NORTH SOUND – A maiden Test hundred from Nkrumah Bonner led West Indies to a hard-fought draw against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Antigua.
Bonner hit an unbeaten 113 and the Windies reached 236 for four in their second innings on the final day of the match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Playing in only his third Test, the 32-year-old batsman struck 13 fours and one six from 274 balls and shared a series of partnerships that carried the Caribbean side to safety in their chase of 375 for victory.
After West Indies continued from their overnight total of 34 for one, Bonner added 66 for the second wicket with West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, put on 105 for the third wicket with left-hander Kyle Mayers and shared 32 – unbroken – for the fifth wicket with deposed Test captain, Jason Holder to seal deal.
Brathwaite made a painstaking 23, Mayers gathered 52 and Holder was not out on 00 to earn the Windies a result that will likely warm the hearts of their fans.
Before lunch, Brathwaite was the only success for the Sri Lankans, after a 15-minute delay to the start of play because of a wet outfield caused by rain.
Brathwaite was bowled by ambidextrous spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, when he charged down the pitch and was deceived in flight in the ninth over before the interval.
At lunch, West Indies were 91 for two, after Bonner reached his 50 from 126 balls in the final over before the interval, when he dug out a yorker from pacer Dushmantha Chameera and got a single to mid-on.
After lunch, West Indies admittedly chose discretion as the best part of valour and ended the serious chase of the target, and Bonner and Mayers played well within themselves.
With the pitch still playing true, no wickets fell in the period between lunch and tea for the third straight day and the Windies reached 181 for two.
Bonner had a slice of good fortune on 52, when he successfully reviewed umpire Joel Wilson’s decision to adjudge him caught behind off Embuldeniya, essaying a lazy drive.
Mayers persevered and reached his 50 from 109 balls, when he bunted a delivery Dhananjaya de Silva for a single to long-off.
After tea, nerves were on edge, when Mayers edged the fourth ball after the break and was caught at slip off Embuldeniya for 52, and Jermaine Blackwood scratched around for almost an hour before he was bowled off the inside edge for four.
West Indies were 204 for four, but Jason Holder lived up to the label of World No.1 all-rounder and batted through the final hour of play with Bonner to ensure there was not a nightmare finish for the hosts.
Summarised scores:
SRI LANKA 169 (Lahiru Thirimanne 70, Niroshan Dickwella 32, Dhananjaya de Silva 13, Dimuth Karunaratne 12; Jason Holder 17.4-6-27-5, Kemar Roach 3-47) and 476 (Pathum Nissanka 103, Niroshan Dickwella 96, Oshada Fernando 91, Lahiru Thirimanne 76, Dhananjaya de Silva 50, Lasith Embuldeniya 10; Kemar Roach 3-74, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-137, Kyle Mayers 2-24).
WEST INDIES 271 (Rahkeem Cornwall 61, Joshua da Silva 46, Kyle Mayers 45, John Campbell 42, Nkrumah Bonner 31, Jason Holder 19; Suranga Lakmal 25-9-47-5, Vishwa Fernando 2-52, Dushmantha Chameera 2-71) and 236 for four (Nkrumah Bonner 113 not out, Kyle Mayers 52, Kraigg Brathwaite 23, Jason Holder 18 not out, John Campbell 11; Lasith Embuldeniya 2-62, Vishwa Fernando 2-73).
(AR)
