Holder ton saves WI on Anderson's record day

Fri, Apr 17, '15

should not diminish Holder's effort in the slightness. It was an innings of immense character and fortitude

Same island, different ground, same result. Six years ago West Indies defied England nine down at the Recreation Ground in Antigua, after the Test was shifted due to the dangerous outfield at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, with Darren Powell and Fidel Edwards surviving 10 tension-filled overs on the historic ground. This time the last-wicket pair were not needed as Jason Holder, a 23-year-old on whom so much rests for the future of West Indies cricket, produced an outstanding display of maturity in scoring a maiden first-class hundred in an innings spanning 216 minutes and 149 balls, and with help from Denesh Ramdin and Kemar Roach hauled the team to safety.

James Anderson prized out the seventh wicket shortly before the start of the final hour, finding Ramdin's edge to first slip with a classical leg-cutter, to make him England's leading Test wicket-taker, overtaking Ian Botham's 383 scalps having gone level with Botham during the morning session when Marlon Samuels edged to gully. It broke a stand of 105, leaving England 18 overs to take the final three wickets, but they could not get past the sturdy defence and big hearts of Holder and Roach.