In both innings, England were allowed to recover after losing their top three early © WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photogr
Phil Simmons would have known what to expect when he took over two weeks ago as the latest West Indies head coach. A West Indian himself, Simmons witnessed the game's decline in the region of his birth from afar while coaching Ireland over eight fruitful years; he may have had mixed feelings when Ireland defeated West Indies in their first match in the recent World Cup but it was a learning experience as he prepared to shift addresses.
As West Indies repeatedly faltered on his first four days in charge, in the first Test against England, his impressions gained from reading, and watching, would have been confirmed.
Before the decisive fifth and final day, with West Indies requiring their remaining eight wickets to carry them to an uplifting draw, Simmons said: "We will learn more about the team tomorrow."
What he did learn was what chief selector Clive Lloyd had foreseen when he and his panel chose Jason Holder as the youngest of all West Indies captains for the tough ODI campaigns in South Africa in January and the subsequent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Lloyd described Holder, variously, as "one of the good, young players who we believe will form part of the long-term future", "a young man with a very bright future a very good cricketing brain and the makings of a very good leader."
It appeared overstated hype at the time. No more.
Holder was widely lauded for his competence and character throughout the World Cup; his match-saving, unbeaten, unflustered 103 when all seemed lost midway through the last day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was further confirmation of Lloyd's assertion that he would be around for "a long time".
Following his 52 on Test debut against New Zealand last year and two half-centuries in the World Cup, his innings was further support for former West Indies and Barbados fast bowler Ezra Moseley, his first coach at St Michael School in Bridgetown, that he was a batsman who could bowl, not the other way round.
It was the 23-year-old Holder's fourth Test, the 65th for Denesh Ramdin, seven years older, the pair that thwarted England for two and a half hours in the warm Antiguan sunshine. As ODI and Test captains respectively, they are the two players Simmons would automatically stick closest to as he eases into a position as tenuous as any in the volatile world of West Indies cricket; their level-headed application in the middle on Friday validated the leadership triumvirate.
Relieved to have escaped with a draw, several of Simmons' new team's familiar failings remained. Most, as always, can be sourced to the collective lack of self-belief brought on by years of decline.
Several times over the first four days, the West Indies held the initiative against opponents ranked five places above them on the ICC's register. Each time they let it slip.
England's precarious 34 for 3 before lunch on the first day mounted to 341 for 5 by the close. Inspired fast bowling by Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach, backed by Holder, limited the total next day to 399, the last six wickets tumbling for 58.
At 276 for 6, West Indies were whittling away at England's total. Jermaine Blackwood, another bright spark for the future, was past his maiden Test hundred in his sixth Test with Holder in a partnership of 23-year-olds. Abruptly, the last four wickets went for 19, the last three for three; a deficit of 104 was conceded.
The scenario was repeated when England batted again. The conversion this time was 52 for 3 to 333 for 7 declared as West Indies had neither the resources nor the will to seize the moment on a batsman's pitch. In the end, they were scattered across the outfield, tired and downcast, awaiting the declaration.
Phil Simmons would have known what to expect when he took over two weeks ago as the latest West Indies head coach. A West Indian himself, Simmons witnessed the game's decline in the region of his birth from afar while coaching Ireland over eight fruitful years; he may have had mixed feelings when Ireland defeated West Indies in their first match in the recent World Cup but it was a learning experience as he prepared to shift addresses.
As West Indies repeatedly faltered on his first four days in charge, in the first Test against England, his impressions gained from reading, and watching, would have been confirmed.
Before the decisive fifth and final day, with West Indies requiring their remaining eight wickets to carry them to an uplifting draw, Simmons said: "We will learn more about the team tomorrow."
What he did learn was what chief selector Clive Lloyd had foreseen when he and his panel chose Jason Holder as the youngest of all West Indies captains for the tough ODI campaigns in South Africa in January and the subsequent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Lloyd described Holder, variously, as "one of the good, young players who we believe will form part of the long-term future", "a young man with a very bright future a very good cricketing brain and the makings of a very good leader."
It appeared overstated hype at the time. No more.
Holder was widely lauded for his competence and character throughout the World Cup; his match-saving, unbeaten, unflustered 103 when all seemed lost midway through the last day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was further confirmation of Lloyd's assertion that he would be around for "a long time".
Following his 52 on Test debut against New Zealand last year and two half-centuries in the World Cup, his innings was further support for former West Indies and Barbados fast bowler Ezra Moseley, his first coach at St Michael School in Bridgetown, that he was a batsman who could bowl, not the other way round.
It was the 23-year-old Holder's fourth Test, the 65th for Denesh Ramdin, seven years older, the pair that thwarted England for two and a half hours in the warm Antiguan sunshine. As ODI and Test captains respectively, they are the two players Simmons would automatically stick closest to as he eases into a position as tenuous as any in the volatile world of West Indies cricket; their level-headed application in the middle on Friday validated the leadership triumvirate.
Relieved to have escaped with a draw, several of Simmons' new team's familiar failings remained. Most, as always, can be sourced to the collective lack of self-belief brought on by years of decline.
Several times over the first four days, the West Indies held the initiative against opponents ranked five places above them on the ICC's register. Each time they let it slip.
England's precarious 34 for 3 before lunch on the first day mounted to 341 for 5 by the close. Inspired fast bowling by Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach, backed by Holder, limited the total next day to 399, the last six wickets tumbling for 58.
At 276 for 6, West Indies were whittling away at England's total. Jermaine Blackwood, another bright spark for the future, was past his maiden Test hundred in his sixth Test with Holder in a partnership of 23-year-olds. Abruptly, the last four wickets went for 19, the last three for three; a deficit of 104 was conceded.
The scenario was repeated when England batted again. The conversion this time was 52 for 3 to 333 for 7 declared as West Indies had neither the resources nor the will to seize the moment on a batsman's pitch. In the end, they were scattered across the outfield, tired and downcast, awaiting the declaration.