GEORGETOWN, CANA:
WEST Indies' captain Carl Hooper is hoping to make a declaration before lunch on today's final day and put pressure on South Africa in the first Cable and Wireless cricket on a wearing Bourda pitch.
"I think if we can get another 40, 50, 60 runs, we can put the South Africans on a bit of pressure tomorrow (Tuesday)," Hooper said.
"If you look at, you are supposed to get 15 overs in an hour and they might probably slow it up a little bit but we certainly want to have them batting before lunch," Hooper told reporters at the end of day four.
Hooper lauded the batting of stylish 20-year-old Jamaican right-hander Marlon Samuels, who stabilised the West Indies innings with a diligent 51 in four and a half hours off 202 balls. "He played well. He's been playing well now for a few months.
"I think he has brought back the same form that he had in Australia," Hooper said.
"It's good to see him continuing. It's just a shame that he made (just) fifty. I'd love to see one of the younger guys go on and get a bigger score but I think it is a good sign for the West Indies and hopefully we can continue in the next couple of Test matches," Hooper observed.
Hooper was particularly impressed with the way Samuels played each ball on its merit and tried to adjust to the pitch which had variable bounce with balls keeping low.
"This is all part of the learning process of Test cricket. You are going to find tracks vary from place to place that you go. In Australia, he would have found the tracks a bit bouncier, a few months later, you down at Bourda where the tracks are much lower, tomorrow you may find yourself up at the Oval where it is probably going to seam and keep a bit low.
