• The first Test between West Indies and England in Antigua ended in a draw.

  • Nkrumah Bonner was named 'Player of the Match'.

Twitter reactions: Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder help West Indies earn a draw in 1st Test against England
First Test between West Indies and England end in a draw (Image Source: Twitter)

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Nkrumah Bonner and Jason Holder exhibited gritty cricket on the final day of the first Test against England, helping West Indies to earn a dramatic draw.

Having lost several overs to rain late on Day 4, the possibility of a result going into Day 5 was quite minimal. But a thrilling first session set up a chance for the visitors to pull off a victory. England captain Joe Root smashed his 24th Test century.

Though the hosts bagged five wickets in the session, England still had enough on the lead (285 runs) to declare and put pressure on the Caribbeans. The home team did start well with John Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite, adding 59 runs and batted for 25 overs.

However, Ben Stokes drew the first blood in form of captain Brathwaite (33), which also triggered a collapse. West Indies lost three more wickets in quick successions courtesy of left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who bagged all the three scalps in the form of Campbell (22), Shamarh Brooks (5), and Jermaine Blackwood (2) to reduce the Windies to 67/4 in 35 overs.

The three quick wickets would’ve risen Root’s hopes of a final session carnage, but then Bonner stepped up – for the second time this Test match – to ruin England’s plans. The right-handed batter, who smashed his second Test century in the first innings, batted with more cautiousness and grit in the second essay to finish the game unbeaten on 38 off 137 balls.

Holder played a major supporting role, putting all his experience in the game to ensure he remained not out on 37 off 101 deliveries. The duo played out 34.4 overs in their undefeated 80-run stand for the fifth wicket, which eventually assisted West Indies to earn a draw.

Brief Score:

West Indies 375 (Bonner 123, Brathwaite 55) and 147/4 (Bonner 38 not out, Holder 37 not out) drew with England 311 (Bairstow 140, Seales 4/79) and 349/6 dec (Crawley 121, Root 109)

Here is how Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/thakkermaharshi/status/1502757881824755713

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CATEGORY: Jason Holder Twitter Reactions

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AKSHAT GAUR
Akshat is the Sr. Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Akshat has honed his skills over 6 years, working with various media outlets, publications, and organizations to deliver high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains audiences. He is just another cricket fan who’s grown up watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Cricket runs in his veins. Cover drive is his favorite sight, and a ball meeting the middle of the bat is his favorite sound. You can write to him at akshat.gaur@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.