Cricket World Player Of The Week - Kieran Powell

Cricket World Player Of The Week - Kieran Powell

Kieran Powell doffs his cap after completing one of his two centuries.

©WICB Media

With three Test matches going on last week, there were plenty of contenders for this week’s Cricket World Player of the Week award. West Indies were pushed hard by Bangladesh in Dhaka; England were forced to follow-on against India after a marathon double-hundred from Cheteshwar Pujara; and Sri Lanka were ultimately too good for New Zealand thanks to Rangana Herath.

It is from the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur thana that this week’s winner comes. There were many fine performances from players on either side, but it is Kieran Powell’s twin hundreds that just clinch it.

The 22 year-old from the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis became only the second West Indian opener, after Gordon Greenidge, to hit hundreds in both innings of a Test match.

His 117 in the first innings laid the foundations for the West Indies’ total of 527 for four and for the monumental fifth-wicket partnership worth 296 between double centurion Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin. 

Meanwhile, his second innings ton was even better as it helped his side get far enough ahead of the home side before debutant Sohag Gazi gave them a sniff of victory with six wickets. They eventually won by 77 runs with Powell named man of the match.

Asides from Powell, Gazi and Chanderpaul, the match produced other notable performances from the likes of Naeem Islam (108), Nasir Hossain (96) and Tino Best, whose five for 24 on the final day was crucial to the match’s outcome.

Elsewhere, besides Pujara and Herath, Virender Sehwag hit a run-a-ball 117 on the first day against England before Pragyan Ojha humiliated them in their first innings with a haul of five for 45. In Galle, Mahela Jayawardene’s 91 in Sri Lanka’s first innings proved to be the difference in a low-scoring match.

© Cricket World 2012