Holder scores maiden Test century

NORTH SOUND, Antigua – Jason Holder struck a superb maiden first-class and Test century to guide West Indies to a hard-fought draw in the first Test against England at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, on Friday.

The 23-year-old six-footer played a match-saving innings under great pressure to finish 103 not out off 149 balls with 15 fours in 3 1Ž2 hours. West Indies got support from a crowd of over 9,000 and batted close to 130 overs in their second innings to close on 350-7 after being set 438 to win.

Holder earn the Man-of-the-Match award and shared a resolute seventh-wicket stand of 105 with captain Denesh Ramdin, who made 57 off 141 balls. They pulled the West Indies around from 189-6 in the middle session. After Ramdin departed, Kemar Roach joined Holder and batted well for 75 minutes to make 15 not out.

For England, James Anderson took two wickets to become his country's all-time leading wicket-taker, surpassing Sir Ian Botham's previous record of 383 wickets.

FULL SQUAD

Denesh Ramdin (Captain)

Kraigg Brathwaite (Vice Captain)

Sulieman Benn

Devendra Bishoo

Jermaine Blackwood

Carlos Brathwaite

Darren Bravo

Shiv Chanderpaul

Jason Holder

Shai Hope

Kemar Roach

Marlon Samuels

Devon Smith

Jerome Taylor

SCHEDULE OF MATCHES

APRIL

Mon 13 to Fri 17: 1st Test – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua – MATCH DRAWN

Tue 21 to Sat 25: 2nd Test – National Cricket Stadium, Grenada

MAY

Fri 1 to Tue 5: 3rd Test – Kensington Oval, Barbados