A hard-fought debut Test hundred by Kavem Hodge helped West Indies make a strong comeback in the second Test against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday, July 19.
Hodge put on a well-compiled 175-run stand for the fourth wicket alongside Alick Athanaze and bailed the tourists out of crisis after they were reduced to 84 for the loss of three wickets.
Hodge had to grind hard for his hundred as the English bowlers made life extremely difficult in the middle.
Mark Wood, in particular, bowled a hostile spell to the right-handed batter and fired cannonballs at him. However, Hodge managed to negotiate Wood's spell and reached his maiden three-figure mark in Test cricket to ensure West Indies stayed in the contest.
Hodge admitted that facing Wood was pretty tough but made his century "a lot more satisfying".
"It was brutal. It's not every day you rock up and you face someone who's bowling more than 90mph every single ball. There was one point, I made a joke to him, I said: 'Hey, I have a wife and kids at home.' But I think that made the century a lot more satisfying. Test cricket is brutal, it's challenging, it's mentally draining. To experience that, facing guys like Mark Wood, it was tough but it was satisfying," said Hodge after the end of day two.
"It's a dream come true, you play the game as a youngster, that's something that you want to do, especially at the highest level - in England against England. I'm really happy and satisfied about it, especially also the position of the team, it's always good to help the team's cause," he added.
While Hodge was brilliant, he received ample support from Athanaze who accumulated his runs at a much more brisk pace.
Athanaze scored 82 off 99 balls and struck ten fours and a maximum during his knock. He was denied his maiden Test ton by Ben Stokes as the England skipper got him caught by Harry Brook at gully.
Athanaze's fluent knock allowed Hodge to take his time in the middle and build the foundation of his hundred. Hodge credited Athanaze for his valuable contribution and revealed how they complement each other in the middle.
"We always bat good together, play for the same franchise back home, we've had a lot of big partnerships. He's more aggressive than I am, I'm more of an accumulator, so I tend to go under the radar and go about my business quietly. Always good to spend time with him at the wicket," mentioned Hodge.
