 balls to leave England at 167/6.
England finally decided to declare at 185 for 6 with Chris Woakes unbeaten on 9 while Ben Foakes not out on 11 setting a 282-run target for West Indies.
Slow left-arm orthodox bowler Jack Leach was introduced early in the attack and he struck removing John Campbell for 10. A few overs later Shamarh Brooks was dimissed by medium-pacer Saqib Mahmood. The 25-year old struck again to dismiss Nkrumah Bonner to leave hosts in deep trouble at 39 for 3.
Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite was losing partners at the other end and Jermaine Blackwood did exactly that striking a 50-run partnership and in-process taking the team's total beyond the 50-run mark. But the partnership was broken at 89 and the hosts were still in trouble losing four wickets. Blackwood was dismissed for 27 caught by Bairstow of Leach's bowling.
Jason Holder came into bat but the all-rounder was dismissed for a 24-ball duck as West Indies lost half of its side for 93 with Leach getting his third wicket.
Joshua Da Silva walked in to bat and along with Brathwaite took the team's total to a triple-figure mark. Braithwaite did not budge and went on to score a half-century for his side with Da Silva scoring an unbeaten 30. At West Indies' score of 135 for 5, both teams decided to call off the match and the match ended in a draw and series is still at 0-0 going into the third and final Test at St. George's in Grenada.
Brathwaite was adjudged 'Player of the Match for scoring 160 in the first innings and an unbeaten 56 in the second innings.
Brief scores: England 507/9 declare & 185/6 declare (Dan Lawrence 41, Zak Crawley 40; Veerasammy Permaul 2/29) vs WI 411 & 135/5 (Kraigg Brathwaite 56*, Joshua Da Silva 30*; Jack Leach 3/36).
