By Sean Devers

TODAY we look back at the seven Test matches played by the West Indies in 2022, and the shortest domestic First-Class tournament played by any Test-playing Nation.

In December 2022, West Indies, despite showing plenty of spirit, lost the first Test by 164 runs after Marnus Labuschagne scored 204; Steven Smith made 200-not-out, and Travis Head fell for 99 as Australia declared at 598-4 in their first innings.

West Indies replied with 283, as Kraigg Brathwaite (64) and debutant Chanderpaul (51) added 79 for the first wicket. Chanderpaul had scores of 119 & 56 against the PM’s X1 in the only First-Class game preceding the Test match.

Australia declared on 182-2, with Labuschagne getting an unbeaten 104 before Braithwaite’s 110, Royston Chase’s 55, Chanderpaul’s 45, and Alzarri Joseph’s 43 took West Indies to 333 in a losing effort.

In the second Test, West Indies lost by 419 runs, which is the ninth heaviest defeat, by runs, for any team in the history of Test Cricket.

West Indies’ largest defeat, by runs, was against England in 1976, when they lost by 425 runs. It is the seventh heaviest defeat of all time, but England’s win by 675 runs against Australia in 1928 still tops the list.

Labuschagne scored his consecutive ton with a masterful 163, and along with Head’s 175, led Australia to 511-7 declared. Joseph had 2-107, and Devon Thomas 2-53.

West Indies fell for 214, with Chanderpaul 47 (run-out), Anderson Phillip 43 putting up resistance.

Australia declared at 199-6, with Joseph (3-33), and Chase (2-25) taking the wickets.

West Indies were dismissed 77, their lowest total at this level, with Chanderpaul top scoring with 17.

The series result was a 2-nil loss, but 26-year-old Guyanese Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who has six centuries and 12 fifties in 3,004 runs from 53 First-Class matches, seems the brightest spot in West Indies ‘Red ball’ Cricket.

Brathwaite was the leading runs scorer with 196 runs, at an Average of 49.00, including a ton and a fifty, while the ‘new kid on the block’, Chanderpaul, looked most promising. In four innings, he scored 160, averaging 40.00, and had a half-century.

Joseph, with five wickets, was the leading West Indies bowler.

In June 2022, host West Indies beat Bangladesh 2-nil

West Indies won the first Test by seven wickets.

Bangladesh, in their first innings, fell for 103. Despite Shakib Al Hasan’s 51,

Kemar Roach 2-21, Jayden Seales 3-33, Joseph 3-33, and Kyle Mayers 2-10,

West Indies made 265 in their first innings, with Brathwaite (94) and Jermaine Blackwood (63) batting well.

Bangladesh scored 245 in the second innings, with Al Hasan 63, and Nurul Hasan 64, scoring the bulk of the runs, with Roach 5-53, Joseph 3-55, and Mayers 2-30 doing the damage with the ball.

West Indies reached 88-3 with John Campbell leading the way with 58 not-out.

West Indies won the second Test by 10 wickets after dismissing Bangladesh for 234. Seales captured 3-53, Joseph 3-50, with Philips and Mayers two wickets each as the fast bowlers accounted for all 10 wickets.

West Indies’ first innings 408 was spearheaded by Mayers’ 146 and Braithwaite’s 51

Bangladesh then fell for 186, with Nurul Hasan top-scoring with 60. Roach, Joseph and Seales captured three wickets each,

Mayers batted twice and scored 156 runs, Ave 76.50 with one ton, while Braithwaite, who scored two fifties, made 150 runs from four innings. Joseph had 12 wickets while Roach had 10.

In March, West Indies beat England 1-nil in the three-Test Series in the Caribbean.

Jonny Bairstow’s 140 led England to 311 in the opening Test, as Jayden Seales had 4-79, while Roach, Holder and Joseph supported with two wickets each.

West Indies responded with 375, as Nkrumah Bonner scored 123, and Skipper Braithwaite continued his consistency with 55.

England, in their second innings declared at 349-6, with Zak Crawley (121) and Joe Root (109) getting hundreds.

