3rd Test, Day 3: Da Silva, Mayers put West Indies on brink of series victory against England

St George’s (Grenada), March 27  

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Joshua Da Silva scored a brilliant century and Kyle Mayers took a five-wicket haul on the third day of the third and final Test here as West Indies set themselves up for a famous win against England.

Da Silva’s first-ever hundred in Test cricket (100*, 257b, 10×4) helped West Indies rack up 297 in the first innings, with the wicketkeeper farming the strike throughout the morning session before reaching his ton just before lunch on Saturday.

The 23-year-old wiped away tears as he celebrated his debut century with teammate and friend Jayden Seales out in the middle, and his outstanding rearguard effort helped give his team a 93-run first-innings lead.

Mayers then got into the act to claim 5/9 in 13 overs and lead a stunning bowling effort by the home side as England were reduced to 103/8, leaving them on the brink of another series defeat.

West Indies had resumed with a lead of 28 on the third morning, and England’s chances of wrapping the innings up quickly looked good.

But lower-order runs have been the theme of this Grenada Test, and — just like in England’s first innings — the partnerships for wickets nine and ten ended up yielding the most runs for West Indies. Jayden Seales was the limpet that England just couldn’t budge, with the number eleven digging in as Da Silva looked to milk the strike.

And together the pair added 52 runs for the final wicket as England’s struggling attack toiled throughout the morning session.

The final runs of the morning and — as it turned out – the final runs of the innings, came from a punch down the ground by Da Silva to the long-on boundary. It was the very shot that brought up the wicketkeeper’s hundred, and the celebrations started with the ball barely halfway to the boundary. An emotional Da Silva broke down in tears as he celebrated the milestone, his first ton in his 14th Test appearance for the West Indies.

There was to be a further talking point from an extended morning session, with Da Silva walking off for a nick behind off the very next delivery after he had reached his century, reviewing almost as an afterthought. But replays showed that the ball had struck the thigh-pad rather than inside-edge, prompting the unusual sight of both batters and the entire fielding team returning to the field of play when the decision was overturned by the Decision Review System.

Da Silva’s brilliance meant that the last four West Indies wickets had contributed 202 runs to the total of 297, putting the hosts into an advantageous position in the match having looked vulnerable at 95/6.

And Mayers, as he had done in the first England innings, ripped through the top-order.

The all-rounder first picked up the crucial wicket of Root for another single-figure score (5), and the scalps of Dan Lawrence (0) and Ben Stokes (4) soon followed.

A famous series victory is within reach for Kraigg Brathwaite’s side, although the story of the Test so far suggests that picking up the final two wickets cheaply will not be a foregone conclusion when the teams return on the fourth day.

Brief scores: England 204 & 103/8 in 53 overs (Alex Lees 31; Kyle Mayers 5/9) v West Indies 297 in 116.3 overs (Joshua Da Silva 100*, John Campbell 35; Chris Woakes 3/59, Saqib Mahmood 2/45). IANS