Dwayne Bravo

Durham: The West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo thanked Ian Botham for passing on some useful tips as he defied England’s attack in the fourth Test at Riverside here on Saturday.

Bravo was 43 not out when bad light forced an early close after Friday’s first-day washout, having put on 77 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (44 not out) to take the West Indies to 132 for four after they’d collapsed to 55 for four.

Afterwards Bravo thanked former England allrounder Botham, who earlier was awarded knighthood by Britain’s queen Elizabeth II and so became ‘Sir Ian’, for speaking to him before play began on Saturday.

“I was speaking to him about how he balanced both batting and bowling, the workload of an allrounder, and if there was anything in my game he could assist me with,” said Bravo.

“I am very thankful for the 25-minute chat I had with him. I actually put some of the experience into the game.”

Asked what that advice was, Bravo replied: “Don’t let the situation of the game take away my natural style of play, be positive all the time.”

Bravo, who confidently hooked and drove fast bowler Stephen Harmison for boundaries, smashed six fours in his 79-ball stay at the crease. However, he did give a tough chance on 25 when a low drive brushed Harmison’s fingertips.

The 23-year-old Bravo, who comes from the same village of Santa Cruz in Trinidad as retired former captain Brian Lara, said he’d approached Botham at Old Trafford where England won the third Test by 60 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.

“I saw him in Manchester on the outfield and I asked him if it was possible to have a word. I didn’t get the opportunity because of the situation of the game and the time-frame,” said Bravo.

“But I thought this morning was the right time with the delayed start (play began three hours late because of rain). He said ‘no problem’ straight away.

“He looked the kind of person who was approachable. It was something I really enjoyed. I’m looking to follow in his footsteps.”

West Indies, in contrast to their heyday of the 1970s and 1980s, are a struggling and have won just two of their last 38 Tests. Bravo is just one of a handful of members of the current squad with County knowledge following a stint with Kent last season.

“The experience helped me a lot in these conditions,” said Bravo, who had to bat under overcast skies, which were helping the England swing bowlers.

“That maybe one reason why our top-order batsmen have been struggling on this tour (because they haven’t played County cricket).”