Brooks and Brathwaite open tour for Windies with solid century stand
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, and Shamarh Brooks both made half-centuries as they added a top-quality century opening stand on the opening day of their tour match against a combined NSW and ACT XI in Australia on Thursday.
The pair added 133 with Brathwaite (75 off 114 balls with 10 fours) and Brooks (56 off 116 balls with five fours) playing several attractive strokes in the early exchanges at the Philip Oval.
Meanwhile, left-arm orthodox spinner Riley Ayre (3-70) bowled well to have the West Indies on 207-5 shortly after tea, before Jason Holder with some positive shots and Blackwood with workmanlike resilience, took the visitors to the close. They have so far added 92 for the sixth wicket.
The Windies will resume Friday morning (Thursday night Caribbean time) on 297-5 with Holder on 50 not out – the third half-century of the innings – and Jermaine Blackwood on 42 not out.
Holder has so far faced 75 balls and hit 10 fours, while Blackwood has faced 141 balls with four boundaries.
