Braithwaite & Chanderpaul consistent, Roach, Benn good with ball As Windies beat Bangladesh but lose to SA & N/Zealand in 2014

Jun 09, 2020 Sports

After winning the 3-Test Series 2-nil in New Zealand in 2013, the Kiwis embarked on the reciprocal tour to the West Indies the next year and although the host won the second Test, New Zealand won the three-test series 2-1.

Marlon Samuels got a couple of tons in 2014.

The 2014 Test season for the West Indies started on June 8 with first Test in Jamaica and the match ended in four days with the visitors winning by 186 runs.
Led by centuries from Kane Williamson (113) and Jimmy Neesham (107) and half-centuries by Watling (89), Latham (83) and Taylor (55) New Zealand declared at 508-8.
Spinners Shane Shillingford and Sulieman Benn took three wickets each for West Indies who were bowled out for 262.
Shiv Chanderpaul made an unbeaten 84 and Chris Gayle made an uncharacteristic 64 at the top of the order as Tim Southee took 4-19.
New Zealand declared for the second time in the game as they called in their batsmen with the score on 156-8 despite Latham’s 73.
Jamaican pacer Jerome Taylor had 3-28 while Kemar Roach and Shillingford took two wickets.
West Indies were dismissed for 216 although Shillingford, batting at number eleven finished unbeaten on a shot-filled 53 from 29 balls with five sixes and three fours. But Shillingford’s late order could not help the home team from a defeat in four days.

Kraigg Braithwaite was the most consistent Windies batsman in 2014.

West Indies rebounded with a 10-wicket win in the next Test at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
The consistent Latham made a superb 82 but nobody else reached fifty as New Zealand fell for 221 as Taylor had 4-34, Benn took 3-73 and Shannon Gabriel 2-43 did the damage with the ball.
West Indies responded with 460 as Kraigg Braithwaite made a patient 129 and the classy Darren Bravo hit 11 fours and four sixes in a masterful 109.
The pair was backed up by half-centuries from Jermaine Blackwood, who got the nod for his Test debut ahead of Leon Johnson, started with a solid 63 and Kurt Edwards who scored 55.
Spinner Ish Sodhi had 4-96 for the tourist who made 331 on the back of half-centuries from Watling, Craig and Williamson as Roach captured 4-64, Taylor (2-73), Gabriel (2-63) and Benn (2-78) for West Indies who were set 95 to win.
Chris Gayle clobbered six sixes and seven fours in a 46-ball undefeated 80 as he dominated the opening partnership with Braithwaite who remained not out on 14.
In the third Test in Barbados, West Indies showed why they are considered one of the most inconsistent teams in World cricket by crashing to a 63-run defeat.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat and made 293 with Neesham making 78 as Benn had 5-93 and Roach 4-16.
West Indies replied with 317 with Braithwaite (68) and Edwards (58) scoring fifties, while Ramdin (45) and Gayle (42) also contributed.
Wagner had 4-74 for New Zealand who made 331 with Williamson reaching the boundary 22 times in a top class 161 and Neesham hitting 51. Roach had 4-55 and Jason Holder took 2-26 on debut.
West Indies fell for 254 with Holder getting 52 and Darren Bravo making 40. There were three wickets each for Trent Boult, Southee and Craig as New Zealand took the series 2-1.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was outstanding in 2014.

West Indies’ next assignment was against Bangladesh in September in St Vincent and the host won by 10 wickets.
West Indies declared at 484-7 with Braithwaite hitting 14 fours in 447 minutes of batting in a responsible 212. The Bajan got support from Guyanese Chanderpaul who made 85 not out, while Gayle chipped in with 64 and Darren Bravo contributed 62.
Gayle and Braithwaite added 116 for the first wicket before Braithwaite and Chanderpaul joined forces at 261-3 when Bravo departed and carried West Indies to 479 when Braithwaite was removed by Taijul Islam who had 5-135.
Bangladesh were bundled out for 182 despite 51 from Mominul Haque as Benn had 5-39.
West Indies enforced the follow-on and Bangladesh reached 314 in their second innings with Captain and Wicket Keeper Mushfiqur Rahim stroking 15 fours and a six in a 116, while Mahmudullah (66) and Tamim Iqbal (53) getting fifties.
Roach had 4-64, while Gabriel and Benn had two scalps each as West Indies, set 13 to win hit off the required runs without losing a wicket.
The second Test was played in St Lucia and it was historical being the 500th Test since West Indies played their first in England in 1928.
Guyanese Leon Johnson made his debut and in the process became the 300th West Indian to play Test cricket.
A Man-of-the-Match performance from Chanderpaul led West Indies to an emphatic 296-run win.

Bajan Pacer Kemar Roach had a year in 2014.

West Indies batted first and made 380 with Braithwaite (63) and Johnson (66) putting together 143 for the first wicket before Chanderpaul fashioned an unbeaten 85 while Darren Bravo made 45.
Al-Amin Hossain (3-80) was the most successful bowler for Bangladesh who made 161 with Mahmudulla scoring 53 and Tamim Iqbal supporting with 48.
Roach had 5-42, while Taylor took 2-41 for West Indies who made 269-4 declared with Braithwaite (45) and Johnson (41) adding 76 for the first wicket before Chanderpaul, unbeaten on 101, put together 169 with Blackwood who finished 66 not out.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 192 despite Tamim Iqbal’s 64 and 56 from Mominul Haque as Benn had 5-72 and Taylor took 3-39.
In December West Indies travelled to South Africa and lost the first Test in SuperSport Park, Centurion by an innings and 220 runs.
H M Alma’s 208, 152 from A B de Villiers and an unbeaten 101 by van Zyl saw the hosts amassed 552-5 declared as Roach and Benn had two wickets each.
West Indies collapsed for 201 with Brathwaite (34), Devon Smith (35), Johnson (31) and Marlon Samuels (33) all wasted good starts.
Vernon Philander had 4-23 while Morkel captured 3-55 for the home team who enforced the follow-on and bowled out the Caribbean side for a paltry 131 as Dale Steyn bagged 6-34.
The second Test commenced on Boxing Day and ended in a draw.
South Africa on the back of centuries from Elgar (121) and du Plessis (103) reached 417 with Taylor, Kenroy Peters and Gabriel taking two wickets each.
West Indies replied with 275-9 as Brathwaite (106) and Samuels (101) scored tons as Morkel took 4-69 before the entire last day was washed out.
The third and final Test started on January 15, 2015 and South Africa won by eight wickets.
Half-centuries from Blackwood (56), Ramdin (53) and Johnson (54) spearheaded the West Indies to 329 as Steyn had 4-78.
A B de Villiers (148), du Plessis (68) and Amla (63) led the host to 421 with Holder and Samuels taking two wickets each.
Samuels (74), Johnson (44) and Chanderpaul, who was run out for 50, were the leading scorers as West Indies made 215.
Set 124 to win the Test and the series, South Africa reached 125-2 as Elgar (60) and Amla (38) adding 75 runs in an unfinished third wicket stand as the host won the three Test series 2-1. (Sean Devers)