Daily Times

GROS-ISLET: Kyle Mayers’ undiminished appetite for Bangladesh’s bowling took him to a second Test century and lifted the West Indies to 340 for five on the second day of the second and final Test in St Lucia on Saturday. The hosts are in a dominant position, leading by 106 runs as they bid to win the two-match series 2-0. Having come to the crease just before lunch with his side stuttering at 132 for four in reply to the tourists’ first-innings total of 234, Mayers’ positive manner dominated the rest of the day as he finished unbeaten on 126.

It was his second Test century, coming off 180 balls and embellished with 15 fours and two sixes. That second six took him to the three-figure mark and sets the stage for even more of his left-handed aggression going into day three in partnership with Joshua da Silva, the wicketkeeper having contributed 26 so far in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 92.

That partnership, which grew in momentum against an increasingly dispirited Bangladesh bowling attack, followed on the excellent work of Mayers and Jermaine Blackwood, who rescued an uncertain situation for the home side with a 116-run fifth-wicket stand. Bangladesh were wicketless in the afternoon session, although Blackwood fell just after tea, leg-before for 40, the second wicket of spinner Mehidy Hasan. Having stumbled to lunch at 137 for four, Mayers and Blackwood batted through the afternoon as if it were a different game. Mayers, who will always be remembered for a historic unbeaten 210 on debut in a victory chase of 395 against the same opponents in Chattogram last February, was most impressive in his off-side play. Blackwood, in contrast, batted with admirable discipline in a noted transformation from the reckless abandon which defined much of his batting prior to 2022.