Bravo, Edwards give WI lifeline…Chanderpaul’s first innings 76 takes him past 11,000 runs

Dec 06, 2013 Sports

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Dunedin, New Zealand – Purposeful half-centuries from Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards helped West Indies rebound from a first innings batting collapse on Wednesday (New Zealand Time) and revived their hopes of saving the first Test against New Zealand.
Left-hander Bravo was unbeaten on 72, but make-shift opener Edwards was dismissed inside the final hour for 59, as the Windies reached 168 for two in their second innings on the third day at University Oval, still trailing by 228.
The odds had looked bleak earlier in the day, when Tim Southee and left-arm fast-

medium bowler Trent Boult shared seven wickets and the visitors were bowled out for 213 in their first innings.
West Indies have not won a Test in New Zealand since Courtney Walsh claimed a match haul of 13 wickets and bowled them to an innings and 322-run victory inside four days 18 years ago at the Basin Reserve in Wellington – but the hosts, who made 609 for nine declared in the first innings, are looking for their first win in 10 Tests since Brendon McCullum took over the captaincy late last year.
When Kieran Powell was caught at second slip for 14 from a loose drive off Trent Boult, things again looked uncertain for the Windies. But Bravo came to the crease and took the attack to the Black Caps’ bowlers to collect 10 boundaries from 130 balls in three hours of batting.
He added 117 for the second-wicket with Edwards, opening the batting following Kraigg Brathwaite’s delayed departure from the Caribbean due to visa issues.
Bravo was fortunate on 40 however, when he took his eyes off a rising delivery from Neil Wagner and the ball flew to first slip after striking him on the forearm. The New Zealanders reviewed English umpire Nigel Llong’s “not-out” decision and, though TV replays suggested it flew from the glove strap, TV umpire Ian Gould was not convinced.
Edwards, who was dismissed for a duck in the first innings, grew in confidence and struck six fours and one six from 110 balls in 2 ¾ hours before he was adjudged lbw playing back to a slider from rookie leg-spinner Ish Sodhi about 35 minutes before the close.
Marlon Samuels joined Bravo and survived a few close calls against Sodhi including an lbw review and was not out on 17 at stumps. Earlier, another half-century and milestone for Shivnarine Chanderpaul was overshadowed by another batting collapse that left West Indies under severe pressure.
Chanderpaul, the veteran left-hander, batting a smidge out of character, hit the top score of 76, becoming the seventh player in history and second West Indian behind Brian Lara to pass 11,000 Test runs, as the Windies were dismissed about an hour and 10 minutes before tea.
Darren Bravo made 40 and Windies Captain Darren Sammy was not out on 27, but none of the other batsman looked self-assured at the crease, as Southee ended with 4-52 from 16 overs to put the skids on the top-order, Boult finished with 3-40 from 18 overs to stifle the lower order and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi took 2-63 from 15.1 overs after some early punishment.
Typically, Chanderpaul entered with the Windies’ backs up against the wall, when Bravo was caught at gully for 40 from a loose drive at a delivery from Southee angled across him in the fourth over of the morning.

Chanderpaul also had to endure Marlon Samuels being caught at first slip by Ross Taylor off Southee for 14, edging a flat-footed drive at a well-pitched delivery, and Narsingh Deonarine caught in the same position on the second attempt by the same fielder off the same bowler for 15, trying to force a delivery angled across him.
In the final half-hour before the interval, Chanderpaul gave a glimpse of a side to his batting that he seldom exhibits, reaching his milestone, when he hooked a short delivery from left-arm fast-medium bowler Neil Wagner through backward square leg for the third of his eight fours.
He joined the esteemed company of the recently-retired Sachin Tendulkar of India, Ricky Ponting of Australia, Rahul Dravid of India, South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, Lara and Australian legend Allan Border in the 11,000-run club.
He brought up his 50 from 63 balls, when he moved from 38 to 52 in the space of four deliveries in Sodhi’s ninth over. Chanderpaul slapped the third delivery through cover for his fourth boundary, worked the fourth ball through mid-wicket for a deuce and finished the over with a flourish that fetched him successive boundaries, a lofted straight drive and a whip through square leg.
He followed up with boundaries off the second and third deliveries of Sodhi’s next over, a fluent cover drive establishing a 50-run stand with Denesh Ramdin, as West Indies reached 159 for five at lunch.
After the interval, Chanderpaul was fortunate on 70, when he was dropped at third slip off Boult and gained four runs, but the same bowler started the decline two balls later, when he had Ramdin caught behind for 12, gloving a rising ball.
Chanderpaul was just getting into the thick of things, when he was adjudged lbw to Boult, offering no stroke to a delivery that moved back from outside the off-stump from the left-arm bowler delivering over the wicket.
The durable West Indies left-hander wasted no time reviewing the decision and TV replays revealed he was struck on the thigh pad, but ball-tracking technology suggested the delivery would have clipped the bails on the top of the stumps, allowing the decision of Australian umpire Paul Reiffel to stand.
After his departure, there was little resistance from the rest of the batting, except Sammy, defying his right glute injury, to hit a few crisp strokes, as the Windies lost their last five wickets for 30 in the space of 43 balls.

 

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