Blackwood makes case for selection with powerful century

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Jermaine Blackwood made a strong case for selection on the West Indies senior team with a powerful century for the West Indies High Performance Centre against Bangladesh A at Kensington Oval here yesterday.

The former West Indies Under 19 star roared to 147 to help cement the HPC’s advantage against Bangladesh cricketers on the third day of the second and final four day “test”.

The visitors, chasing a victory target of 490 runs, were 32- for three at stumps, after the home side, on the strength of Blackwood’s three figure score, supported by an outstanding half century from Assad Fudadin, declared their second innings on 354 for five. The HPC moved to enhance their chance of an outright victory by embarking on a run fest after resuming on their overnight total of 24 without loss.

Blackwood arrived at the crease at the fall of Chadwick Walton’s wicket and was soon outscoring Fudadin in a second wicket partnership that produced 207 runs.

The Jamaican batsman raced to his century with a boundary even before his Guyanese team mate reached his half century.

Blackwood counted 12 boundaries and five sixes until the partnership ended when he was stumped while Fudadin departed 11 runs shy of his century, caught at the wicket after smashing seven fours and a six.

Sheldon Cotterel and Miguel Cummings inflicted setbacks to the Bangladesh run chase by capturing the three wickets to have fallen before the close.

Cotterel bagged two for 14 while Cummins picked up a wicket for the same number of runs with  Bangladesh A still requiring another 458 runs with seven second innings wicket intact and a day remaining.