Twitter Reactions: Nkrumah Bonner stands tall as West Indies draw first Test against Sri Lanka

There is definitely a reason why proper cricket fans still love Test cricket the most. Not only the spectators but most of the players too have said that Test cricket is the pinnacle for them. The West Indies vs Sri Lanka game was another one to remember. Though the match ended as a draw it had too many inner stories to be spoken about.

Some brilliant new ball bowling by the likes of Jason Holder and Kemar Roach followed by a brilliant comeback from the Lankan team in their second innings with the bat. The match had enough to keep the viewers stuck in their seats. The fifth day started off with all possibilities being open but it was slightly tilted in the favour of the Asian side.

West Indies had started the day at 34/1 and needed as many as 341 runs to win the game. Batting in the fourth inning is never easy and chasing such a huge target was always going to be very tough for the Caribbean side. From the approach they followed, it seemed very evident that they were playing for the draw.

Nkrumah Bonner’s brilliance helps his team draw the match

While the Lankan bowlers would have hoped to take a few early wickets, the West Indian batsmen made it close to impossible for them. Nkrumah Bonner was the star batsman as he played a knock that he would never forget. He scored an unbeaten 113 off 274 deliveries to successfully hold one end up for his team.

He was well supported by the other batsmen and was therefore involved in multiple partnerships throughout the innings. Kraigg Brathwaite played a good knock as he ended with 23 runs off 124 balls. Though it may seem less in terms of runs, the number of balls he played was crucial in determining the result of the match.

Kyle Mayers, who came out to bat post his captain’s dismissal, played a fine knock to compliment Nkrumah Bonner. Mayers finished with a score of 52 runs and was involved in a partnership of 105 runs. The hosts were at 236/4 at the end of 100 overs when both the captains decided to shake hands.

The Sri Lankan bowlers tried everything they could but a flat pitch combined with some good batting meant that they could get no success. Suranga Lakmal and Vishwa Fernando though secured a couple of wickets each after bowling more than 20 overs each. Bonner was awarded the player of the match for his match-saving knock in the final inning.

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