Windies beat Bang in second test

Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul completed his 30th Test century and left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn followed with 5-72 as the West Indies defeated Bangladesh by 296 runs late on day four of the second test. The West Indies, playing its landmark 500th test, swept the two-test series 2-0. Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 101 allowed the West Indies to declare its second innings at 269-4 early in the day. Bangladesh, set 489 for an unlikely victory, was bowled out for 192 in the final over of the day. Benn’s second five-wicket haul of the series was supported well by fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who claimed his 100th Test wicket on his way to figures of 3-39. For the visitors, Tamim Iqbal top-scored with 64 and left-hander Mominul Haque contributed 56, the pair adding 110 for the third wicket to give the visitors hope. But once Benn removed Tamim, the innings went into terminal decline, the last eight wickets tumbling for 34 runs in an hour and a half. Earlier, the West Indies added 61 runs in 10 overs after resuming in a position of strength at 208-4. Chanderpaul and Jermaine Blackwood extended their unbroken fifth wicket stand to 169. Blackwood, resuming on 43, soon brought up his second test half century and Chanderpaul, who celebrated his 40th birthday a month ago, wasted no time in moving from 63 to another triple figure score. In doing so, the veteran became the 11th batsman to reach 30 test tons. The left-hander also became only the second West Indian to score a century after the age of 40, joining Clive Lloyd, who was watching on from the stands in his role as chairman of selectors.
Bangladesh got off to a bright start through Tamim and Shamsur Rahman. Shamsur (39) took on a short bowling barrage from Taylor, smacking him for four and two sixes, off successive balls. But he eventually fell to the stroke, top-edging straight to deep backward square leg at 47-1. One run later, Benn claimed Anamul Haque (0) edging to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin for a duck to further strengthen the hosts’ grip. But Tamim and Mominul forged a sterling partnership either side of tea to stall the West Indies. Mominul survived a chance to Darren Bravo at first slip when 29 but the pair were largely untroubled as they batted into the final session. The 33-year-old Benn made the crucial breakthrough an hour after tea when Tamim swung across the line and skied to Shannon Gabriel at midwicket and soon added the scalp of Mominul, who hit a full toss straight to the same fielder. In between, Gabriel claimed Mahmudullah lbw for a duck. The lower order offered little resistance as Benn took his series tally to 14 wickets and Taylor brought up his 100th in his career. Benn had Nasir Hossain lbw and pouched a return chance off Taijul Islam while Taylor bowled Mushfiqur Rahim and had Robiul Islam lbw. Kemar Roach, who had taken a five-wicket haul in the first innings, ended the match by rattling the stumps of Shafiul Islam.
Source-http://www.crictoday.com/news/12672-windies-beat-bang-in-second-test.html

Jayawardene to end career among greats

At age 37 and with hundreds of innings behind him, Mahela Jayawardene tried something new in his next-to-last test match — a move typical of his innovative attitude when it involves pursuing victories for Sri Lanka. He opened the innings for the first time in a test match — his 148th — on the last day at Galle as Sri Lanka chased 99 runs to win, with time running out and rain imminent. He propelled the hosts to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan with a few overs to spare, giving him the chance to clinch a series win on his home ground when he plays his last test. One of cricket’s most elegant and enduring batsmen takes an average of 50 — he has 11,756 runs from 250 test innings — into the second test at the Sinhalese Sports Club, where he will be a key to Sri Lanka’s goal of achieving the win or draw it needs to hold off Pakistan. Jayawardene broke into test cricket in 1997 on the strength of his solid batting technique but a broadening of his stroke-play meant he also established himself as an accomplished limited-overs batsman. His fluent drives, deft cuts and fine flicks made him a popular player to watch, as he seemed to play most of his shots with the soft grip and supple hands reminiscent of batsmen of earlier eras. And his successful combination with good friend Kumar Sangakkara helped Sri Lanka long remain a formidable team in the international arena, particularly on home soil. Jayawardene’s top score of 374 — the fourth highest individual score in test cricket — came during a world-record partnership of 624 runs with Sangakkara, who scored 287. Eight years later, both played their parts in last week’s win at Galle. Together, they’ll likely lead the way again in Colombo in partnership for the last time in the five-day format. “I don’t think you can take anything away from the fact that Mahela has been one of the most elegant, most prolific batsmen not just of his generation but in the game in its entirety,” Sangakkara said. Jayawardene, who has posted 34 test centuries and 49 half centuries, always had a penchant for big scores and reveled on the Indian sub-continent.
He has scored all his five test double-centuries close to home — either in Sri Lanka, India or Pakistan — and also a triple-century on home ground against South Africa in 2006. Voted the International Cricket Council’s best international captain in 2006 and the best test player in 2007, Jayawardene was considered the ideal team man and frequently guided Sri Lanka out of trouble in games. He was also a fine fielder with more than 200 catches in tests and one-dayers. Many were off the bowling of spinner Muttiah Muralitharan; test cricket’s most prolific bowler with 800 wickets. Muralitharan considers Jayawardene among the best players that Sri Lanka has ever produced. “He is one of the greatest to have played for Sri Lanka. He is in that group with Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya, who have all contributed so much to Sri Lankan cricket,” he said. Jayawardene’s long quest for an ICC world title ended when Sri Lanka won the World Twenty20 earlier this year in Bangladesh after two previous final appearances. But the coveted World Cup title has so far evaded Jayawardene, who made his international debut the year after Sri Lanka won the prestigious tournament for the only time. He has been part of two teams that lost the final. Jayawardene was the captain when Sri Lanka lost to Australia in fading light in the West Indies in 2007, and in 2011 he was again on the losing side, against India, despite scoring a century himself. “I would swap that century any day for a championship medal,” Jayawardene said following the 2011 final at Wankhede Stadium.
And that’s his biggest motivation to continue playing in the limited-overs format, at least until March next year. Jayawardene will devote the next six months to one-day cricket, with the aim of breaking his personal drought when the World Cup is held in Australia and New Zealand early in 2015.
Source-https://www.crictoday.com