Windies frustrate wasteful Tigers

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite brought up his 26th Test fifty as the hosts frustrated Bangladesh in yet another session of their first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua today. 

At lunch on Day 2, the Windies moved on to 159 for three with a lead of 56 runs. Brathwaite remained unbeaten on 75 off 239 deliveries with Jermaine Blackwood not out on nine. 

Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan got the only scalp in the session, removing Nkrumah Bonner with his typical arm delivery that deceived the batter and went in with the angle to dismantle the stumps. That wicket ended a 33-run knock from Bonner and also halted a growing 62-run third-wicket stand between him and Brathwaite. 

Bangladesh, however, could have had Bonner early but a misjudgment in making an appeal for a potential wicket saw Bonner survive on 14. The incident happened in the 53rd over off the ball of Ebadot Hossain, who beat the right-hander's outside edge but did not appeal only to see a spike in ultraedge in replays later.

Again in the 58th over, Bonner survived on 22. On that occasion, a Khaled Ahmed delivery got the outside edge off the right-hander's willow but it flew right past the wicketkeeper and first slip for a boundary with none of the fielders making an attempt to catch the ball.

The Tigers were disciplined with the ball, as they have been since yesterday, but could not find a way through. Mehedi Hasan Miraz came close to removing the danger man Brathwaite when he glanced a ball off his pads but the player at leg gully was late to react to get his hands to it. With that missed chance, Bangladesh have now seen three or four chances go begging. 

Brathwaite, who has been an epitome of patience throughout his innings, chanced his arms at the latter part of the session today, putting Shakib for two boundaries through midwicket. With the number of missed chances and poor DRS calls, Bangladesh might see the Windies pile up a mammoth lead.