West Indies players return to red-ball action

With several of the West Indian stars currently plying their trade at the Indian Premier League, others also returned to action but in a different format. Many past and current West Indies Test players engaged in a battle over the past week for the Barbados Pride in a three-day practice game as the team prepares for the West Indies Four-Day Championship resumption. The six teams around the Caribbean are gearing up for the critical season restart slated for the 18th of May in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Current West Indies Test skipper Kraigg Brathwaite captained one of the teams and recorded a score of 22 in 62 deliveries before he retired not out. Brathwaite will also lead the Pride for the remainder of the season and is the current leading run-scorer in the regional championship with 341 runs in four innings. 

All-rounder Roston Chase was the central standout in the game with his 75-ball 48 and bowling figures of 6-26 in a mere eight overs, ravaging through the Brathwaite XI and bagging the wickets of current Test batter Shamarh Brooks and all-rounder Raymon Reifer. However, Chase’s Test record with the ball of 79 wickets in 43 matches at an average of 42.74 does not do justice to the value and balance he has provided for the Windies with the ability to produce match-winning spells similar to the 8/60 he churned out against England in 2019 to aid in winning the series 2-1. 

However, Chase’s Test record with the bat in recent times has been disappointing, especially given the flashes of brilliance he has shown in the past. Many will remember his gutsy hundred against India in 2016, saving the match for the WI, or even his century against Pakistan at Kensington Oval in 2017, which led the men in maroon to a historic victory. Although, he has a mere average of 12.73 in six Test matches in 2021 and will be seeking to use this Four Day Championship to fulfil his hunger for runs.

In addition, former Windies opener Sheyne Moseley also registered a score in the game with 59 from 126 balls before he was leg before wicket to Chase. Moseley would have made his Test debut in Bangladesh back in 2021 and has not seen a return to the team since. However, with uncertainty around an opening partner for Kraigg Brathwaite in the West Indies team, Moseley has a golden opportunity to break in if he can impress in the upcoming three matches. 

Wicketkeeper-batter Shane Dowrich skippered the other team but only managed 21 in his time in the middle. The former Test player averaged 28 in 35 Tests at the highest level and is chomping at the bit for a return. Dowrich set the tournament on fire with a stunning 86 in the Barbados Pride’s first game against the Leeward Islands Volcanoes, which was his first return to first-class action since leaving the West Indies tour of New Zealand in 2020. His technique has looked newly reformed in the season thus far. 

Other notable performances came from former West Indies ODI batter Jonathan Carter who top-scored in the game with 85, and Raymon Reifer, who ended with 31 not out. The match resulted in a draw. 

With a busy 2022 ahead for the Windies, the remaining three first-class matches will be crucial for many looking to break in or return to the Test team with red ball action expected as early as July, with Bangladesh touring the West Indies.