Stoic wicketkeeper-batter Joshua da Silva and disciplined medium-pacer Kyle Mayers were insrumental to the Calypso Kings’ comprehensive ten-wicket victory in the series-deciding Test against England Lions in Grenada on March 27.
England couldn’t withstand the spirit with which the Windies played over four days, losing the third and final Test to concede yet another Test series on the Caribbean soil. They have now gone 54 years with a solitary series win in the West Indies back in 2004.
Having played out two successive draws in Antigua and Barbados, the hosts came up with their best at the most bowler-friendly venue of the series, exposing again England’s longstanding issues with the bat in hand.
Mayers came up with his best in the third-innings of the Test match. His military mediums proved monstrous for the struggling English batters as the dibbly dobbly right-arm seamer relished the semi-new dukes in hand to bag a magnificent five-fer (5/18).
93 runs behind West Indies on the first-innings, England folded for only 120 after Mayers and co ran through their batting unit and not even their mighty skipper Joe Root or the fighting lower-order could save them. Mayers, predominantly a batter, produced eye-catching control and consistency through his 17-over burst. He had also bowled 10 overs on Day 1 with figures of two for 13 in helping dismiss England for a paltry 204.
But to set-up the game for Mayers & rest of the West Indies bowling, playing arguably the most important knock of his career was the patient Da Silva, who struck an unbeaten 100 off 257 deliveries in the first-innings. Walking into bat at No.8 with West Indies 95/6 and staring at the possibility of conceding a heavy lead on a seaming deck, Da Silva batted his team back in the contest via a resolute innings with only the lower-order for company.
Despite the threat of England running through the tailenders, the 23-year-old backed his strengths – the defence, the grit and the resilience – and eventually changed the game back in his team’s favour. Yet, he would be the first one to acknowledge the crucial efforts made at the other end by Alzarri Joseph (28), Kemar Roach (25), Jayden Seales (13), all known for their bowling.
The surge from the lower-order was West Indies giving England a taste of their own medicine. The visitors were themselves placed horribly at 114 for nine on Day 1, when the tenth-wicket partnership between Jack Leach (41) and Saqib Mahmood (49) ensured they reached some form of respectability to their score.
Still, the ground conceded earlier in the innings was such that West Indies were always one decent batting effort short of pulling the game their way. And they did exactly that with Da Silva and lower-order coming to the party when it mattered the most.
Apart from him in either innings, Roach (2/41 & 2/10) was the pick of the bowlers for the Caribbean men, who also had Seales (3/40) and Joseph (2/33) really doing well in the first half. Notable mention must also be given to Jason Holder’s miserly spells in either innings.
Needing only 28 runs to win in the final innings, Windies reached home in less than five overs with their skipper Kraigg Brathwaite (20*) scoring the winning runs. Fittingly so, as he had been their most consistent performer throughout the series.
For England, it was yet another occasion where their batting failed to withstand some quality bowling in a Test match. Their only shining light on the batting front was opening batter Alex Lees with defiant knocks of 31 in his two innings.
Brief scores
England 204/10 (Saqib Mahmood 49, Jack Leach 41; Jayden Seales 3/40) & 120/10 (Alex Lees 31; Kyle Mayers 5/18, Kemar Roach 2/10) lost to West Indies 297/10 (Joshua da Silva 100*; Chris Woakes 3/59, Saqib Mahmood 2/45) & 28/0 (Kraigg Brathwaite 20*; Chris Woakes 0/13) by 10 wickets
