No-ball problem still bugging WI

Napier - A host of long-standing problems have turned up to haunt the West Indies like so many persistent ghosts throughout their New Zealand tour.

Captain Brian Lara has found himself repeating them with monotonous regularity and he mentioned another following defeat in the second One Day International at Taupo on Tuesday night.

Were just giving away too many no-balls and thats really annoying, he said.

He was merely echoing a theme chorused by previous captains, managers and coaches in the past few years.

In the 80.5 overs they sent down in the first two Internationals, the West Indies bowlers gifted 19 no-balls to their grateful opponents. They got only two back, in 91.3 overs, from the more disciplined New Zealanders.

The ratio was similar in the two Tests. The West Indies sent down 37 no-balls, from 318.5 overs, the New Zealanders only seven, from 363.1 overs.

Its something we have to keep working on, Lara said. Every time you bowl a no-ball, its an extra run and an extra ball to the opposition and, especially in One Day cricket, they mount up.

The problem is evidence of the indiscipline that continues to afflict West Indies cricket.

Throughout the current tour, they have been other signs. They were most obvious in the Taupo match.

With a few exceptions, the fielding and the throwing were ragged, especially stacked against the brilliance of the New Zealanders. Only a handful of West Indians seem either prepared and capable of making diving saves. It is common practice among the New Zealanders.

Sherwin Campbell's edge to slip off a wild slash to the first ball of the match was an early signal of the unruly batting that followed.

Ridley Jacobs, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ricardo Powell were all caught in the deep trying for maximum just when partnerships were developing with Jimmy Adams.