ODI No. 1: WI v NZ: Auckland - A Review

Maybe Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, is right. Right now, the West Indies cricket team does seem to be more prepared and certainly more suited for one day cricket than for Tests. The effort put out by the West Indies to win their first game of the new Millenium was considerable and pleasing to watch.

The move by Brian Lara to bat at No. 3 after Sherwin Campbell and Ridley Jacobs had given the West Indies a great start of 111 runs in only 18 overs was also a good, positive gamble. Lara seemed determined to make the first game of 2000 into a winner for the West Indies. He could even be excused if he thought, but did not voice, that he might have been let down by his bowlers when they batted, but especially when they bowled.

With such a start, 96-0 from the first 15 overs, the West Indies should have made at least 300 runs, especially after Daniel Vettori, New Zealand's leg spinner, had completed his wonderful stint of 10-1-28-1 in the middle overs. Nathan Astle has become more useful as an all-rounder, contributing a needed 9-0-37-1 to New Zealand's effort, after Chris Cairns left the field with a suspected back problem. It must be pleasing to his captain that Astle is becoming such a player. Meanwhile, the lower middle order of the West Indies just did not fire.

The first five West Indian batsmen, Campbell, Jacobs, Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ricardo Powell all made double figures, with the first three getting half centuries. Yet, the West Indies deteriorated from being 249-3 to being 268-7, their final score, in the space of three overs. When a team is tentative in its beliefs and not confident of its own efforts, such things as giving away the initial advantage do happen.

New Zealand are on a great confident high. The relaxed mood of Fleming afterwards suggested that he was sure that his team would cope well chasing such a score, even though he himself did not contribute much. Flemming, on the field of play, certainly looked as if he was just more aware of the needed, and dreaded Duckworth-Lewis scoring system after the rains had come for a spell.

Both Fleming and Craig McMillan failed, yet Craig Spearman, Chris Harris and especially Astle and Cairns, as batsmen, managed to thwart every move made by Lara and his men on the field, especially after the rains had come. Cairns will probably not ever forget this West Indian tour. It seems that every time he does something on the field, he seems to be successful, his belligerent 75, with boundaries galore, being the most recent installment. In the meantime, Astle's 77 was the rock on which the eventual victory New Zealand was achieved, with just five balls to spare.

Reon King was again the best West Indian bowler, and like Cairns, would remember this tour with pleasure. His improvement is obvious. Courtney Walsh and Merve Dillon looked ready, but even though Franklyn Rose did get the vital wickets of both Astle and Cairns in the same over, giving away 71 runs from 9 overs, the most expensive return from any bowler in the game, was not what is expected of a front line bowler and certainly not what was required by his captain.

The main difference between the two teams is confidence, and lack thereof. New Zealand are on a roll; a winning, confident roll. The West Indies must overcome their self doubt to try to win the next One Day International at Taupo, at all costs. It would be a tremendous fillip for their spirits and hopes in the new year.