As 1st centurion on England tour, Da Silva ready to grab opportunity
Trinidad and Tobago’s Joshua Da Silva became the first West Indian batsman on this England tour to reach triple figures when, on the penultimate day of the second and final practice match, the wicketkeeper-batsman wielded his bat to score 133 runs from 249 balls.
Da Silva bats during his century
Listed among the 11 reserves, after his century, Da Silva spoke in a virtual press conference on Wednesday, expressing satisfaction with his strong batting performance. Evidently, the ball was moving around, and Da Silva backed himself by showing great application.
“It was a great feeling,” he declared. “Every hundred is a milestone, so I am happy to play that anchor role.”
Asked if his century had given the selectors something to ponder ahead of the first Test, Da Silva humbly responded, “I am just here to play cricket. That is not in my control; scoring runs is only in my control.”
Should Shane Dowrich be injured or ruled out of play, Da Silva posited, he is prepared to replace the Test keeper. Of recent, Dowrich has had a slight side strain.
“Any opportunity I get, I will be willing to take that,” Da Silva has said.
He has batted in the middle order for the most part of his career, but Da Silva has noted that he is comfortable batting in any position.
Having scored heavily in the Regional 4-Day and Regional Super50 tournaments, Da Silva has credited those strong performances for his career being where it is presently. He racked up 507 runs for the Red Force in the Regional 4-Day tournament at an average of 50.70.
Asked whether his fellow batsmen on tour are capable of successfully playing against England, Da Silva noted that the Test batsmen are ready. He said most of them had gotten starts in the first practice match, and they have been putting in the work behind-the-scenes.
Young Da Silva continues to learn and develop daily. He noted that he has been putting in the work with Floyd Reifer, and he has been playing the ball late in the testing UK conditions.
West Indies cricket is in the right hands with Da Silva’s batting talent and his wicket-keeping ability, and he continues to improve and impress with his level-headed batting. (Brandon Corlette)
