by Orita | July 11th, 2009
Saturday, July 11th 2009 – Arnos Vale, St Vincent:
West Indies, having started day three of the First Digicel Test on 17 for 1, took a first innings lead of 69 after they got to 307 in reply to Bangladesh’s 238 at Arnos Vale.
When play recommences on day four, Bangladesh will resume on 26 without loss having reduced the home side’s lead to 43. Imrul Kayes is on 14 and his opening partner Tamim Iqbal on 11 the pair having successfully negotiated the last seven overs.
Combined Campuses and Colleges batsman, Omar Phillips top scored with an impressive 94 on debut while the innings was propped up by David Bernard Jr who hit a maiden Test half century (53) and Darren Sammy who was last man out for 48.
Phillips – a native of Barbados where he attends the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus – put on 79 for the second wicket with nightwatchman Ryan Austin (17) and got to his half century from 92 deliveries after hitting five boundaries as he capitalised on the loss of captain and main strike bowler Mashrafe Mortaza who broke down in the 14th over of the innings. Mortaza left the field after he collapsed in a heap in the middle of his seventh over when his dodgy right knee – which has had four surgeries to date – gave way.
The left handed Phillips, who started day three on nought, struck another two fours before he perished, driving loosely to short cover just six runs short of what would have been a well deserved century.
After the middle order faltered to deceive, Bernard and Sammy played with aggression to push the score past the Bangladeshi first innings total but Sammy missed out on what would have been his first Test fifty when he was comprehensively bowled by Mahmudullah who finished with 3 for 59 from 19.4 overs.
The other Bangladeshi debutant, medium pacer Rubel Hossain, also took a three wicket haul for 76 from 15 overs. Bernard and Sammy were forced to execute a repair job after the Windies lost two quick wickets on the stroke of tea which they took at 228 for 6. Floyd Reifer (25) was caught at slip off Mahmudullah and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton poked lazily at the next delivery and was caught at leg slip for a duck.
The right handed Bernard, batting at number five, faced 89 deliveries and hit five fours and a six while Sammy, the big St Lucian all rounder, chewed up 61 deliveries and struck seven boundaries during his brisk innings.
With two days remaining an outright decision is a realistic possibility even if almost two full innings remain in the contest which was severely affected by rain on the first two days.
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