Joseph took 3-78, and Roach 2-53 for the home team who reached 147-4 as the game ended in a draw.

The second Test in Barbados was drawn with centuries from Joe Root and Ben Stokes leading England to 507-9, declared. Veerasammy Permaul took 3-126, while Roach had 2-68.

West Indies made 411, with Brathwaite getting 160, and Jermaine Blackwood scoring 102.

England in their 2nd Innings made 185-6, declared, with Permaul and Seales taking two scalps each.

West Indies, led by an unbeaten 56 from Braithwaite reached 135-5.

In the Third Test in Grenada, England were dismissed for 204, as Seales had 3-40, and Roach, Mayers and Joseph supported with two wickets each.

West Indies, led by a maiden unbeaten 100, made 297 before England were bowled out for 120, with Mayers bagging 5-18, and Roach supporting with 2-10.

In the Regional First-Class tournament, which was played in March in Barbados and T&T, Guyana, playing in the T&T Zone, finished third, as Barbados successfully defended their title.

In the first round, Guyana beat the Windwards by one run, with Vishal Singh (93), Keemo Paul (73), and Chanderpaul Hemraj (60) in the second innings being the leading batter.

Veerasammy Permaul had eight wickets in the match, including 5-53 in the second innings, while Gudakesh Motie had 4-63 in the first innings, and was backed up by Paul’s 3-84.

Paul made an unbeaten 20, and added 20 for the last wicket, with Nail Smith (4) to see Guyana to a thrilling win.

In Guyana’s second match, Leewards won by an innings & 57 runs, despite second innings fifties from Hemraj (50), and Anthony Bramble (58). Motie showed batting ability with 49 not-out.

After a break, the tournament resumed, and Guyana beat defending Champions Barbados by five wickets in Port-of Spain.

Guyana made 490-7, declared, on the back of an unfinished 140 from Chanderpaul, and a maiden century from Motie after Imlach had contributed 53.

Permaul (4-81), Motie (2-37), and Paul (2-43) shared the bulk of the wickets in the first innings.

Braithwaite (111), followed up Hope’s first innings ton as Barbados reached 291, all out, leaving Guyana to get 71 from 15 overs.

Paul (4-90) and Smith (3-76) bowled with lively pace, while Motie took 2-35.

In a reckless run chase, Guyana slipped 46-5 as they opened with Hemraj and Paul, since Tagenarine Chanderpaul is usually known to take his time to accumulate his runs.

Akeem Jordon took 4-31 as the Guyanese tried to score quickly, and orchestrated their own demise.

It took Chanderpaul, who batted at number seven, to smash four fours from just 10 balls in a cameo unbeaten 23 not-out to win the match for his team.

In Guyana’s fourth game, they played to a draw against Jamaica, after Chanderpaul made 184; Singh was left undefeated on 100, and Tevin Imlach, Hemraj and Skipper Leon Johnson scored fifties.

Permaul had 3-96, while there were two wickets apiece from Motie, and rookies Kevin Sinclair and Demitri Cameron.

In Guyana’s final game, Paul took 6-50, while Motie supported with 2-35, as host T&T were bowled out for 218.

Imlach (76) and Sinclair (58) got half centuries as Guyana replied with 331. T&T were 25-1 when the game ended in a draw.

Chanderpaul batted eight times, scored 439 runs to Average 73.16. He was second in the runs aggregate to Braithwaite, who scored 584 runs with three tons.

Vishaul Singh (262 runs from six innings, Average 52.40) was second on the list of Guyanese run scorers.

No other Guyanese batter had an average of over 35 while Guyana’s top wicket-takers were Paul (20 wickets), Permaul (19) and Motie (17)

Johnson is Guyana’s most successful Captain; winning five consecutive titles but he averaged 23.8 in last year’s First-Class tournament and since 2020 Guyana has not added to their tally of 12 titles.

Guyana has nine 50 overs titles but none since 2005 and the GCB should start grooming a replacement for Johnson after next month’s Regional FC tournament where there should be an investment in young players.