Day: Apr 15, 2015

2015 Test Century Watch #10 – Jermaine Blackwood

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Jermaine Blackwood – 112 not out v England at North Sound, Antigua

Jermaine Blackwood’s first century in test cricket enabled the home side to remain in the game somewhat, and then had me thinking how many players with a colour in their name have made big test scores. Gordon Greenidge has three double centuries to his name, and it looks like his 226 v Australia in Bridgetown is the highest score with a colour in his surname.

So to Jermaine’s 112. This is the 5th score of 100 by a West Indian at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. His is the fourth highest behind Gayle, Powell and Sarwan. This is the 79th score of 112 in test cricket, with his being just the seventh unbeaten effort. The first 112 was made by Charlie McLeod in 1898 for Australia against England in Melbourne. The last one was made by Sarfraz Ahmed in the series v Australia in November. A good number of players have made two scores of 112 including Steve Waugh, Doug Walters, JT Tyldesley, Mohammed Yousuf….

Possibly the most famous 112 was made by this man.

Jeff Stollmeyer later wrote: “Andy’s innings in its later stages was not in keeping with the state of the game and his captain [Gerry Gomez] was forced to send a message out to him to ‘get on with it’.” Stollmeyer did concede that Ganteaume was unlucky to miss out on selection for the tour of India the following year.

According to Statsguru this was the 466th century by a West Indian, the 232nd by a West Indian at home, and the 36th by a West Indian in Antigua.

Jermaine Blackwood’s century came up in 205 balls with 14 fours and 2 sixes.

West Indies v England – 1st Test, 3rd Day

LordCanisLupus167 Comments

Comments on today’s play below, as England try to take a substantial first innings lead and then spend 8 hours batting to get Cook a career-saving hundred 🙂

I’ll be home a bit earlier today as the car is in for its MOT (#prayingforastra) and so should be able to watch the post-lunch session. The bits of the game I’ve seen so far have been interesting in their own way, but also sad to see what has happened to the West Indies. Remember when Darren Bravo came on the scene and he was viewed as the next big thing? He’s really not gone on. Shiv Chanderpaul now seems to eschew scoring runs as a matter of importance and now seems to concentrate on saving the game single-handed. I don’t think that swagger and attitude, the sort of bravado that now seems more Australian than the WIndies I grew up with, can come back that easily. There is not a lot of hope, not even Shai, in West Indies cricket.

One of the points made is that the IPL now clashes with the West Indies season, but is this true? I remember England playing series there in February and March, not April and May. Until they go back to that time, it will always clash. Yes, I get it in World Cup winters, but there won’t be one of those for 8 years now.

England still have a lot more questions than answers. Ben Stokes did well at 6, but I’d be getting worried if that’s where he stays against Australia. Trott as opener can’t be called a failure after one go, but it does appear we are ramming a square peg in a round hole. Watch us try Ballance there in the not too distant future. As for Cook? Well, 32 and counting. But by doing so we are disloyal. I got “Captaincy” by Graham Gooch out of the loft this weekend, and read the bit about how it was vital for him to score runs at the top of the order as captain or else the players would question his legitimacy to lead. But if we point that sort of thing out, it’s heresy. Well, there you go…….

Ian Bell made a very nice 143. OK, not a small enough ton to anger my senses, but still. He has a relative shortage of 150s for a man who has passed 100 on 22 occasions. I think I pointed out that 119 makes his top ten. This is picking on the man who pulled our arses out of the fire with a splendid innings, but I wanted more. There’s nothing much in this wicket, and the bowling is no better than decent. Our propensity to make big scores overseas is not great, and what a statement a double would have been. That said, Bell in flow is a decent old sight, although I’m not going into the paroxysms of ecstasy I was reading BTL. This blogger has been frustrated at his performances in the past, but now worries he is our rock (along with Root). Seems there is room for one other high performer, with a bit of swagger in there to me!

Didn’t see a lot of the bowling. Can’t help thinking that Chris Jordan is going to be the Phil De Freitas of his generation, and Stuart Broad is not going to be here for the long haul. Anderson, I understand, bowled well, but he’s no spring chicken. When I saw Tredwell, he looked like he posed no threat, but did take a wicket.

Happy to hear more, and will be along later.