Samuels’s double century gives West Indies lead

Marlon Samuels hit an imperious maiden double century to guide the West Indies to 462-3 at tea on the third day of the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Khulna on Friday. The 31-year-old Jamaican was unbeaten on a career best 220 alongwith Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 52 not out as they put on 93 for an unbroken fourth wicket stand, giving the tourists a 75-run lead over Bangladesh’s first innings total of 387. Samuels survived a confident leg-before shout off paceman Rubel Hossain’s first over after lunch before steering the same bowler for a single to complete his double hundred off 329 deliveries. He has so far hit 27 boundaries and three sixes during his dominating 398-ball stay at the crease. A normally cautious Chanderpaul has hit six boundaries and a six off 98-balls as the West Indies look for a big lead to force another win in the two-match series after taking the first Test in Dhaka by 77 runs. The tourists were helped into the lead on a lifeless Shaikh Abu Nasser Stadium pitch through a 326-run third wicket stand between Samuels and Darren Bravo (127) in the morning session. Samuels and Bravo continued to punish the hapless Bangladeshi bowlers after the West Indies resumed at 241-2. Bravo hit Hossain for two boundaries in one over to enter 90s before taking a couple and a single to complete his fourth Test hundred. In the last over before lunch, Bravo was adjudged leg-before off spinner Sohag Gazi as he tried to cut the ball, which hit the pad first and then the bat. Bravo hit ten boundaries during his 288-ball innings. Bangladeshi bowlers were found wanting on the slow track and their problems were compounded by edges falling short and a dropped catch in the slips by Naeem Islam off paceman Abul Hassan when Samuels was on 117. Samuels took full advantage of the lapse and bettered his previous highest Test score of 123, which he made against New Zealand at Kingston earlier this year.