Do-or-die for WI tomorrow
published: Friday | November 28, 2003
By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
THE WEST Indies faces a do-or-die situation when they tackle Zimbabwe in the fourth and penultimate one-day international starting in Harare tomorrow (2:30 a.m. local time).
After scoring 347 to win the first
one-dayer by 51 runs through the Duckworth/Lewis system, the West Indies have slumped. They scored 125 to lose the second match by six wickets and 208 to give up a 21-run victory to the hosts in the third match and they now trail 2-1 in the five-match series heading into tomorrow's contest.
According to team manager Ricky Skerritt, the main problem is the team's batting. He said if they could get at least four batsmen to click, the team would rebound tomorrow.
The manager went on to say after the first innings of the first Test, the team has been bowling and fielding well but the batting has let them down.
TO CAPTURE THE SERIES
The West Indies have to win games four and five this weekend to capture the series and, according to captain Brian Lara "that's what our intention is, to go out there, work hard over the next couple of days to get our game right ... and get the series".
In an interview after Wednesday's 21-run defeat, the West Indies captain expressed disappointment in his team's batting after the bowlers had set the foundation for a victory.
Lara, like Skerritt, praised the bowlers ... "I thought the bowlers did pretty well to limit the opposition to 229 with just three fast bowlers".
As they have done in the past three matches, the West Indies are expected to play seven batsmen. As to which bowlers will play, that may not be known until later today when Lara, coach Gus Logie, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul meet to select the final XI.
The West Indies manager said everyone in the squad, except for fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who is out, and to a lesser extent Drakes, is 100 per cent fit and that the team is rearing to go.
Drakes has a niggling injury, but Skerritt said it was nothing to worry about.
