West Indies all-rounder 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 West Indies to 132 for four after they'd collapsed to 55 for four.
Afterwards Bravo thanked former England all-rounder Botham, who earlier Saturday was awarded a knighthood by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and so became 'Sir Ian', for speaking to him before play began Saturday.
"I was speaking to him about how he balanced both batting and bowling, the workload of an all-rounder, 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, scored six fours in 79 balls at the crease. However, he did give a tough chance on 25 when a low drive brushed Harmison's fingertips.
Bravo said Botham, renowned for his love of life off the field as well as on it, had passed on another tip. "He told me to enjoy my cricket. Then everything will take care of itself." The 23-year-old Bravo, who comes from the same village of Santa Cruz in Trinidad as retired former captain Brian Lara, Test cricket's leading run-scorer, 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 side and have won just two of their last 38 Tests.
Great players such as Botham's close friend Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner all gained experience of English conditions by playing county cricket. But with West Indies in decline, their players haven't proved so attractive and 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 attack swing the ball.
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