Mayers leads WIndies turnabout

AP

Saint Lucia, June 27 : West Indies started the day 167 runs behind Bangladesh and finished it 106 runs ahead in the second test at Daren Sammy Stadium on Saturday.

Allrounder Kyle Mayers led the turnaround with a chanceless and unbeaten 126 runs, easily the highest score by either side after two days. In reply to Bangladesh's sub-par 234, West Indies moved from 67 without loss overnight to 340-5 at stumps.

Winner of the first test in Antigua in just over three days, West Indies was well on course to clinch the short series.

After captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored 51 and contributed a century opening stand with John Campbell, Mayers stopped a mini-collapse with Jermaine Blackwood, and cruised on with Joshua Da Silva.

Da Silva was 26 not out after facing 106 balls.

Brathwaite and Campbell, from a shared 67 overnight, reached 100 together in the first hour, including a seven-ball over by Shoriful Islam.

But Shoriful ended the partnership when he nicked Campbell's glove and dismissed him for 45.

Brathwaite brought up his 27th test fifty from 105 balls but added only one more run when he missed offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz and was bowled.

In the next over, Khaled Ahmed got Raymon Reifer and Nkrumah Bonner to play onto their stumps.

Three wickets in two overs energized Bangladesh and sent a shiver through West Indies, but Mayers and Blackwood conceded nothing else before and after lunch.

Blackwood played an anchor role, and Mayers gradually opened up to reach his fifty off 75 balls.

Their partnership was worth 116 just after tea when Blackwood misread Mehidy and was out leg before on 40 from 121 balls.

Mayers turned cautious again, but even after Bangladesh took the new ball, the batter switched to fearless when another milestone was in sight.

Mayers was in and out of the 90s in the space of six balls, bringing up his century with a six by pulling Shoriful into the stands over square leg.

His second century in his 13th test came from 150 balls. By stumps, he was on 126 after 180 balls, a large proportion driven through the covers, with more great support from wicketkeeper Da Silva. Their stand was on 92 from 33 overs.

England's Foakes out of 3rd Test

England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has tested positive for Covid-19, with Kent's Sam Billings taking his place for the remainder of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand, it was announced Sunday.

Foakes did not take the field on Saturday's third afternoon at Headingley after complaining of a stiff back but later returned a positive test after a check at the team hotel.

Jonny Bairstow, who has spent a large part of his Test career keeping wicket, deputized behind the stumps during New Zealand's second innings but Billings, who made his Test debut in the final match of an Ashes series loss in Australia, has been drafted in to take over for the rest of the match and is set to take up the gloves from Sunday's first ball.

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement issued Sunday said: "Ben Foakes was unable to keep wicket on day three of the Third LV= Insurance Test at Headingley suffering from back stiffness. On a further medical assessment yesterday evening, he subsequently tested positive after administering an LFT COVID-19 test."

England hope Foakes will have recovered to face India in the Test starting on Friday at Edgbaston.

Foakes is the second member of the England set-up to contract Covid in the past week, with batting coach Marcus Trescothick unable to join the squad for the series finale after a positive test.

New Zealand has also been hit by several coronavirus cases, with captain Kane Williamson ruled out of the second Test at Trent Bridge.

Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Michael Bracewell, and two members of support staff have also had the virus since the World Test champions arrived in England.

India has a Covid concern of their own after captain Rohit Sharma tested positive during their tour match against Leicestershire on Saturday.

England is pressing for a series whitewash over New Zealand at 2-0 up before facing India in the concluding Test of a match that should have been played in Manchester last year but was instead postponed because of the tourists' Covid concerns.