Roach, Darren Bravo move into Top 20 of Test rankings

ROSEAU, Dominica – West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach and left-handed batsman Darren Bravo are both delighted following significant moves up the International Cricket Council’s Test match rankings.

 

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The two 23-year-olds, who are expected to form part of the future of West Indies cricket, have broken into the Top 20 in bowling and batting, according to the official rankings released on Friday by the ICC after the drawn second Digicel Test at Queen’s Park Oval.

Veteran left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who fell just six short of his 26th Test century in Trinidad to follow-up his 103 not out in Barbados last week, has moved into the Top 3 in batting, while captain Darren Sammy has moved up two places to Number 11 in the rankings for allrounders.

The highly-impressive Roach recorded figures of 27-5-105-5 and 18-4-41-5 in Trinidad. The lion-hearted performance earned him a jump of 16 places and puts him in 18th position.

He is now the West Indies’ highest-ranked bowler with Sammy and Fidel Edwards occupying 22nd and 27th positions, respectively. Roach has so far taken 15 wickets in two matches in the Digicel Series at the impressive average of 17.53 runs per wicket.

"It feels great to make such a big jump in the rankings and I will try to get even more wickets and take even more steps forward. It is very crucial for us as players and as a team to keep striving for better," Roach said. "I didn’t have a great time of it in 2011 but I went back and worked hard and I am seeing the results this year."

Bravo, who was one of the leading Test batsmen in the world last year with three centuries, has broken into the Top 20 for the first time in his career in 19th position. He has looked in good touch so far in the two matches with scores of 51 and 32 at Kensington Oval and 38 and eight not out in his first Test match on home soil at Queen’s Park Oval.

"I had a smile when I heard that I moved up the rankings. It’s a good feeling to make it into the Top 20. I have been close to the Top 20 for a little while so now that I have broken through I will look to keep working my way up the ladder," Bravo said.

"I am still relatively new to Test cricket and I’m still learning the game…with a few innings left in this series I will be looking for a big score for the team."

The two teams arrived in Dominica on Friday as they prepare for the third Digicel Test match which, start on Monday. First ball is 10 am (9 am Jamaica Time).

West Indies Squad for 3RD Digicel Test

Darren Sammy (Captain)

Adrian Barath

Carlton Baugh (Wicket-keeper)

Kraigg Brathwaite

Darren Bravo

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Narsingh Deonarine

Fidel Edwards

Assad Fudadin

Kieran Powell

Ravi Rampaul

Kemar Roach

Shane Shillingford

Digicel Test Series Match schedule:

April 23-27: 3rd Digicel Test – Windsor Park, Dominica