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After 20 years of free falling in test cricket, is it possible that the West Indies are finally setting a solid foundation to compete against the top 7 test nations?

There's an undercurrent of excitement among ardent West Indians fans, who relished the 4th innings fight put up to ensure an unlikely draw in the first test match against England in the current home series. Fuel is being added to the fire with another fightback currently underway in the 2nd test match.

The backbone of the resistance have been Kraig Brathwaite (22 years, 145 days), Darren Bravo (26 years, 78 days), Jermaine Blackwood (23 years, 156 days), Jason Holder (23 years, 171 days) alongside veteran Marlon Samuels. The bowling department has not been as consistent with Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and a returning Devendra Bishoo struggling on flat and lifeless pitches.

Brathwaite average (36.96), a dour batsman who's prepared to grind out an inning is in contrast to those that have gone before him - Greenidge, Hunte, Gayle, Haynes,Frederick, has provided stability at the top. The search for the 2nd opener seems destined to continue as a half century by veteran Devon Smith seems unlikely to lead to continued consistency.

Darren Bravo (42.7 has not been at his fluent best so far, but his 6 centuries, average of 42 and highest score of 218 is nothing to scoff at.

Jermaine Blackwood (48.25) progressed quickly into the West Indies team and impressed many with his tenacity and ability to successfully take on a challenge. A tightening of his technique will only make him better.

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Thank you for a positive article!

Opening pair in Test will be Braithwaite and Powell perhaps?

What happened to Nelon Pascal from Grenada?

Braffit only averaged 36? That gotta be wrong with all the hype going on

In reply to Kay

38.24

In reply to openning

and climbing.

Braffit is de real deal.

The title is - The Emergence of the 3 Bs.


Brathwaite's average was 36.96 before the 2nd test match

In reply to Kay

Even if it was 36 how old is he?

I was 99% sure that WI would collapse on the 5th morning.

Daren Bravo is not good enough for the future. WI need to start looking for a #3. He has one massive slash through the offside and will get away with two or three in his inning but will eventually be caught behind or in the slips. He also bats with the crowd's momentum. Not good for a test player. He need to play withing a settled mindset. At this stage he should be the premiere batsman in the side. since he is not I would say that He is basically full of $hit.

If Blackwood is going to be a test batsman he needs to rid of that attacking mindset; now! Otherwise he will end up still not been established after 3 years. But he should be groomed to be the future #3. The #6 need to be a experienced batsman from the WI tournament.

Holder is not good enough to be the 4th bowler, he is only good for the 5th bowling/all-rounder spot. This mean that one batsman will miss out.

WI is yet to show the next generation of fast bowlers. Roach is a waste of time. Taylor will not last for the future. The age that he came back and to be the work horse at this stage tells that he will only get slower and slower and slower.


Finally, I must say that most of the top 7 team are also very young. And their youngest/new players are way better than the WI's.
For example, look and Newzealand's Kane Williamson compared to Darren Bravo. This guy is two years younger than Bravo but is way classed above Bravo.

In reply to Stumpoff

Umm really? Bravo has 6 Test centuries including a double. Can we stop comparing our players to others? Thanks. Let's hope they can become the best them that they can be. Blackwood's attacking mind-set is NOT the problem. Knowing when to attack and shot selection are. Test cricket would be boring without attacking batsmen. They are needed to get the scoreboard moving whereas defensive batsmen are needed to hold innings together.

Blackwood just needs to learn better shot selection and understand game situations.

In reply to nick2020

He is 22 but what point are you trying to make?

Bravo is the only one that has emerged....kinda.

The other two and especially Blackwood is wait and see. Blackwood has not played enough so the 48 Avg means Little and While Craig is a positive sign ect ect...you just have to wait.

Emergence is proclaiming the reaching of something...

Its like the proverbial corner we always turning and the hyping and premature ejaculation that goes with it.

Gosh man... wait nuh.

In reply to michaelmax

Why ???

Are you saying every time we play in a "test" series we have to apologize for our "inferior" players?

In reply to Tagwa1

YOU ! Man Kraigg Brathwaite got nuff centuries yeah

I iz a Bajan yeah
He got over a 100 centuries in his young career.
We need another opener
Kyle Corbin
Omar Phillips
CAMPBELL
JOHNSON Charles (ha ha ha)

In reply to casiba

Young Chanderpaul was in the making as a future opener prospect. But his dad won't retire from Guyana's squad so he son can get a spot.

In reply to Stumpoff

Can young tiger really make Guyana?

Now he is to be one of "The 4" or "the 5".

West Indians are hilarious.


No wonder a team from such a culture with such a rich history, can end up losing for 30 years straight with no let up in sight.

