West Indies batter Kavem Hodge scored his maiden Test century in the second Test match against England. Playing at Trent Bridge, Hodge put up a strong partnership alongside Alick Athanaze to keep West Indies in the game. Windies, who were brutally beaten in the first Test match, fought toe to toe against the hosts on Day 2 of the game.
Their partnership of 175 runs came against a spirited spell from Mark Wood who bowled the fastest over in England since 2006. Wood cranked up the heat to 97mph and even peppered Hodge and Athanaze with the short ball multiple times. Hodge revealed in the press conference after the day’s play that it was really challenging to play Wood and he tried to lighten up the mood by cracking a joke.
Wood troubled multiple Windies batters and even hit Athanaze on the head with one of his short balls. As he continued to put in deliveries upwards of 90mph, Hodge joked to Wood that he had wife and kids at home and the bowler really needed to cool down and not target his head.
“It was brutal. It is not every day you face a guy who bowls every single ball over 90mph. There was one point I made a joke, I said ‘Hey, I have a wife and kids at home.’ I just had to laugh, but it was good and it made the century very satisfying. Test cricket is brutal, it is challenging, it is mentally draining. But to experience that, facing someone like Mark Wood, it was very challenging and satisfying,” Hodge said in the press conference after the match.
ENG vs WI, 2nd Test: Day 2 Highlights
Hodge found the right balance between attack and defence as he got to his three-figure score off 143 balls on Day 2 of the second Test. Batting at No.5, Hodge made sure that the hosts did not run away with the match after putting on 416 in the first innings.
“The partnership between Alick [Athanaze] and I… Facing Wood, it is not every day you face a guy who bowls every single ball over 90mph. It was really important we got through that period as it would have been really difficult for a new batter to start against that,” Hodge said.
After West Indies lost the quick wickets of Mikyle Louis, Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk McKenzie, Hodge joined hands with Alick Athanaze and put on a handy partnership of 175 runs for the fourth wicket. Hodge said that they complemented each other well.
“Batting with Alick is always good because he is so aggressive. The attention goes away from me and I can bat under the radar. We complement each other really well,” Hodge said.