Mayers, Bonner keep Bangladesh at bay in first Test

Visiting West Indies kept Bangladesh at bay, reaching 197-3 at lunch on the fifth day of the first cricket Test with debutant Kyle Mayers providing the impetus at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Sunday.

At the lunch break, Mayers closed in on his century on debut, batting on 91 with absolute dominance over the Bangladeshi spinners. Another debutant Nkrumah Bonners is in the crease with Mayers with 43 not out.

West Indies still needs 198 runs as they are chasing a 395-run target to win the game.

Mayers and Bonner kept them unscathed throughout the morning session, dealing with Bangladeshi spinners resolutely on fifth day pitch.

They came strongly when Bangladesh expected a couple of wickets in the first hour of the game to establish their full control.

But resuming the day on 110-3, Mayers and Bonners survived some tricky moments in the first hour of the final day game, with off-spinner Mehidy Hasan (3-82) and left arm spinner Taijul Islam keeping it tight. Amid their tight bowling, the West Indies debutants showed how resolute they are in attack and in defense.

Mayers hit 11 fours and one six, in his 153-ball knock and was the one who took the Bangladeshi bowlers in disdain.

While Mayers decided to counterattack, Bonner chose to defense all the things came to his way almost like the one Cheteshwar Pujara of India played in famous Brisbane Test against Australia.

Bonner’s 146-ball knock included five boundaries.

Bangladesh earlier declared its second innings on 223-8 after skipper Mominul Haque struck his 10th ton.-BSS