‘It's a very big difference scoring a Test century’
‘It was hard, I took a couple of blows, but that's why it's Test cricket’
‘Ben Stokes is all right, Ben Stokes is my boy’
For five-and-a-half hours England's bowlers threw everything at Jermaine Blackwood but the young West Indies batsman held firm to notch his maiden Test century in Antigua on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old curbed his natural attacking instincts and played with maturity as wickets fell around him before throwing caution to the wind to spray England's pace attack to all corners of Antigua's North Sound and finish unbeaten on 112.
Blackwood, with three fifties in the first five Tests of his fledgling international career, was particularly strong down the ground, clubbing 14 fours and two sixes in the hosts' solitary act of defiance on day three as England gained the upper hand.
‘No one remembers you for half-centuries’
"It's a very big difference scoring a Test century," Blackwood told Sky Sports.
"It's a very important milestone for me. No one remembers you for half-centuries. I'm looking forward to many more.
"It was hard, I took a couple of blows, but that's why it's Test cricket."
Blackwood had a reprieve on Tuesday when he was caught in the slips off a Ben Stokes no ball and he was also dropped on 43.
But easy-going Jamaican Blackwood laughed off his fortune.
"Ben Stokes and I go back to the 2010 Under-19 World Cup," he said. "Ben Stokes is all right, Ben Stokes is my boy."
Explosive West Indies opener Chris Gayle, currently playing in the Indian Premier, predicted a bright future for the young right-hander.
"That's my boy jblackwood100 1st Test Hundred, many more to come! #WellDone #112NotOut," Gayle said on Twitter.
Scorecard
England (1st Innings):
A Cook b Roach 11
J Trott c Bravo b Taylor 0
G Ballance c Bravo b Holder 10
I Bell c Ramdin b Roach 143
J Root b Taylor 83
B Stokes c Holder b Taylor 79
J Tredwell c Bravo b Holder 8
J Buttler c Ramdin b Roach 0
C Jordan not out 21
S Broad c Blackwood b Roach 0
J Anderson c Holder b Samuels 20
Extras: (b-7, lb-3, w-8, nb-6) 24
Total: (all out, 110.4 overs) 399
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott), 2-22 (Cook) 3-34 (Ballance), 4-211 (Root), 5-341 (Bell), 6-357 (Stokes), 7-357 (Tredwell), 8-361 (Buttler), 9-361 (Broad), 10-399 (Anderson).
Bowling: Taylor 20-4-90-3 (1nb, 1w), Roach 29-6-94-4 (3nb, 2w), Holder 25-11-69-2 (2nb, 1w), Benn 26-3-85-0, Samuels 10.4-0-51-1.
West Indies (1st Innings): (overnight 155 for 4)
K. Brathwaite c Jordan b Tredwell 39
D Smith c Buttler b Anderson 11
D Bravo c Buttler b Jordan 10
M Samuels c Buttler b Broad 33
S Chanderpaul c Stokes b Tredwell 46
J Blackwood not out 112
D Ramdin c Buttler b Broad 9
J Holder c Ballance b Tredwell 16
K Roach c Buttler b Tredwell 5
S Benn c Root b Anderson 2.
Extras: (lb-4, w-6, nb-2)12
Total: (all out, 113 overs) 295
Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Smith), 2-42 (Bravo), 3-89 (Samuels), 4-99 (Brathwaite), 5-192 (Chanderpaul), 6-227 (Ramdin), 7-276 (Holder), 8-292 (Roach), 9-292 (Taylor), 10-295 (Benn).
Bowling: Anderson 23-9-67-2 (1w), Broad 22-2-67-2, Jordan 23-8-46-1 (1w, 1nb), Stokes 19-3-64-0 (1nb), Tredwell 26-12-47-4.
England (2nd Innings):
A Cook c Benn b Taylor 13
J Trott c Ramdin b Taylor 4
G Ballance not out 44
I Bell run out 11
J Root not out 32
Extras: (lb-5, w-5, nb-2) 12
Total: (3 wickets, 38 overs) 116
Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Trott), 2-20 (Cook), 3-52 (Bell).
Bowling: Taylor 8-4-12-2, Roach 9-1-32-0 (1nb), Holder 7-3-20-0 (1nb, 1w), Benn 9-2-34-0, Samuels 5-0-13-0.
