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Upbeat West Indies aim to build on Harare gains
- Updated: November 18, 2016
Match facts
November 19, 2016 Start time 0930 local (0730 GMT)
Big Picture
If off-field distractions have followed West Indies to Zimbabwe, their performance in their first game of the tri-series did not show it. They brought a largely young, inexperienced squad here but their win on Wednesday suggested depth and quality nonetheless, and they will arrive in Bulawayo a confident group.
West Indies’ three debutants in the first match helped to shape their win, with Shai Hope and Rovman Powell both making 40s before offspinner Ashley Nurse chipped in with three wickets. Nurse has insisted that rankings are not foremost in West Indies’ game plans, but their current position of ninth in the ICC rankings suggests a serious malaise that needs tackling.
With a forward-looking squad and the necessity for general improvement in one-day cricket, it’s hard to dismiss the feeling that West Indies are focussed on their future. They have already missed out on qualification for the Champions Trophy next year, and if they are to avoid the ignominy of having to play in a qualifying tournament for the 2019 World Cup, they will have to continue to build on performances such as those in their tour opener. This game offers their next opportunity to do just that.
The increased pace and menace with which West Indies’ quicks will operate brings with it myriad dangers for Zimbabwe’s batsmen. Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder will not only gain extra lift from a traditionally dull surface, but Bulawayo’s drier pitches and outfields will also likely bring reverse-swing into the equation, as they did last year when Afghanistan’s Dawlat Zadran picked up nine wickets at 16.66 in five ODIs at Queens.
Dawlat’s pace and swing meant he was able to strike upfront with the new ball, and then again with the old to help Afghanistan win the series 3-2. The bowling stats from that series offer further clues as to which bowlers might prosper in Bulawayo: Wellington Masakadza, Tendai Chisoro and Amir Hamza – all spinners – were the other leading wicket-takers. Genuine pace, accompanied by spin, will form a potent attack.
With both Sri Lanka and West Indies gaining bonus points from their opening …
