West Indies vs England Day 5 at Antigua: James Anderson’s record-breaking feat and other highlights

For the most part, it seemed as if Holder would have to sacrifice his maiden ton in order to safely guide his team to the draw.

The final day of the opening Test between West Indies and England ended in a close draw, with the hosts managing to bat out three sessions of the day and squeeze a draw out from a near-impossible situation at one stage. Amit Banerjee brings up the top five moments of the day.

Devon Smith’s dismissal: Devon Smith was unbeaten on a score of 59 at the end of the fourth day, and was naturally expected to bat responsibly on the final day in order to help avoid a defeat. Smith batted with some patience during the first few overs of the day, until impatience and irresponsibility led to his dismissal. Smith attempted to smash James Tredwell over mid-on, but failed to get enough power in his shot as Joe Root held on to the catch at the said position for West Indies to lose an important wicket. Blog: West Indies vs England, 1st Test, Day 5

Jermaine Blackwood’s reckless moment: Blackwood’s century during the first innings helped guide West Indies to a respectable score of 295. Blackwood was expected to carve out a similar knock in the second innings. Blackwood began on a slow note, before ambition crept into him. He hit four boundaries before coming down the track to a Chris Jordan delivery, getting an inside edge to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. Blackwood may have kicked himself in the dressing room for the shot, which jeopardised any remaining hopes of a draw then. Full Scorecard: West Indies vs England 2015, 1st Test at Antigua Day 5

Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder hold fort: At a score of 189 for six, the West Indians were staring at an inevitable defeat. Denesh Ramdin was batting on 18 and had looked unconvincing in his stay at the crease so far. Holder, who proved to be a useful and responsible batsman down the order, was yet to be tested in the longest format of the game. West Indies vs England: Photo Gallery

And yet, the two defied the English attack that was looking to go for the all-important kill, stitching a crucial 79-run partnership for the seventh wicket, which couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the hosts. The partnership proved to be the turning point of the game as it laid the foundation for an unlikely draw. The second session was an especially useful one for the hosts, who scored 126 runs for the loss of one wicket in it.

James Anderson‘s record-breaking feat: Anderson was the most highlighted player from the start of the Test for one reason only; his proximity to the record for most Test wickets by an English bowler, which was held by Sir Ian Botham (383). Anderson needed four at the start of the Test to surpass the legendary all-rounder, and two scalps in the first innings meant that he needed just one in the second innings to equal Botham.

Anderson, who was playing his 100th Test, was not brought into the attack at the start of the day, but began to trouble the batsmen shortly after getting introduced in the 10th over of the day. He soon equalled Botham when Marlon Samuels edged one of his deliveries pitched outside off towards gully, where Tredwell held on to the catch.

The historic moment finally arrived in 112th over of the match when Ramdin nicked another one of his beauties towards the slips, where skipper Alastair Cook held on to the catch. The dismissal sent the bowler into a state of euphoric celebrations, with his family members visibly emotional in the stands. Botham, who now stands second in the all-time list for England, personally congratulating him after the match.

Holder ‘holds’ on to the game: Ramdin’s dismissal meant that West Indies had to bat out another 18-odd overs, with England requiring a mere three wickets to seal a memorable victory. That was not to happen however, as Holder showed immense maturity, and held on to his nerves in order to guide West Indies to 350 for seven at the end of 129.4 overs, but not without bringing up his maiden century in his sixth Test innings. The ODI skipper added 56 runs for the eighth wicket with Kemar Roach, who did his job of playing defensively and passing the strike to Holder during his 55-ball 15.

For the most part, it seemed as if Holder would have to sacrifice his maiden ton in order to safely guide his team to the draw. With two over left however, he briefly threw caution to the winds as he despatched Tredwell over mid-off and extra cover for consecutive boundaries to bring up the much-awaited landmark. It was only fitting for him to be awarded the Man of the Match in the end as Holder has now announced himself in the Test format as well.

(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle @akb287)

About the Author

•