Bonner reaping rewards after long journey in regional cricket

West Indies Nkrumah Bonner ended the first Test match with his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka and  was filled with emotions which he could not put into words.

Bonner batted for an entire day on the fifth day and said afterwards it was a really special feeling and something which he could not explain.

The rain began to drizzle when Bonner was in the nervous 90s and former captain and No. 1 all-rounder in the world Jason Holder had some words of advice to see him through to the milestone.

“When I was on 99 (runs) and I thought the rain was coming and I wanted to get the hundred and not stay on 99 not out, Jason (Holder) came down and said ‘Stay calm and stick to your process and your game plan and it will happen’.”

Match by match his scores have been improving, which he attributes to the batting coach who has done a lot of work with him and he is looking forward to the next Test match which he said will be crucial to the team after drawing the first one.

Bonner, who made his T20 debut in 2011 but has not suited up for the West Indies in years and has only started his Test career, mentioned that his Test career was still early as he has only played three Test matches so far but believes he is going in the right direction.

Having played in the regional tournaments for ten years since his debut, he said that he has learnt a lot of lessons which he is applying to his game.

His efforts were also praised by West Indies coach Phil Simmons, who said that Bonner continues to show his dedication and application to the game. Simmons mentioned that it is the second match which he has shown it and he is getting better.

For the next Test match Simmons is hoping the pitch has more bounce as he believes in the first Test the pitch was slow and did not have enough bounce.

Simmons said that when playing teams from the sub-continent, bounce is something that you would want when playing at home.

As the second Test match approaches, Simmons said that more discipline in the bowling will be needed as well as performing with the bat in the first innings that same way they did in the second innings.

The second and final Test match is scheduled to begin tomorrow at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.(CG)