West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves etched his name into the record books by becoming the first bowler in the recorded era of Test cricket to take wickets in five consecutive maiden overs during the opening Test against Pakistan in Tarouba.
The 32-year-old produced a sensational spell on the third day, finishing with career-best figures of 5 for 27 as West Indies seized control of the ICC World Test Championship clash.
Greaves broke the previous record of four consecutive wicket maidens, held by former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who achieved the feat against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2016.
Playing in his 17th Test, the Barbadian also claimed his maiden five-wicket haul as Pakistan were dismissed for 282 in reply to West Indies’ first-innings total of 311.
“When I came on, captain Roston Chase just said, ‘Continue to be disciplined in what you are doing’ and see if I could get some wickets for the team,” Greaves said.
“The ball nipped around and I got some reward. Anytime I get the ball in hand, the team looks to me to be that solid player for them and try to dig us out of situations.
“To get five wickets for the first time in Test cricket, I’m really happy, but there’s still a lot of work to do in the game.”
Pakistan appeared to be in complete control at 244 for 3 after captain Shan Masood reached a century, but Greaves sparked a remarkable collapse.
He removed Masood for 109 before dismissing Aamer Jamal, Ali Usman and Mohammad Rizwan in successive maiden overs without conceding a run. The devastating spell left Pakistan reeling at 267 for 8 by lunch.
After the interval, Greaves completed his historic achievement by having Mohammad Abbas caught behind, giving him wickets in five consecutive maiden overs. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 282, handing West Indies a valuable first-innings lead of 29 runs.
