Jacobs: I did it for West Indies

GEORGETOWN: West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, who produced a remarkable one-legged half century to help keep his team afloat in the first Test against Australia yesterday, said he had put the team before his health as he hobbled through the innings.

Jacobs pulled a muscle above his groin early on but continued batting and in the process helped Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit the third-fastest century in Test history before he completed an unbeaten 54. Jacobs and Chanderpaul’s stand also pulled West Indies to 237 all out after being 53-5 when they came together.

The 34-year-old Jacobs, who said afterwards that he could not bend his left knee because of the injury, needed a runner and spent most of his innings hopping around on one leg after every shot. Wavell Hinds took his place behind the wicket when Australia batted. “When you get selected to play, you want to give everything for the countries of the West Indies,” Jacobs told reporters. “I saw Shivnarine was playing very well and I realised I had to stay there as long as possible. I just wanted to help him make some runs.” “We will have to see what happens in the next couple of days. I’m really pleased I got some runs (yesterday).”  Meanwhile, Chanderpaul said he felt the century, his seventh in Tests, was his best innings in Test cricket. “I was playing against the best team in the world and I was playing at home,” the 28-year-old said.