GROS-ISLET: Shivnarine Chanderpaul's 30th Test century put the West Indies firmly on course to win the second Test with Bangladesh as the tourists were struggling on 55-2 at lunch in their second innings chasing an unlikely target of 489 on the fourth day of the match at Beausejour Stadium on Tuesday.
Following unbeaten innings of 85 and 84 previously in the series, 40-year-old Chanderpaul's unbeaten 101, together with 66 not out from Jermaine Blackwood, allowed home captain Denesh Ramdin to close his side's innings on 269 for four after 45 minutes' play.
Chanderpaul is only the second West Indian, after former captain Clive Lloyd against Australia in 1984, to score a Test century aged 40 or more.
Bangladesh got off to a flying start in the 15 overs they faced before the interval, Shamsur Rahman taking on Jerome Taylor and hooking the fast bowler for successive sixes over square-leg. Taylor had the last laugh however when, in attempting to repeat the shot, Shamsur found Kirk Edwards on the square-leg boundary and departed for 39.
Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn then removed new batsman Anamul Haque to a catch at the wicket but Mominul Haque survived to the interval and will resume in the afternoon session alongside opening batsman Tamim Iqbal.
Resuming at the overnight position at 208 for four, and already with a lead of 427, the only real issue was whether Chanderpaul would have gotten to the landmark after missing out in the previous two innings.
But he was not to be denied on this occasion, playing far more positively and extending his love affair with the Bangladeshi bowling in reaching three figures off 134 deliveries with eight fours. Blackwood also sought to push the score along and duly completed his second half-century in his third Test match.
As soon as he reached the landmark, Ramdin made the declaration and laid the formidable challenge down to Bangladesh.
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