Windies unchanged for second Test

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Cricket West Indies announced yesterday that the same 13-man squad that secured a draw in the opening Test against England in the three-match Apex Series will take to the field again for the second match at Kensington Oval here.

The three-match Apex Series is level 0-0 from a draw in the first match on Saturday.

Lead selector Desmond Haynes said the Men's Selection Panel had decided to go with an unchanged squad because of how the team played in the first Test on the flat pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

He singled out Nkrumah Bonner, who performed commendably during the opening Test, scoring a career-best 123 in the first innings and an unbeaten 38 in the second innings on the final day and eventually being named Man-of-the-Match.

"It was a hard-fought first match in Antigua and we decided to stick with the same 13 players for the second match in Barbados," Haynes said. "Bonner demonstrated the way you should play, and we were very pleased with the way he played in the first innings and again in the second innings.

"It was hard work for all the bowlers, and we were very happy with the way they stuck to the task."

The second Test will take place at Kensington Oval from tomorrow to Sunday.

The final Test is scheduled for March 24-28 at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada.

SQUAD:

Kraigg Brathwaite (captain)

Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain)

Nkrumah Bonner

Shamarh Brooks

John Campbell

Joshua Da Silva

Jason Holder

Alzarri Joseph

Kyle Mayers

Veerasammy Permaul

Anderson Phillip

Kemar Roach

Jayden Seales