Kavem Hodge 140 Not Out Gives West Indies A 315-Run Lead In Sylhet

Kavem Hodge made 140 not out on the fourth day of the second Test in Sylhet, carrying West Indies to 345 for 3 and a lead of 315 over Bangladesh. Bad light ended play early. The tourists won the first Test in Dhaka, so a result on the final day would hand them the series 2-0.

Hodge reached his hundred off 142 balls. It is his highest score in Test cricket. He walked in with West Indies 30 behind on first innings. Kevin Wickham made 78 on debut at the other end. The pair added 165 for the third wicket.

Hodge and Wickham turn the Test

Brandon King and Joshua Da Silva opened with 85. Da Silva went for 36, lbw to Taijul Islam. King made 61 from 84 balls. That left Hodge and Wickham together with the lead barely established, and they batted through the middle of the day.

Wickham faced 107 balls in his first Test innings. He is one of three West Indies batters past fifty in the innings. Amir Jangoo is 20 not out, and his unbroken stand with Hodge is worth 61.

The arithmetic moved a long way in one day. West Indies began the morning behind. They ended it 315 clear with seven wickets in hand.

Behind the Bravo record

Hodge now holds the highest Test score by a West Indies top-order batter in Bangladesh. The previous mark was set by Darren Bravo in Khulna in 2012. That score had stood for 14 years. Cricket Times lists the five highest as:

• Kavem Hodge, 140 not out, Sylhet, 2026
• Darren Bravo, 127, Khulna, 2012
• Kirk Edwards, 121
• Ramnaresh Sarwan, 119
• Kieran Powell, 117

Bangladesh in the field

Taijul Islam bowled 29 overs for 2 for 118, with one maiden. Mehidy Hasan Miraz sent down 22 overs for 1 for 58. Between them they carried the day. Neither went at under three an over.

Bangladesh made 386 in their first innings, built around a double hundred from Towhid Hridoy. West Indies had made 356 before that. Both completed innings in this Test have passed 350, and the third is now past 345 with three wickets down.

The final day in Sylhet

West Indies resume with seven wickets standing. Bangladesh need early ones. The lead can be pushed well past 315 before any declaration, and bad light has already cost overs here.

Hodge starts the day unbeaten. Jangoo is with him. Taijul and Mehidy have bowled 51 overs between them in this innings and will be asked to bowl again.

West Indies won the first Test in Dhaka. A win here takes the series 2-0. Bangladesh have one day to bat, or to bowl, their way out of it.