ARNOS VALE, St. Vincent : Opener Kraigg Brathwaite compiled an unbeaten 205 as the West Indies reached 407-3 against Bangladesh at the close of a rain-hit second day of the opening cricket test at Arnos Vale Sports Complex on Saturday.
The hosts, 264-3 overnight, were stalled by persistent morning rain that wiped out play before lunch. But once play got underway at 1:30 p.m. local time, Brathwaite continued where he left off from day one and stretched his second test ton to a career-best first-class score.
The dogged 21-year-old, 123 overnight, brought up his double century in the penultimate over of the day with his 14th boundary. The right-hander's innings spanned 437 balls and nine hours, 10 minutes.
Brathwaite and veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul stretched their fourth-wicket stand to 146 unbroken in the 56 overs available during the day. The 40-year-old Chanderpaul, in his 157th test, ground out an unbeaten 51 off 177 balls. He has hit three fours in just short of four hours.
Fast bowler Rubel Hossain tested Chanderpaul with the second new ball when the early rain cleared up and play resumed in the afternoon. But the only real chance the Bangladeshis had to separate the pair was when Taijul Islam's throw from mid-on missed when a direct hit would have run out Brathwaite when he was 154.
The West Indian pair went to tea on 344-3 and further ground the tourists in the final session.
Brathwaite became the third youngest West Indian to notch a double century, following Caribbean greats George Headley, aged 20 in 1930, and Garry Sobers, aged 21 in 1958.
Left-arm spinner Taijul (2-106) and fellow debutant, off-spinner Shuvagata Hom (1-93), have been the successful bowlers for the visitors.
