CRICKET:West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels registered his third Test century against England in the second Test at Trent Bridge .
After slipping to 136 for six, Samuels and captain Darren Sammy (88no) put on an unbeaten 168 to help the Windies recover to 304 for six at the end of the first day’s play.
Samuels’ unbeaten 107 was particularly impressive as, prior to the tour, he had represented Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League.
“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Samuels said. “After the Twenty20, I came to England and it’s a different mindset.
“I came in and started batting a lot of balls and know that I had to spend a lot of quality time to get runs in England.”
Samuels, who was banned for two years from 2008 to 2010 when he was found guilty of “receiving money, or benefit or other reward that could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute”, received words of wisdom in the shape of West Indies legends Michael Holding and Viv Richards prior to play.
“Maturity comes over the years. I’ve been through a lot and I just put everything behind me and I’m moving forward,” Samuels added.
