Da Silva, Athanaze shine as Windies A dominate
SYLHET, Bangladesh (CMC) — Captain Joshua Da Silva and Alick Athanaze added half-centuries while Tagenarine Chanderpaul missed out on a hundred, as West Indies A batsmen dominated day two of the opening four-day Test against Bangladesh A here Wednesday.
Resuming at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on 220 for two following a rain-hit day one, West Indies produced another sterling effort to end on 417 for six, after another truncated day’s play in the east of the country.
At the close, Da Silva was unbeaten on a fluent 73 and was partnered by Kevin Sinclair — better known for his off-spin — who was closing on a half-century with an unbeaten 47.
Left-handed Test opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul was dismissed for 83 after resuming from his overnight 70 while Alick Athanaze, on 35 at the start, perished for 85.
West Indies flourished early, left-handers Chanderpaul and Athanaze stretching their third-wicket stand to 121 as the hosts struggled for the breakthrough.
Chanderpaul had faced 236 deliveries and struck seven fours when he flirted with a somewhat wide delivery from seamer Mushfik Hasan (3-54) and was taken behind.
Athanaze played positively from the start and was the main source of runs for West Indies A, the 24-year-old counting a dozen fours and three sixes in a 98-ball innings.
However, he was part of a slide which saw the visitors lose three wickets for two runs in the space of 11 deliveries.
In the same over Chanderpaul departed, Brandon King followed to the final ball, scooping a pace-off delivery back to the bowler without scoring.
Athanaze followed in the next over, hit in front by seamer Ripon Mondol and adjudged lbw, leaving West Indies A tottering slightly on 283 for five.
Da Silva, however, led his side’s recovery, first in a 34-run, sixth-wicket stand with Yannic Cariah (14) and then in a 100-run, unbroken seventh-wicket partnership with Sinclair.
All told, the right-handed Da Silva has faced 116 deliveries and struck five fours and a six while Sinclair has lashed half-dozen fours in a breezy 70-ball knock.
