[www.inewsguyana.com] – Darren Bravo celebrated the memory of the South African National Hero Nelson Mandela with a resistance and his maiden double century which saved West Indies from an innings defeat against New Zealand on the fourth day of the first test.
Bravo looked in fine touch racing to his career best 210 forcing the match into a fifth day as West Indies rocketed to 443 for six, a lead of 47 at University Oval in Dunedin here on Friday.
The 24 – year – old Bravo became the 26th West Indian to pass the milestone.
He has so far slammed 30 fours, to pull the regional side, who appeared on the brink of disaster, after they continued from their overnight total of 168 for two and lost Samuels and Chanderpaul in quick succession.
Bravo added 122 for the fifth wicket with Narsingh Deonarine, shared 56 with Denish Ramdin and has so far put on 80 – unbroken – with Captain Darren Sammy.
He was fortunate on 82 when Wagner failed to hold a sharp return chance from a leading edge.
Deonarine reached his 50 from 126 balls, when he drove left-arm medium-fast bowler Corey Anderson through cover for his fourth boundary – but he had two slices of good fortune before he reached the landmark.
He was on 39, when Southee put down a low return chance and in the same bowler’s next over, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, at short cover, dropped a straightforward chance from a blistering drive when he was 40.
Sammy’s unbeaten 44, despite nursing a hamstring, included powerful drives and pulls off the seamers and two sixes.
With four West Indian wickets standing and a full day ahead, New Zealand are still strongly favored to win the match, although periods of rain are forecast for Dunedin later on Saturday.
