Hooper - DellmarTHE FIVE-match one-day series between the West Indies and New Zealand gets under way at Sabina Park today with the home team on a mission of revenge.
Two years ago in New Zealand, the West Indies lost all five matches - and easily at that. They lost one by three wickets, one by seven wickets, one by four wickets, one by eight wickets one by 20 runs and the mission is not only to win but also to win comfortably and in style.
That, however, will not be easy for although the Kiwis are coming off a 3-0 loss in Pakistan where they went down by 153 runs, by three wickets and by 66 runs, the Windies fared little better against India who tagged them 2-1 after winning the first match by seven wickets and the third by 56 runs.
The West Indies, however, are confident that they can win the series and even though a tit-for-tat 5-0 whitewash may be difficult to achieve, they can do it, and with so many explosive batsmen in their ranks, they could also do it in style.
Christopher Gayle is an awesome hitter of the ball, his opening partner Wavell Hinds is also a good striker of the ball, Ramnaresh Sarwan is an attractive stroke player, Brian Lara and Carl Hooper are devastating when in the mood, Shivnarine Chanderpaul can match strides with the best, behind the top six is the swashbuckling Ridley Jacobs, and if they report in top form, the New Zealand bowlers will be in for a rough time.
Consistency, however, could be the problem, the Windies batsmen often times slit their own throats with careless strokes, some times they produce only flashes of brilliance, and captain Hooper will be hoping that his batsmen, particularly Gayle and Hinds at the top of the order, will not only be brilliant but also consistent.
The West Indies problem could be their bowling. It does not possess the explosive potential of the batting and Hooper will also be hoping that his main bowlers, the defensive Cameron Cuffy, the aggressive Mervyn Dillon, left-hander Pedro Collins and Corey Collymore, will rise to the occasion.
New Zealand are also confident of victory and looking at their squad, they have good reason to be.
In Nathan Astle they boast a lovely attacking batsman, in captain Stephen Fleming, Craig McMillan, Chris Nevin and wicketkeeper Lou Vincent they possess some good batsmen and Chris Harris and Scott Styris are two good allrounders.
The strength of the New Zealanders is probably in their attack. Shane Bond is the only one approaching genuine pace, but the other pacers - Ian Butler, Daryl Tuffey, Paul Hitchcock and Jacob Oram - are accurate and ideal for one-day cricket.
Apart from the pacers, apart from spinners Daniel Vettori and Matthew Hart, New Zealand also have on call Harris and his successful slow-medium deliveries.
With quality players on both sides, it should be a close series, in a close series the start is usually important, and if the West Indies mission is not only to win the series but to win all five matches, they have to win this one.
Can they do it? According to Hooper, they can do it and they should do it.
"We have been playing well and although the guys may be a bit tired, it is what is in the mind that matters and we want to win," said Hooper yesterday morning. "That will lift them, and if we are up we should win."
The action is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m.
