SHENLEY, England, (CMC) - Sylvester Joseph made the most of his first opportunity on tour and Dwayne Bravo joined the contest for a spot in the West Indies team for this week’s first Test against England at Lord’s.
Two players desperate for runs were needlessly run-out, however, on the opening day of the cricket tour match against Sri Lanka-A yesterday.
Capitalising on an early reprieve, Joseph blazed his way to 114 off m152 balls with 21 fours and one six, while Bravo went for his shots after an uncertain start in compiling an attractive 118 (130 balls, 17 fours, two sixes) that lifted the Caribbean side to 351 for six at stumps.
The Sri Lankan attack of medium-pace and spin lacked any real menace in conditions that became gradually easier as cloudy skies gave way to brilliant afternoon and evening sunshine.
Yet, it would have been particularly painful for left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul and all-rounder Dwayne Smith to watch the runs flowing after they both fell victim to poor running between the wickets.
The ground owned by a Sri Lankan property lawyer is almost a home away from home for fellow expatriates from that sub-continental island and West Indian fans were few and far between as the unofficial ‘home’ team gave their supporters much to cheer about in the opening overs.
Seam bowlers Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara posed real challenges for the West Indies openers, after the Caribbean team, led by Ramnaresh Sarwan, won the toss and decided to bat.
Sarwan looked to give his team a solid start in partnership with Devon Smith as Chris Gayle was also being rested. He lost Smith in just the fourth over of the day when the compact left-hander, on six, pushed forward to Kulasekara and Malintha Gajanayake held a straightforward catch at third slip.
Joseph should have perished shortly after, but an expansive drive off Thushara took the edge only for the head-high catch to be put down at first slip.
There was even more frustration for Thushara half-an-hour later when Sarwan, on 19, sliced a square-drive and this time it was the turn of the second slip fielder to grass the opportunity.
The acting West Indies captain did not profit much from the reprieve, however, adding only nine more runs before leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi lured him into a drive and Sri Lanka-A captain Jehan Mubarak took the catch at extra-cover.
Joseph drew gasps of admiration for his full-blooded driving through the offside in a 94-run third-wicket partnership with Chanderpaul, but at the other end, the experienced left-hander looked like a batsman suffering from a chronic loss of form and confidence.
Hardly anything came off the middle of his bat at the start of his innings, but self-belief grew with occupation of the crease and in hoisting off-spinner Suraj Mohamed for a straight six, he finally seemed to be getting into stride.
As if inspired to match Chanderpaul’s effort, Joseph went on bended knee and swung Mohamed over mid-wicket to bring up his hundred off 137 deliveries.
Both were well entrenched only to be separated by an error of judgement as Joseph drove to mid-on and called Chanderpaul, who was well short of his ground at the striker’s end and run-out for 32.
As the most senior batsman in the squad after Lara, it is essential that Chanderpaul gets some runs under his belt before next Thursday after his struggles of the past month, and he will be especially keen to have a second innings here.
It is debatable whether Joseph was unsettled by the dismissal, but he clearly suffered from a loss of concentration when playing a cross-batted swing at Lokuarachchi to be bowled for 114.
Leaving the ground to a warm ovation, he would have felt that he had gone ahead of both Dwayne Smith and Bravo in vying for what is generally believed to be the one spot in the middle-order that is still undecided.
His demise brought the other two contenders together, but their union did not last very long as a mix-up following another fearsome Smith cover-drive saw the Barbadian run-out at the bowler’s end for just eight to reduce the West Indies to 211 for five.
If his composure was disturbed by the incident, it certainly did not show as Bravo played with increasing authority, launching into a succession of extravagant off-drives.
At the other end, Jacobs remained quietly solid, his contribution being just four runs by the time the 50-partnership had been registered.
Mubarak called for the second new ball almost as soon as it became due, but if anything, it prompted Bravo to play his off-drives with even greater flair and panache, while Jacobs started indulging in his usual meaty drives and cuts.
Bravo was obviously keen to reach three figures before the close and a cover-drive and flick through mid-wicket for boundaries off successive deliveries from Kulasekara took him to the landmark off 117 balls with 16 fours.
In a celebratory mood thereafter, he smashed Thushara over long off for his first six and added a more spectacular second, slashing Kulasekara over the point boundary for the shot of the day.
But he got carried away and, in the same over, edged another forcing offside shot into the grateful hands of Mubarak at second slip to end his innings and a sixth-wicket partnership of 140 runs.
Jacobs on 30 not out and Banks, yet to score, will be looking to build another useful stand today, but with preparation for the first Test just four days away paramount, most West Indian attention on the second day is expected to be on the efforts of the bowlers and, indeed, the fielders.