1st Test, North Sound, November 22, 2024, 07:30 PM
West Indies
250/5(84.0ov)
Bangladesh
Day 1: Stumps - BAN opted to field
WI 66%
Tie 9%
BAN 25%
Right then, that is it from an entertaining Day 1 of this first Test. West Indies are in a good position with 250/5 on the board, but Bangladesh will be eyeing early inroads and restricting them under 300. We did lose six overs of play but Day 2 is still expected to start at 2 pm GMT, but you can join us early for all the build-up. Cheers!
West Indies took control in the final session, with Alick Athanaze's counterattack and Mikyle Louis’s steady hand powering a 100-plus run stand. Both batters stormed into their 90s, but the tension of the nervous nineties struck hard - Louis fell after a shaky patch, and Athanaze followed soon after. Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam’s spin broke the partnership just in time for Bangladesh. Yet, the second new ball backfired, as Joshua Da Silva and Justin Greaves countered with quick runs, steering the Windies safely to stumps. A gripping day ends with the hosts holding the edge and Bangladesh plotting a comeback.
West Indies fought back brilliantly in the afternoon session, closing at 116/3, led by Mikyle Louis’s gritty, unbeaten 71 off 166 balls. With seven boundaries, Louis anchored the innings, fending off a relentless Bangladeshi attack. Kavem Hodge’s run-out for 25 was the only blip, but his partnership with Louis steadied the ship. Alick Athanaze’s composed presence added 32 crucial runs for the fourth wicket. The Bangladeshi pacers were a bit inconsistent, letting the batters take advantage while the spinners Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam probed without any reward.
Opting to bowl first proved a good decision for Bangladesh, with Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud setting the tone early with disciplined spells. Though wickets eluded them initially, Taskin Ahmed broke through with two crucial strikes, dismissing both Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty. The Windies struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking, but Mikyle Louis showed resilience, finding rhythm as the session progressed, with Kavem Hodge providing steady support. Heading into Lunch, the hosts faced an uphill battle to regain momentum, while Bangladesh were eager to press their advantage and seize control.
SESSION SUMMARY - 134 runs and 2 wickets in 30 overs! Well, a hard-fought day of Test cricket comes to an end! Bangladesh were the ones who took control in the first session with some brilliant pace bowling but the momentum shifted quickly with West Indies coming back hard in the next two sessions. The visitors did manage to get a couple of crucial breakthroughs in the last hour of play, but this game is very much in the balance.
In over# 84
1
0
1
0
0
0
Taijul Islam 67/1(22)
83.6
1
Nagging length on the stumps, and Justin Greaves punches it to deep mid-wicket for a single to end the over and it looks like it's going to be the end of the day. STUMPS ON DAY 1!
83.5
.
Tosses it slow outside off. Justin Greaves sees it through.
83.4
1
Fuller on the stumps. Joshua Da Silva drives it to long on for a single.
83.3
.
Tosses the ball up slow outside off. Joshua Da Silva reaches out to play it but the ball spins away and beats the batter. Litton Das takes the bails off and the Third Umpire comes into the action. Joshua Da Silva looks to be behind the line and the decision stays not out.
83.2
.
Floats it fuller just outside leg stump. Joshua Da Silva gets a hit on the pads and there is a huge shout for LBW and the umpire says no.
83.1
.
Comes around the wicket and drops it short on the stumps. Joshua Da Silva tucks it back to the bowler.
Halt! The floodlights have been turned on for a while now and the umpire brings out the light meter to take a reading. We are good to continue but only with spin.
In over# 83
1
0
1
0
0
0
Hasan Mahmud 54/0(18)
82.6
1
Swings the ball into the right-hander, fuller on the stumps. Joshua Da Silva walks in and flicks the ball to Taskin Ahmed at fine leg for a single to end the over.
82.5
.
Drops the length back outside off. Joshua Da Silva walks in and lets the ball go through.
82.4
1
Fuller on the stumps. Justin Greaves flicks the ball towards mid on and runs a quick single.
82.3
.
Beautifully bowled! Beats the outside edge from a good length outside off. Justin Greaves leans into the defence and misses the ball completely.
82.2
.
Hits the length just outside off this time. Justin Greaves covers the line of the stumps and leaves the ball.
82.1
.
Swings the ball away from outside off. Justin Greaves waves his arms and sees it through.