It was a brilliant final day of what has been a brilliant Test match at Headingley. While there are threats to the longest format of the game, spectacles like the one seen in Leeds over the past five days prove that it can still enthral and entertain with the best of them. All four results were still possible heading in to the final hour of the day but Shai Hope's brilliant unbeaten century, his second in the match, led the Windies to a historic five-wicket victory.
It was a fine recovery from the tourists after the horror show at Edgbaston in the first Test that they lost by an innings and 209 runs. It was Windies' only fourth Test victory away from home, excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, in their past 88 overseas Tests and their first in England since 2000. It is also the second-highest successful chase ever in Test matches at Headingley and now gives them a chance to win the series at Lord's.
In Kraigg Brathwaite and Hope, they have two batsmen of real Test match pedigree who they can build around for the next decade. The pair put on 144 on Tuesday (August 29) to put their side within sight of victory, and Hope, who became the first player ever to score hundreds in each innings of a first-class match at Headingley, with Jermaine Blackwood then saw them to their target of 321. Together, Hope and Brathwaite put on 390 runs in the match.
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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
What a win! Never have I seen such a beautiful game of test cricket in my life. The team has made us very proud and though I am a strong critique of our selectors and players I must give it up to them tonight. Although we dominated 4 and a 1/2 days of the test, the English commentators completely wrote us out even when we had the 2 runs for three wickets on the forth morning. They tried the scare tactic on us but our boys had none of that. Hope, Brathwaite, Blackwood (though I was disappointed with his dismissal today as I was with him in the 1st inning and the last inning of the first test) have so far made us proud with the bat, while Holder, Roach, and Gabo have done it with the ball. Hope Powel, Kyle Hope, Chase and Dowrich gain some form for the third test.
In reply to sandisha
Selectors please DO NOT change the winning side except for injury
In reply to sandisha
Likely to be unchanged, barring injury....
In reply to mikesiva
They have room for improvement. The problem is when you keep selecting underperformers due to the success of the team then you are negating selecting the best team. Why select a 16 man squad and keep playing failures?????
The opening and number 3 spots need remediation
I was very impressed by Shai Hope's batting , also Brathwaite's Batting ,
I was disappointed that Brathwaite did
not achieve his second century in the
match . So that both He and Hope could
be the first Players to achieve a ton
in both Innings .
Brathwaite made a serious mistake
that brought about his demise in the
Second Innings . Rather than placing his left foot in the area where the ball was going drop , he placed his left leg straight down the Pitch , and that brought about his demise as the ball nicked his bat , rather than hitting the middle of the bat ; which obviously would have got him his second hundred in the match .
