RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Napier, January 06, 2000, West Indies tour of New Zealand
(37.2/50 ov, T:160) 160/6

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 76 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
66* (100)
stephen-fleming
Report

ODI #3 - WI v NZ - Napier: A Review and some thoughts.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to write about cricket in general and especially a particular cricket game

Colin Croft
07-Jan-2000
Sometimes, it is very difficult to write about cricket in general and especially a particular cricket game. The 3rd ODI between the West Indies and New Zealand is such a situation. I should note here that I am not the "real" supporter of West Indian cricket as would be normally found in the streets of the Caribbean. After all, I have played cricket for the West Indies, so I obviously want them to win. However, since I am something of a Sports Journalist, I tend to be neutral, if that is really possible, with a hidden hope of success for the West Indies. That is acceptable, and understandable, I think.
Game #3 of this one day series was the poorest effort yet by the West Indies. How much lower this team could go is anyone's guess, but I will not be surprised at all if the basement floor gets lower. I genuinely hope that the basement floor is a massive trampoline, and an almighty bounce upwards is soon to be had by the West Indies cricket team. Realistically, though, I am not so sure of that.
Before we go too far though, let me say that New Zealand deserve every accolade that could be directed their way for both the Test and One Day series wins. While many would suggest that the West Indies played so badly overall that it might be difficult to really assess exactly how well New Zealand has played over the last five weeks or so, I believe that, in most cases, a team is allowed to play as well or badly by the opposing team's efforts. New Zealand's efforts were, very obviously, considerably more organized, purposeful and effective that those of the West Indies have been.
One of the things very much in the air during this 3rd game was the fact that West Indies cricket has now, somewhat justifiably, become a great big joke. Seasoned sports journalists and cricket enthusiasts alike now find it very difficult to find the proper adjectives to describe the tremendously poor efforts being put out by the West Indies. Some are grossly embarrassed at what they are asked to witness on the cricket field, as offered by the West Indies.
The latest joke about the West Indies cricket team goes something like this.
"The most impressive things about the West Indies cricket team in their games in New Zealand are their warm-up processes and acrobatic moves before the games start. Once the games start, they are nothing but duds, great big frauds."
Ironically, last night, after the 3rd game was completed, and after mentioning in my last article that this New Zealand tour was parallel shades of that tumultuous South African tour last year, I got an e-mail from an ardent West Indian supporter living in Jamaica. She suggested that this experience of New Zealand was actually worse than the South African experience of twelve months ago.
Incidentally, the joke in South Africa, after the 5-0 Test series lost, again from seasoned cricketing people, was: "When will the real West Indian cricketers arrive in South Africa? Obviously, there guys are imposters. This cannot be the real West Indies cricket team."
According to my friend, and I daresay that I am almost sure that she speaks for so many, maybe the majority, of suffering West Indians and supporters, it is as if the West Indies cricket team is in love with the term "White Wash", with several more connotations than are already obvious.
I say that if ability cannot do it for the West Indies, then surely pride should. Unfortunately, life is not that simple in professional sport. After all, a team does play against an opponent. In this case, New Zealand have been a very effective opponent, and worthy of their winning efforts.
Anyone at Napier on Thursday night would be forgiven if they thought that they were in a dream, more likely nightmare, as the West Indies again tumbled. If these same people were sufficiently jolted from their West Indian induced stupor, they would have found that New Zealand had again strangled the West Indies out for 159 in almost 50 overs, with minion Nehemiah Perry being a face-saver with 52 not out.
While Jimmy Adams and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were gotten out with some genuinely great deliveries, one wonders about those which got the wickets of Ridley Jacobs, Brian Lara, Ricardo Powell and Wavell Hinds. Underrating personnel in an opposing team is a very dangerous thing. Concentrating for less than the required period of the game also contributes.
Chris Harris, New Zealand's "yo-yo" bowler, ensured that the West Indies will never forget that. He confused the West Indies with his looping, never-there-for-the-drive deliveries. It was even funny at times, as first Lara, then Powell then Hinds, tried to lash Harris's deliveries into Australia. All were caught not so far from the bat.
West Indian fast bowlers Reon King and Merve Dillon tried mightily to make amends, but it really was to no avail. Stephen Fleming, New Zealand's captain, rode his good luck, after getting three clear chances, two catches and a stumping, to make 66 and take the "Man of the Match" award. Again, the West Indies had not made enough runs.
If you think that I was wrong about the situation getting worse, try this West Indies recent return. Game #1: West Indies 250-7 in 50 overs. Game #2: West Indies 192 in 41.3 overs. Game #3: West Indies 159 in 49.5 overs.
As the calysonian asks in the song describing that very erotic and highly acrobatic Caribbean-made dance, the limbo, "How low can you go???"
We will all know the West Indian cricket team's answer to that question at the new WestPac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.

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