Back home in the Caribbean a 4 test series against New Zealand is set to commence. The West Indies were swept aside 4-0 by India in India and will be looking for a better showing
For the 1st Test at Sabina Park Gayle will be out due to injury giving Hinds a chance at opener. Fidel Edwards will miss the whole series with a serious injury. Ine xciting news young quick Jerome Taylor is fit and likely to be picked
1st test
WI v NZ
WI Team - Smith, Hinds, Chanderpaul, Lara (c), Sarwan (vc), Samules, Bravo, Ramdin, Lawson, Collymore, Taylor 12th man _ Mcgarelll
NZ 10/387 (Astle 114, Strris 66)
Collymore 5/111 (30)
Lawson 2/67 (26)
Taylor 1/72 (21)
Bravo 2/50 (20)
Samules 0/55 (11)
Hinds 0/13 (4)
WI
Hinds 21 retired hurt
Smith 34
Shiv 60
Lara 55
Sarwan 47
Samules 8
Bravo 2
Ramdin 2
Lawson 17
Collmore 4 n/o
Taylor 9
10/277
NZ 10/292 (Fleming 69, Vettori 47)
Collymore 3/42 (20)
Lawson 2/72 (20)
Taylor 4/61 (20)
Bravo 1/76 (25)
Samules 0/34 (8)
WI require 403 to win
Hinds Unable to bat
SHiv 53
Smith 0
Lara 169
Sarwan 0
Samules 14
Bravo 15
Ramdin 25
Lawson 12
Collymore 0
Taylor 2b.o
total 10/307
Nz won by 95 runs
Summary - A close fought test match. With Hinds going off injured and not out in the first innings and unable to bat in the second it might of made the difference in the match. Hinds is now out for 11 weeks and will miss the whole Caribbean summer. I thought in this game my fast bowlers showed some promise. Young Taylor bowled very well beating batsman for pace on a number of occasions. Collymore was back to his best nagging away and producing wickets with deliveries that nipped around. Lawson also showed promise although he bowled inconsistently. With the batting the middle order remained the problem with not ewnoguh runs from Samules,Bravo and Ramdin. Lara played a really speical innings once more and seems to be in some of the form of his life.
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2nd Test
Hinds Out
Mcgarell IN
Bravo pushes up to 6.
NZ 10/354
Collmore 1/77 (28)
Lawson 0/38 (13)
Taylor 4/62 (20)
Mcgarell 3/85 (37)
Bravo 1/79 (30)
WI
Smith 3
Shiv 10
Sarwan 14
Lara 2
Samules 17
Bravo 7
Ramdin 19
Mcgarell 17
Lawson 2
Taylor 3
Collymore 0n/o
total 10/120
WI follow on
WI
Smith 81 Retired Hurt
Shiv 64
Sarwan 48
Lara 0
Samules 53
Bravo 38
Ramdin 39
Mcgarell 33
Lawson 6
Taylor 20
Collmore 12 n.o
total 10/420
NZ require 190 to win
NZ 4/190
Collmore 0/17 (10)
Lawson 1/26 (8)
Taylor 3/65 (16)
Mcgarell 0/65 (15)
Bravo 0/14 (5)
NZ win by 6 wickets
Summary - A dissapointing result. After grafting away with the ball with some discipline bowling from bravo and Mcgarell especially we batted with carelessness on a flat wicket in Antigua. A unacceptable collapse from the top order led to disaster of just 120. The openers applied themselves much better in the second innings and the top 3 all cashed in without going on. Again a retired hurt, Smith will miss the remaining two tests and him having to go off caused a sway in the mommentum of thematch, Laras double failure in Antigua came as a real surprise and dissapointment. Taylor was super impressive with the ball and the Wi might of just unleashed a new bowling star. On a wicket starting to turn mcgarelll did not cpaitalise when a sniff of victory was there on day 5.
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3rd test
Gayle Is Now Fit and he comes in for Smith for is unfit
NZ 10/401
Collymore 0/49 (22)
Lawson 2/64 (22)
Taylor 3/67 (24)
Mcgarell 1/114 (35)
Gayle 1/36 (11)
Bravo 2/62 (25)
WI
Shiv 157
Gayle 50
Sarwan 85
Lara 11
Samules 20
Bravo 2
Ramdin 5
Mcgarell 11
Lawson 0
Taylor 17 n/o
Collmore 4
total 10/370
NZ 3 (dec) 260
Colly 0/11 (6)
Taylor 0/44 (10)
Lawson 1/23 (6)
Gayle 1/27 (15)
Mcgarell 1/95 (26)
Vravo 1/40 (11)
WI require 291 in 66 overs
Gayle
Shiv 55 n/o
Sarwan 13
Lara 0
Samules 0
Bravo 30
Ramdin 0
Mcgarell 19 n/o
total 6/125
Match drawn
Summary - The Wi held on for a draw here in Barbados in a long , grinding match. The stars for the WI was Chanderpual who batted for very long periods and played 2 unflappable innings bo5th under extreme pressure. Bond seems to have Lara on the rack and he is now looking very bad at the start of his innings and getting out. Samules again failed to deliver and chances are running out for him. A disspaointing match for Coolymore and Mcgarell with the ball.
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4th Test
WI
Gayle 11
Shiv 87
Sarwan 34
Lara 34
Samules 61
Bravo 54
Ramdin 4
Mcgarell 13
Lawson 3
Taylor 6
Colly 9n/o
total 10/350
NZ 10/452
Collmore 4/93 (26)
Taylor 2/75 (19)
Lawson 2/57 (17)
Bravo 1/75 (26)
Mcgarell 1/119 (36)
gayle 0/27 (10)
WI
Gayle 18
Shiv 12
Sarwan 32
Lara 118
Samules 15
Bravo 9
Ramdin 9
Mcgarell 8
Lawson 2
Collymore 2
Taylor 4n/o
total 10/263
NZ require 160
NZ 6/160 (after being 4/20 and 6/96)
Collmore 1/22 (10)
TAylor 0/15 (9)
Bravo 3/33 (15)
Mcgarell 2/67 (25)
Lawson 0/21 (4)
Summary - WI blew thir chances again in this match and are very disaapointed to lsoe the series 3-0. Bravo had a good match and it was good to see Lara back inthe runs and samules with a good first innings. The best of the bowlers were collymore and bravo.
Averages
Batting
Shiv 484 @ 69
Lara 400 @ 50
Smith 120 @ 40
Sarwan 285 @ 35
Samules 200 @ 25
Gayle 80 @ 20
Bravo 160 @ 20
Ramdin 94 @ 12
Bowling
Taylor 17 wickets @ 27
Collmore 15 wickets @ 28
Lawson 11 wickets @ 33
Bravo 12 wickets @ 36
Mcgarell 8 wickets @ 70