West Indies have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the third Test against England at Grenada, starting on Thursday, with the series level at 0-0 following draws in the opening two matches in Antigua and Barbados. hence the winners of the final Test will lift the Richards-Botham Trophy.
Chasing a target of 282, West Indies ended Day 5 at 135/5 at the back of a superb unbeaten half-century by skipper Kraigg Brathwaite which helped in the team drawing the second Test in Barbados against England.
Earlier, Dan Lawrence and Jonny Bairstow scored counter attacking knocks as England declared their second innings on 185 for six. In the first innings, Kraigg Brathwaite (160) and Jermaine Blackwood (102) registered centuries as West Indies were bowled out for a total of 411.
Initially, England had posted a mammoth total of 507 for nine declared, thanks to skipper Joe Root (153) and Ben Stokes’ (120) marathon knocks.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Men’s Selection Panel has named an unchanged squad for the third and final Test match against England.
In a media release, West Indies Lead Selector Dr Desmond Haynes said:
“We were very impressed with the captain Kraigg Brathwaite showing the fight in the both innings and the way he led from the front with the bat. Also, Jermaine Blackwood and the way he played in the first innings to get a century.
They batted very well together. We really appreciated the fighting spirit from the batting department. We decided to stick with the same squad and want to see them continue to give a big effort in the third Test match.”
Opener John Campbell and top-order batsman Shamarh Brooks remain in the 13-man team, despite their struggles with the bat during the first two Tests. Campbell have tallied 71 runs at an aggregate of 17.75 while Brooks have compiled 66 runs at 16.50.
The like is that West Indies will name an unchanged XI for the third time in the series, with Kyle Mayers and Anderson Phillip, the uncapped fast bowler, the two squad members.
The third match is scheduled to be played at the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s, Grenada from March 24 – 28.
West Indies Test squad Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales