Blackwood, Bravo wore down England with 10-run strategy

Emerging West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood said scoring in 10-run clusters was the main tactic that was used by Darren Bravo and himself in their match-winning partnership against England.

The 23-year-old Blackwood, playing in his eighth Test, scored an unbeaten 47 and shared in a 108-run fourth-wicket partnership with Bravo, to lead the West Indies to a five-wicket win over the Englishmen at Kensington Oval in Barbados.

"I was there batting with Bravo, and we were just trying to take it step by step, until, eventually, wet got across the line," said Blackwood, who also scored 85 in the first innings and was named Man-of-the-Match.

"He (Bravo) was just on saying alright Blackwood, 10 more runs, and each time we got to 10 runs, we go to another 10 runs.

"We were just batting and kept rotating the strike, while being aggressive and being patient at the same time," he added.

Set 192 to win, the West Indies ended on 194 for five, with Bravo top-scoring with 82, before falling with four runs needed for victory.

England had first made 257, to which the West Indies responded with 189. Batting a second time, the visitors were bowled out for 123.

Blackwood and Bravo, who came together with the West Indies in a tricky position at 80 for four, ensured that the three-match series ended 1-1.

"To win a game for the team is very important, and I'm happy I played a role," said Blackwood.

"I love playing under pressure, so it was nothing (difficult) for me."

Meanwhile, Blackwood, who ended the series as the West Indies' top batsman with 311 runs at an average of 77.75, now boasts a Test average of 50.36.

The runs scored by the Jamaican in the series was the second-highest aggregate by a West Indies number-six batsman from three matches, or fewer, in a Test series.

This was one run short of Basil Butcher, who scored 312 runs at an average of 62.40 in a three-Test series in India in 1958-59.

"It's a very special moment," he said of being named Man-of-the-Match, which followed a memorable maiden hundred in the second Test.

"I was not looking at statistics (heading into the series), I was just looking to make some runs, as I just love to play Test cricket and love to play for the West Indies."