West Indies Narrow Gap Against England As Kavem Hodge Scores Century

Kavem Hodge's century sparked a West Indies comeback, narrowing the gap to 65 runs against England on day two of the second Test at Trent Bridge.

Chasing England's 416, the West Indies faced early setbacks. Mikyle Louis (21), Kraigg Brathwaite (48), and Kirk McKenzie (11) were dismissed, leaving them at 84-3.

However, Hodge and Alick Athanaze steadied the innings with a remarkable 175-run partnership. Athanaze eventually fell for 82.

Hodge celebrated his maiden century in only his fourth Test match. He reached 120 off 171 balls before being trapped lbw by Chris Woakes. His joy was evident when he hit a four to reach the milestone.

"It was important we put our heads down and took some info from the England first innings," Hodge told Sky Sports. "We made use of a good batting track."

Strong Finish for the Day

Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva guided West Indies to 351-5 by the close of play. This strong position sets them up well for a potential first-innings lead on day three.

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 19, 2024

"It feels amazing [to make a century], it is always good to contribute to the team, especially coming off the first Test when we didn't do so well as a batting unit," Hodge added.

Facing Fast Bowling Challenge

Discussing his partnership with Athanaze, Hodge said: "Facing [Mark] Wood, it is not every day you face a guy who bowls every single ball over 90 miles per hour."

"It was really important we got through that period as it would have been really difficult for a new batter to start against that."

Data Debrief: Hodge's Milestone

Not only did Hodge boost his team's efforts, but he also made history with his first Test century. The 31-year-old became Dominica's first player to score a Test ton and the first West Indies batter to achieve this against England since 2017.