ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Opener John Campbell turned the page on a low-scoring tour of Bangladesh when he carved an attractive hundred to take the stage on the opening day of the four-day West Indies warm-up game here yesterday.
The left-handed player, who has yet to truly thrive since making his Test debut two years ago, scored 129 as the Roston Chase XI finished at 280 for seven at Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Chase broke with 75 but had no other batters among the runs, though Test star Jermaine Blackwood was unbeaten at 18 at the end.
Teenage fast bowler Jayden Seales was outstanding with three for 42 while left arm controller Preston McSween picked up two for 40.
Sent in by the Kraigg Brathwaite XI, XI Chase made a stunning start when the impressive Seales moved Shayne Moseley (3) and Sunil Ambris (0) with consecutive deliveries in the eighth inning over.
However, Campbell anchored two key stands to revive the pubs, adding 41 first for the third wicket with Nkrumah Bonner (16) and then a huge 183 for the fourth wicket with Chase.
McSween won the lbw decision against Bonner with lunch approaching as Chase XI reached the break at 72 for three but then Campbell and Chase dominated the second session.
Campbell, who scored just 80 runs from four flyovers in the recent Bangladesh series, struck out 15 four and three sixes off 253 deliveries in just shy of 5-1 / 1 hour in crease.
Chase, who opted out of the Bangladesh tour, meanwhile, faced 159 balls in just under 3-½ hours and a 10 four stroke.
The Chase on the right was eyeing triple figures when he was stumped off left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge and triggered his slide dismissal which saw four wickets fall for 35 runs.
Campbell was fifth out of the end, pulling a shortball off Cornish spinner Rahkeem for Paul Palmer to grab a simple catch running back in the middle of the wicket.
Seales then returned to claim Raymon Reifer (2) in the second over with the new second ball, the left wing stabbing sharp catch to Kavem Hodge on his short leg while Jahmar Hamilton (5) continued three deliveries before clipping McSween to Shimron Hetmyer a leg slip in the next over.