WI upbeat ahead of England test

BECKENHAM,: Alick Athanaze and Joshua Da Silva warmed up for higher intensity battles in the coming weeks with unbeaten half-centuries that were the highlights for West Indies before the opening match on their Tour of England against the First-Class Counties Select XI ended in a draw on July 5.

Athanaze was not out on 66 and Da Silva was not out on 51 when West Indies declared their second innings on 196 for five at the rescheduled tea break on the rain-spoilt final day of the three-day match at the Kent County Cricket Ground.

The Counties Select XI were 30 for two in their second innings when stumps were drawn in the match for the final time after they were set an improbable target of 163 to win in the final session of play.

Uncapped pacer Jeremiah Louis, who replaced injured Kemar Roach in the West Indies squad for the tour, then got opener Harry Singh caught behind for a 12-ball duck, and Johann Layne, a member of the Cricket West Indies Academy squad returning to the Caribbean from their Tour of Ireland, got Jamal Richards caught behind for six before the two teams decided it was futile to continue.

“Barring a bit of adverse weather, we have managed to get a lot of solid cricket played over the last three days, so we are generally happy with what has happened on the tour so far,” West Indies assistant coach, Jimmy Adams told CWI Media.

“What we would have wanted to get from the time spent out in the middle, we have gotten. The weather has been kind to us, we know that it could get a little bit rough (in England), but all in all, we are very happy with what the weather has allowed and the facilities we have been given, and what the guys have been able to produce.”

West Indies now head to the British capital of London, where they will continue preparations ahead of the first Test against hosts England, starting on July 10 at the so-called home of the sport, Lord’s.

“I think it is important that they (the batsmen) get as much ‘live’ practice as they can in conditions that a lot of them are not familiar with,” Adams added.

“I would say that irrespective of anywhere they have travelled outside of the Caribbean, a lot of them have not toured England before – some have – but a lot of the batters haven’t, so (this tour match) was an opportunity for them to get as acquainted with conditions as possible before they run into the international opposition, and I think they have done it pretty well.”

Earlier, Athanaze and Da Silva shared 91 – unbroken – for the sixth wicket after there was no play before lunch with the visitors set to continue from their overnight total of 57 for two.

Opener Mikyle Louis made 28 and was one of three wickets that the West Indies lost in the span of half-hour when play started 2-1/2 hours later than scheduled because of adverse weather, and they were 105 for five.

But Athanaze led the resistance for the Caribbean side during two-and-a-half hours at the crease in which time he struck 11 fours from 99 balls, and Da Silva struck half-dozen fours from 69 balls in an hour-and-a-half.

Athanaze reached his 50 from 62 balls when he clipped pacer Jamal Richards through backward square leg for a single.

Da Silva arrived at the landmark from 68 balls when he pulled off-spinner Farham Ahmed, younger brother of England teenaged leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, through mid-wicket for his final boundary before the declaration came during the rescheduled tea break.

Adams said the Caribbean side will be looking to build on the knowledge they gained from the tour match and draw on their experience from this past January of winning a Test in Australia for the first time in almost three decades to offer a competitive front to England.

“It’s a really good group in terms of their ability and their willingness to learn,” he said. “Some of them went to Australia a few months back and they showed this capacity to learn very quickly, and I am hoping that this continues.

“As a coach you cannot ask for more. They work hard, they learn quickly, and what we can do is to give them a little heads up about what to expect both in terms of conditions and knowledge about the opposition.”

Adams said: “We want to build on it (the win in Australia). I can’t speak to what is happening outside of the team or around, but from a team perspective, it was a great fillip for us. Certainly, when you have a young group, you are keen to bed down a lot of things.

“Some of them are early in their careers, and results like that can help the teaching process because it reinforces and moves things from theory to reality. It then means that, maybe, instead of having to teach, you can remind because they have been there and nothing really is a substitute for having been in a battle and come out on the other side intact, so hopefully we can add to that going forward.”

The second Test of the series starts on July 18 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, and the third Test starts on July 26 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.