No fitness test for Lara (15 May 1999)

15 May 1999

No fitness test for Lara

Tony Cozier

For someone who spent more than 20 years of his cricketing life playing in England, Clive Lloyd took yesterday's opening World Cup match as immediate confirmation of a well established theory.

"The conditions were typical of this time of the season," the West Indies manager, a former long-time player and captain of Lancashire, said.

"There was rain about, it was damp and the ball moved around, especially early on when it was overcast."

"The ball wasn't coming on to the bat and, unless the sun suddenly starts blazing down, things are going to remain much the same," he added.

Lloyd repeated captain Brian Lara's assertion that around 230 and 240 would be a good total.

"The message that should have come through to the batsmen is 'don't panic'; just do the simple things right and runs will come," he said.

Lloyd was encouraged by the bounce that even England's medium-pacers could prompt from the Lord's pitch.

"Our bowlers do get bounce and when there is movement as well that makes it more difficult," he said. "Pitches will change from ground to ground but I'd expect them to be generally similar to what we saw at Lord's and that should favour our bowling."

England used six seam and swing bowlers, varying in pace from the genuinely quick Darren Gough and the left-arm Alan Mullally to the genuinely medium Ian Austin, Mark Ealham, Andrew Flintoff and Adam Hollioake. But Lloyd didn't favour such a heavy balance.

"It worked for them but I feel you need a little variety, whatever the conditions," he said. "They could have used a front-line spinner during the partnership between (Arjuna) Ranatunga and (Romesh) Kaluwitharana."

The left-handed captain Ranatunga and the lively wicketkeeper Kaluwitharana shared the only significant partnership, 84, in Sri Lanka's all-out 204.

The West Indies had a three-hour practice yesterday on the Gloucestershire County ground at Bristol where they start their campaign against Pakistan.

Only Stuart Williams, who strained his right hamstring in training last Tuesday, is on the doubtful list.

"He's coming on and we'll see how he goes in our final training session," Lloyd said. "But, right now, it appears he won't be quite ready to be considered for that opening match."

Source :: The Trinidad Express (https://www.trinidad.net/express/)