In reply to Tagwa1

Brathwaite has played in 9 series.In his first 5 series he played in 10 test matches scoring 415 runs at an average of 21.84 with no centuries.
In his last 4 series he scored 885 runs at an average of 59 with 4 centuries(one in each series) in 9 test matches.
A man scoring 4 test centuries in 9 test matches at the age of 22 years suggests to me that he is very good especially when it includes a century in SOuth Africa and centuries against England and New Zealand.
As a basis for comparison Chanderpaul scored his 4th test century in his 54th test match,Sarwan in his 40th while Kraigg scored his 4th century in his 19th test match.

In reply to Dukes

Yes he is good, but you cant use a flurry of centuries to determine the long term greatness of any player as some may interpret your numbers to mean. It's only an indication.

Kurt recently, Jimmy Adams before him scored heavily at the start of their careers and then what happened.

The conclusion that we have somehow "stabilized" because of the "emergence" of the 3 on this thread is still a bit premature.

In reply to Stumpoff

I am 1% sure you are telling the truth

In reply to Tagwa1

Huh ?

"stablized" ?

answer could be yes, answer could be no, answer could be who knows ?

A genuine turnaround wont happen in one year, you will see positive signs in the first year, but I put it to you that with our lack of resources and vision, it will take more time.

To get it right, we first have to put 2 important components in place.

1. Better pitches, faster, bouncier, with more turn
2. Some kind of certification for all cricket coaches from the primary schools on up

then we work on Sports Psychology, Man management (HRD), etc.

In reply to Dukes

885 runs in 9 test matches at 59.

Same class as Joe Root

Not good enough for the future lol


Bravo and Brathwaite are our core of the top three , what is open right now is another good young opener or we can start with good . K. Powell , L. Johnson seem to be the best fit candidates .

Re Blackwood . He can be an aggressive player but would also give chances to the opposition, as would many . Better game awareness needed as a core batsman on the later end.

In reply to michaelmax

Thank you sir! When our batsmen get out being aggressive they are idiots when others do they wete simply taking it to the opposition(Sewag).
There once was a batsman
Named Viv who came out on a cool afrernoon in Barbados with WI in no dominant shape but took it to Thommo and Lillie. Yes it was brief and aggressive but it signaled intent at that moment and from then on that WI would no longer go meekly into the night.

Blackwood simply has to tighten up as you said.

In reply to Stumpoff

Bravo has a big part to play in our future, he is a quality bat. He is in a rut it happens even to the best of them. I actually think the biggest problem for him is batting at #3, I would actually swap him and Samuels in the order that way Bravo doesn't come out to the crease so early. Seems he bats best when there is runs on the board and the openers don't fall 5 overs into the innings.

Brathwaite and Powell is the way to go opening the innings. Both have the right temperament for test cricket, they are willing to just occupy the crease if nothing else is going on. Samuels at 3 and Bravo at 4, Blackwood at 5 and then we need to find a #6.

We have something to build on.

In reply to unitsypher

Darren is not going anywhere, he will remain in the team and I predict he will do well. HE should have gone to SA; has to deal with real pace. But Windies need to consider how they are going to approach the future.

Shiv still has some runs in him, but we all know that we are probably not going to get big production out of him in the next three years so the big question is, do we persist with Shiv knowing he is in decline and future contribution will be diminished? or do we give him a good send-off now and start blooding a young, promising player like Shai, who will probably do as well as a declining Shiv, but will provide potentially many runs going forward? Besides that, he is also a wicket keeper who could fill the breach if something happens to Ramdin.

Since Shai is a natural #3 who has also opened, this would be his position, pushing Darren to #4 which is better for him, Samuels into the Shiv spot at 5, and making the number 6 position very competitive between Blackwood, Holder and others that may emerge.

With Ramdin back in the proper place at #7, that would make for a potentially quite satisfying top order except that a partner for Water Paint (I moved him up from oil paint ) has to be found.

BTW: what the hec is going on with Powell and Barath? Are they done?

In reply to LBW375

Why people, including the commentators keep talking about better pitches. It just does not matter. I just does not matter. It start withing the brain. We have players in the WI tournament getting out in the 90s because they want to hit a 6 then. Now blame the pitch for that!

We have some senior batsmen who can't or don't even make an effort to pick up singles and rotate the strike. Blame the pitch for that!

Some bowlers even after hearing from Bishop, Walsh, Ambrose but they still keep bowling too many short balls. Blame the pitch for that.

For example, Best had real speed but he bowl too short and spry the ball all over the darn place even on some great pitches in Newzealand. Blame the pitch for that!