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BY BRYAN DAVIS
A significant and convincing victory in the third Test match at the National Stadium in Grenada gave the West Indies a stunning triumph in their three-Test series against England. It was completed before lunch on the fourth day. The WI captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, asked for a sporting pitch for this game because the nature of the wickets in the first two Tests had produced cricket that was quite tiresome and uninteresting.
It was a brave decision that revealed the confidence the skipper had in his players. The pitch did have a generous coating of grass but not overdone, an even spread that is a welcoming sight for a cricket game. However, there might have been a liberal wetting of the square that gave the bowlers assistance off the seam. Winning the toss and fielding was the obvious option, thus, Brathwaite won the first round.
As the moisture disappeared from the surface under the heat of the tropical sun, the pitch lost some of its venom, but none of its assistance to bowlers; they just had to work a bit harder to get the movement off the seam. Nonetheless, it was never going to be easy for batsmen, as the surface developed a variable bounce, denying batsmen free strokeplay. And so it remained throughout the match.
The WI’s team performances throughout the three matches of the series showed a fight and determination that made me sit up and admire. What was lacking in ability was revealed in application and sheer stubbornness. The virtues of the captain came to the fore in the way he staved off possible chances of defeat in the first two Tests, by the doggedness of his approach and the strong will not to give in. One should not disregard the responsibility of Brathwaite, the patience he demonstrated so clearly to keep his team in the series. Nkrumah Bonner, the middle order bat, held his own in the first Test, assisting his team in attaining a draw.
The spirit of this team was impressive, having to fight back from difficult situations to steady the ship. It was a remarkable achievement to come away unscathed after two Tests, leaving the outcome of the series to be decided in the third and final game. For this game, the skipper asked for a pitch that could give the bowlers some assistance.
What a brave call to make. Would his batsmen manage to keep the English bowlers at bay? Would his bowlers be able to intimidate the English batsmen, especially Joe Root, the captain, and Ben Stokes, their aggressive all-rounder who is an attacking successful left-handed batsman?
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As it happened, the English batsmen did not rise to the occasion on the bowler-friendly surface, managing only 204, mainly through a last-wicket partnership of 90 by the left-handed Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood, better known for their bowling.
When WI batted, they were going very much the way their English counterparts collapsed. At 95 for 6 wickets it was terrifyingly close to an early demise.
Joshua Da Silva, the wicketkeeper, was next in. A man of character and good sense, one wondered whether he would have the nerve and the ability to withstand the experienced English bowling on this particular wicket.
He played an innings of exceptional quality.
The sort of innings that cricketers around the globe appreciate as the epitome of batting in a Test match when one’s team is struggling and a batsman is striving against fierce odds. The discipline Da Silva displayed confirmed his ability to read a game, plus the unlimited concentration required for such a situation. This fighting quality, the unwavering resourcefulness with eyes wide open to the eventual target, is the cloth from which great cricketers are cut. He’s 23 years old and the maturity he has shown is beyond his years. Into the equation one must add the inclination and instincts of Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales who all shared important partnerships, driving the English team deeper into doubt and despair.
Their confidence was slowly evaporating.
Da Silva had the courtesy to congratulate them all and thanked those who stayed with him to the end, for the team’s cause and see him to a personal goal.
A dispirited English team then had the seaming deliveries of Kyle Mayers to deal with, plus sharp slip catching, to the delight of West Indian fans and to the astonishment of the English team and their supporters.
Congratulations Kraigg Brath-waite, on a magnificent job.
 
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