KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – West Indies ‘A’ were closing in on a series-levelling victory in the second unofficial “Test” here Monday after left-arm seamer Delorn Johnson produced a lethal burst to leave India ‘A’ reeling at the close on the third day at Arnos Vale.

 The 23-year-old ripped out the top order of the visitors’ batting to leave them tottering on 57 for four, still needing 163 for victory heading into Tuesday’s final day.

Earlier, West Indies ‘A’ were dismissed for 204 after they resumed the day on six without loss.

They were led by left-hander Jonathan Carter who stroked 74 while right-handed Jamaican Donovan Pagon hit an attacking 67.

The pair rescued the innings with an 86-run, sixth wicket stand after West Indies ‘A’ were rocking at 81 for five after lunch.

While Carter faced 97 balls and counted six fours, Pagon cracked four fours and four sixes off a mere 72 balls.

Left-arm spinner Akshay Darekar was the main wicket-taker with six for 67.

The hosts had another bumpy start as opener Justin Guillen (6) clipped to a catch to mid-wicket off seamer Shami Ahmed at 11 for one and Kyle Corbin followed soon afterward for 16, at 36 for two.

Darekar then prised out the next three Windies A batsmen to leave the innings in turmoil.

Nkrumah Bonner missed a straight one and was lbw for five at 48 for three before obdurate opener Kraigg Brathwaite’s long vigil over 21 ended when he was taken at first slip by Rohit Sharma just after lunch, following a two-and-a-half hour stay at the crease.

When wicketkeeper/batsman Devon Thomas was trapped lbw by an arm ball without scoring, the Windies ‘A’ seemed on the brink of collapse until Carter and Pagon joined forces.

Set 220 to win, India ‘A’ were in early trouble when Ajinkya Rahane played back to one from Johnson that kept low and was bowled for five at 13 for one.

Johnson then beat Shikhar Dhawan’s ambitious drive to bowl the left-hander for eight and he then used a turn of pace to trap opener Abhinav Mukund lbw, also for eight.

The crowing achievement was the wicket of captain Cheteshwar Pujara, the leading batsman in the series, who nicked an in-swinger behind for one to leave India reeling at 30 for four. (CMC)

BIRMINGHAM, England - West Indies legend Lance Gibbs has urged more of the current team to play county cricket in England to help revive their fortunes in Test cricket.

Only two members of the Windies side playing against England in the third Test at Edgbaston have played first-class cricket for a county side, with Darren Bravo playing four times for Nottinghamshire in 2011 and Tino Best nine matches for Yorkshire the previous season.

That contrasts with the glory era of Windies cricket when the likes of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh would all play full summers for English county sides.

"All of our great players have had exposure in English cricket, whether it is league or county, where the ball swings and swerves," Gibbs, 77, told BBC Sport.

"They put their games together in foreign conditions and became successful."

Gibbs, who played 79 Tests between 1958 and 1976, was the second bowler in Test history to reach 300 wickets.

He played for Warwickshire between 1967 and 1973, taking 131 first-class wickets at an average of 18.89 in 1971, a performance that gained him a Wisden Cricketer of the Year award the following year.

"These young players have never had that. In English conditions, anybody could pick up a ball and make something happen with it and our players need to learn how to deal with that."

The West Indies, who did not lose a single Test series between 1980 and 1995, have been in steady decline ever since, winning only two of their last 32 Tests and currently sitting seventh in the ICC Test rankings.

England, meanwhile, are top of the table, their victories over the Windies at Lord's and Trent Bridge making it seven home series victories in a row.

Gibbs, however, believes great teams come and go in cycles, and is confident that the West Indies will one day be a force in Test cricket again.

"Every cricketing nation has ups and downs," he said. "If you check the number of Test matches played between England and the West Indies you will see that we are ahead [by 53 to 45].

"You are doing particularly well now but we will return."

Article taken from BBC