Windies beef up batting (25 March 1999)
By habit as much as design, the West Indies selectors have yet again changed one of their opening batsmen for the critical Third Test against Australia, starting at Kensington Oval tomorrow morning
25-Mar-1999
25 March 1999
Windies beef up batting
Tony Cozier in Bridgetown
Ragoonath gets the axe
By habit as much as design, the West Indies selectors have yet again
changed one of their opening batsmen for the critical Third Test
against Australia, starting at Kensington Oval tomorrow morning.
But chairman Mike Findlay acknowledged yesterday that he and his
colleagues, Joey Carew, Joel Garner and captain Brian Lara, are still
undecided over who will go in first with Sherwin Campbell.
Suruj Ragoonath, who looked out of his depth after he was belatedly
given his chance, at 31, in the first two Tests is dropped. He is
replaced in the squad of 13, from whom the starting XI will be
finalised, by the tall, 27-year-old Barbadian left-hander Adrian
Griffith, for whom Kensington is also home for his club team,
Pickwick.
Findlay said following the team's net practice at Queen's Park
yesterday morning that Griffith was just one of four options being
considered as the second opener. The final choice will be made this
afternoon.
"We're looking at Griffith, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dave Joseph and
Ridley Jacobs and assessing how comfortable they are in the nets
before deciding," Findlay said.
He did not give any preference but logic dictates it should be
neither Chanderpaul nor Jacobs.
The consistent Chanderpaul, returning for the first time in the
series after recovering from a shoulder injury, has become the
established No.3; wicketkeeper Jacobs made his name on his impressive
debut series in South Africa at No.7. It would be folly to shift
either.
The absence over the first two Tests of the established Chanderpaul
and Carl Hooper left two middle-order positions open, one of which
was filled by Joseph. His forthright 50 in the unfamiliar No.3 in his
first innings, his sharp close-catching and his positive attitude
were those of a seasoned cricketer keen to take whatever opportunity
came his way.
It was surprising to learn, from captain Lara, that he asked to be
demoted to his accustomed No.5 in the Second Test at Sabina Park.
That is the assured place of the returning Hooper so that Joseph can
only be retained if he opens and he can only open if he is mentally
ready.
Seeing that he has entered at 16 for one, three for one and 17 for
three in his three innings to date, there difference is minimal. He
certainly seems to have the temperament to cope.
It is just over two years since Griffith played his one and only
previous Test, against Australia at Adelaide in January, 1997, when
he made 13 and 1. In the interim, eight different openers (Campbell,
Ragoonath, Robert Samuels, Stuart Williams, Philo Wallace, Clayton
Lambert, Junior Murray and Daren Ganga) have been used in 23 Tests
against Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, England and South
Africa.
There has been such a frustrating lack of success that the 160 raised
by Campbell and Williams against Sri Lanka in Antigua in June, 1997,
has been the only first-wicket stand of three figures since. The last
seven have been 0, 2, 1, 4, 16, 3 and 4.
Griffith's tour of 1996-97 tour of Australia was something of a
disaster (first-class average 12) but he has come back into the
reckoning with a couple of steady seasons allied to the continuing
dearth of qualified openers. He averages 41.25 in the current season.
How ever many runs he makes with the bat, he will save several in the
field where he is one of the best in the West Indies.
In spite of the welcome addition of Hooper's well practised off-spin,
Findlay indicated that Nehemiah Perry's place is secure following his
debut performance in Jamaica where his own off-spin (5/70 in the
second innings), his solid batting at No.8 and his fielding were
convincing.
It means three fast bowlers and while the likelihood is that they
will remain Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Pedro Collins, there
is not a knowledgeable judge on this island of fast bowling who does
not believe that Corey Collymore is not ready for Test cricket right
now.
He remains in the 13. It will not be long before he is in the final
XI.
The team:
Brian Lara (Capt, Trinidad & Tobago) 61 Tests Sherwin Campbell (Barbados) 32 Tests Adrian Griffith (Barbados) 1 Test Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Guyana) 35 Tests Carl Hooper (Guyana) 78 Tests Dave Joseph (Leewards) 2 Tests Jimmy Adams (Jamaica) 35 Tests Ridley Jacobs (Leewards) 7 Tests Nehemiah Perry (Jamaica) 1 Test Curtly Ambrose (Leewards) 86 Tests Pedro Collins (Barbados) 2 Tests Courtney Walsh (Jamaica) 108 Tests Corey Collymore (Barbados ) 0 Tests
Source :: The Trinidad Express (https://www.trinidad.net/express/)