Bravo and Joseph hammer hundreds
Hundreds from Sylvester Joseph and Dwayne Bravo have put West Indies in an excellent position on the first day of their final warm-up game before the first Test, against Sri Lanka A at Shenley
Wisden Cricinfo staff
17-Jul-2004
Hundreds from Sylvester Joseph and Dwayne Bravo put the West Indians in an excellent position on the first day of their final warm-up game before the first Test, against Sri Lanka A at Shenley Park. The West Indians were 351 for 6 at stumps after Joseph, brought into the side to replace the rested Brian Lara, hit 114 and Bravo crashed an aggressive 118.
Chris Gayle was also given the match off, and the stand-in captain Ramnaresh Sarwan opened with Devon Smith. Smith didn't last long, falling to Nuwan Kulasekara for 6 (9 for 1). Sarwan fell before lunch to the spin of Kaushal Lokuarachchi, caught by Jehan Mubarak for 28 (79 for 2). Joseph was then the dominant partner in a 94-run third-wicket stand with Chanderpaul, which was ended when Chanderpaul was run out for a snail-paced 32 (173 for 3).
Joseph fell soon afterwards, bowled by Lokuarachchi (192 for 4), but Bravo took up where he left off, immediately laying into the young Sri Lankan bowlers. Dwayne Smith desperately needed a good score to keep his place in the Test side, but it was not to be, as he was run out shortly before tea for 8 (211 for 5).
Bravo continued his assault after tea, slamming 17 fours and two sixes in his 130-ball innings before he became Kulasekara's second victim just before the close (351 for 6). Omari Banks safely saw off the two remaining balls without scoring, and with Ridley Jacobs unbeaten on 30 at the other end, the West Indians could bat on tomorrow for a huge first-innings total, should they so choose.