NORTHAMPTON – The sun shone?brightly on the West Indies’ rookie opening batsman Kieran Powell in England yesterday.
The 22-year-old Nevisian left-hander fashioned his second first-class century to lead a West Indies revival on the third day of their four-day tune-up match against England Lions.
After striking 108 and helping the West Indies end the penultimate day on 377 for eight, he said overcoming unfamiliar English conditions would be the biggest hurdle for the Caribbean cricketers.
“[I’m] pretty much acquainted with the conditions . . . . For me, it’s to reacquaint myself with conditions,” said Powell, who spent two years at Millfield cricket school in Somerset as a teenager.
“[There are] different quality bowlers, as you would imagine, and different grounds. It’s just about getting hold of conditions as much as possible.
“It’s always important to have good days in practice matches and spend as much time as possible in the middle. It is good that we got some time in the middle that is well needed.”
Playing for the first time in familiar sunshine on what has been a chilly, rain-ravaged tour, Powell batted West Indies out of danger in an innings that lasted 310 minutes and 235 balls and included 13 fours and a six.
Despite the success, Powell reiterated the importance of assessing conditions during the Test series which starts at Lord’s on Thursday.
“You will have to play according to the conditions. We do not know what Lord’s is going to provide differently to this ground or any other ground. You will just have to play what you see and hope for the best,” he contended. (EZS)
