Chilling in the hallways

Since we had already made it to the semi-finals the game against England was an opportunity for the guys to get a hit first up batting-wise and to bowl with the wet ball in the dew conditions, as well to get a feel for that aspect of the game which has been crucial in this tournament so far. It was a pretty good wicket to bat on so we decided if we won the toss we’ll bat first and get a big total on the board.

There was a bit of a setback early on to lose Shiv [Chanderpaul] Myself and [Dwayne] Bravo put up a good partnership to lay the foundation. Bravo got his first ODI hundred, which was very good to see. We know he has been struggling for some time to get a good score so it is good to see him get three figures and get his confidence back. I hope he moves from strength to strength and goes into the semi-finals with greater confidence. It was a good all-round performance batting-wise.

I thought I had a slow start. I didn’t get the usual firing start I am known for but I knew once I got in and stayed in, things would get easier as we kept on batting. I paced myself for this sort of innings and it paid off with my 14th hundred but it was unfortunate that we lost the game. Bravo really supported me and helped me through the innings as well. The support was very good from Bravo. I enjoyed the hundred overall and I am hoping that I can ensure that I make good use of every start I get in this tournament.

In the bowling department the England team got the better of us by getting off to a flier. Then you know who came into the attack and went to the rescue – getting three wickets was good for the team since it set the English back a bit.

[Kevin] Pietersen came in and batted very well and ended up playing a matchwinning innings for his team.

Though we lost it was still a good game for us as we put a good total on the board and worked hard to defend it even though we did not finish off the job. We are now looking forward to the semi-final against South Africa in Jaipur. South Africa has been playing good cricket so far and they always put up a serious challenge but we enjoy challenges so it would be an interesting encounter.

After the game against England we came back to the team hotel and did the usual – gathered in the hallway and had a long chat about the game, where we did well, where we went wrong and just talked about cricket and life in general. Myself, Corey [Collymore], Braddie [Ian Bradshaw], Wavell [Hinds], Marlon [Samuels] and Fidel [Edwards] stayed up until 6am just talking in the hallway. I think these are the things that bring team spirit together, to sit down and chat about the game and other things.

Even though we lost the enjoyment is still there from everyone especially playing in these conditions far away from home and we will definitely take that into the semi-finals.