Kyle Mayers amassed an incredible 210 not out to lead West Indies to an emphatic three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first test on Sunday in Chattogram.
Barbadian Mayers became the first debutant to score a double century in the fourth innings of a test and to put the icing on the cake, win the test.
Mayers and partner Nkrumah Bonner started the final day with West Indies needing a further 285 runs with seven wickets in hand to achieve, what most would have believed as an improbable feat.
Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner (86) was a willing participant in the run chase who along with Mayers kept the Bangladesh bowlers at bay for all of the two sessions on the final day, the pair going in for tea needing another 129 runs from a possible 33 overs.
The 216-run partnership, the highest since 1984 in the fourth innings of a Test for West Indies, was broken by left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in the first over after tea, claiming the wicket of Bonner lbw.
Photo credit: CWI media.
There was even more success for Bangladesh when Jamaican Jermaine Blackwood (9), one of the more senior batters on the tour, was dismissed by off-spinner Nayeem Hasan, opening the door for the all too famous West Indies collapse fans have grown accustomed to.
Mayers, however, never lost confidence and continued his positive play along with the Trinidad and Tobago wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva (20) who shared in a 100-run partnership, which saw the total to just 3 runs from victory.
Mayers’ 210 not out came off 310 deliveries with 20 fours and 7 sixes while Bonner’s 86 came off 245 balls, with 10 fours and one six.
The best bowlers for Bangladesh were off-spinner Mehidy Hasan (4-113) and Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (2-91).
Speaking after his heroics Kyle Mayers said, “Honestly I just believed in myself first of all… I was very positive; I am a very positive person… I always believe in myself no matter the situation and I just stuck to my game plan as long as possible.”
Mayers added, “It is my first test match, my highest score, the longest I have ever batted… a lot of things that I did well… I feel great going into the other test… I would like to take the positives from this one and try to transfer into the next one and try to improve as much as possible and be a good student of the game.”
Final scores in the match: Bangladesh 430 & 223-8 declared; West Indies 259 & 395-7.
