Bridgetown (Barbados), May 4:
West Indies defied the odds and a wearing pitch to complete a series-levelling five-wicket victory over England on the third day of the third and final Test.
Set a daunting target of 192 after the tourists were dismissed for 123 in their second innings, a 108-run fifth-wicket partnership between Darren Bravo and Jermaine Blackwood tilted the match decisively the Caribbean side’s way yesterday.
That allowed them to celebrate their first victory over England since the opening match of the 2009 series in Kingston, Jamaica.
Bravo’s controlled knock of 82, his 11th Test half-century, ended when he attempted to make the victory hit off Ben Stokes as Stuart Broad pulled down the catch at mid-off.
It was left to Blackwood to finish off the match in the next over, hoisting Moeen Ali’s off-spin over long-on to finish unbeaten on 47 and complete a team and personal triumph following his first innings top score of 85 out of a total of 189.
He was named man of the match.
“I always try to play my natural game but you have to be mindful of the situation as well,” said Blackwood.
“(Darren) Bravo told me to just keep positive and we would be able to bring it home.”
West Indies seemed on the verge of another capitulation when veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul played on to James Anderson without scoring to leave the home side uncomfortably placed at 80 for four just after tea.
Anderson took the man of the series honours for his 17 wickets in the three matches, lifting his overall Test tally to 397.
“It’s disappointing, but they chased down that target very well,” he said.
Blackwood, who replaced Chanderpaul, capitalised on a significant moment of luck — a missed stumping by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler off Joe Root when only on four — to stay with his senior partner.
Gradually they wore down the England bowlers before unfurling the attacking shots that sped the West Indies to the target that seemed beyond them at the start of the chase given the state of the pitch and the low-scoring nature of the match. (AGENCIES)
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