England’s West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has denied allegations by tourists that they had been given victory in the final day of their Test series. The tourists won a thrilling game on Monday to end the three-match series 2-1, but England have hit back claiming it was “unfair” for their opponent to claim a win when no result could be achieved.
England fought back to deny West Indies a victory on the final day of their two-match Test series.
In this Test, no West Indian hitter has ever faced more deliveries than their skipper Kraigg Brathwaite.
| Barbados, second test (day five): |
| England 507-9 dec & 122-5 dec: Lawrence 41, Crawley 40; Permaul 2-22, Seales 2-34 |
| West Indies 411 & 135-5: Brathwaite 56*; Leach 3-36 |
| Drawn match |
| Scorecard |
The West Indies stopped England’s unexpected win bid in the second Test in Barbados, which finished in a tie.
England claimed their fifth wicket after dinner, setting up a tight final hour after they had allowed themselves two sessions to remove West Indies and take a 1-0 series lead.
However, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who struck an 11-hour 160 in the previous innings, survived 184 balls for 56 not out to deny England for the second time.
In both innings, the opening batted for 673 balls, the highest by a West Indian batsman in Test history.
England had reduced West Indies to 39-3 before the tough right-hander saw off 25 overs with Jermaine Blackwood, after declaring on 122-5 at lunch.
Jack Leach had Blackwood caught at gully for 27 and Jason Holder out at cover for a duck in the last session, but Brathwaite found a tenacious companion in wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva.
They made it through the following 20.3 overs before shaking hands with 13 minutes remaining and a score of 135-5.
It means that two Tests in this series have finished in near-identical draws, and the series is still tied at 0-0 going into the last Test in Grenada, which starts on Thursday.
The arduous test concludes in a tie.
This test has been really difficult. Despite England’s outstanding effort on the last day, it finished with the outcome many expected from the second day, thanks to the surface.
Their inexperienced bowling attack, on the other hand, lacked the capabilities to get a superb hitter out on a slow pitch.
Leach bowled a total of 94.5 overs in both innings, the most by an England bowler in a Test match since 1962. There was real optimism when he dismissed Blackwood, the West Indies’ second first-innings century, and Holder, who helped the hosts rescue the first Test.
Despite some nice deliveries and some turn on offer from Leach, Brathwaite was the victor in their tussle.
The seamers were ineffectual as the innings progressed and the ball grew softer, but debutant Saqib Mahmood bowled a good opening stint, catching Shamarh Brooks and Nkrumah Bonner in the slips. Dan Lawrence, a part-time spinner, seemed to be the most probable wicket-taker as the game progressed.
In the end, another tie means England’s terrible run continues, with just one victory in their last 16 Test matches.
They chased down the game with the bat in the morning, adding 145 runs for the cost of six wickets before declaring – albeit the declaration may have come five overs sooner – and can take heart from that, while hoping for a more lively surface for the series finale.
The Test of Brathwaite is one to remember.
Brathwaite may not be the most visually appealing batsman in West Indies history, but he is one of the most tenacious.
He was strong in defence, as he had been in the first innings, and looked to be able to ignore Leach’s odd spinning balls.
Despite the fact that wickets were falling all around him, Brathwaite did not give anybody a chance throughout his innings. He was able to get bat on ball when rare balls stayed low.
Brathwaite was only off the field for 21.1 overs of a five-day match, and England would very definitely have won without him.
In 54 years, the West Indies have only lost one series against England at home. With one Test remaining, their skipper has given them a stronger opportunity of keeping that record.
Reaction to England’s second ‘winning draw’
“If we keep placing ourselves in these circumstances, it won’t be long until we see ourselves winning a Test here,” England skipper Joe Root said. I’m at a loss for questions to ask the group. They were fantastic once again. The attitude was fantastic. Concentration and the capacity to take those risks with some fatigued individuals around was a wonderful effort, and there were a lot of positive signals throughout the game, so it was a really satisfying week.
“It’s a pretty positive thing from us in terms of where we’ve been this winter and where we’re beginning to see improvements.”
“I’m feeling fairly well,” says West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite. England definitely batted and performed well, in my opinion.
“We put up a tremendous amount of work, but we are looking for a positive result in the last Test. We’ll have to wait and see what they come up with [pitch in Grenada], but we’re hoping it includes something for the pacers.”
Jonathan Agnew, cricket correspondent: “This game was controlled by England. It’s their second ‘winning draw’ of the series, although they could have won the game with more consistent spin bowling. With a tour of Pakistan planned for next winter, it’s clear that this is something that has to be considered. Overall, though, there are more positives than negatives.”
