da stake casino： Abbreviated as it is, the two-match Test series between West Indiesand Zimbabwe offers the Caribbean a real chance to claim their firstoverseas series triumph since they overcame Australia under RichieRichardson in 1992-93
da leao： Tony Cozier27-Jul-2001Abbreviated as it is, the two-match Test series between West Indiesand Zimbabwe offers the Caribbean a real chance to claim their firstoverseas series triumph since they overcame Australia under RichieRichardson in 1992-93.Since then, West Indies’ record has become progressively moredistressing and the victory in the first Test in Bulawayo was onlytheir second in their last 21 Tests away from home.Captain Hooper expects an outright result because, in his estimation,the teams are not good enough to go five days and play out for a draw.But he is justifiably optimistic that he will be the one collectingthe new Clive Lloyd Trophy, presented by the West Indies Cricket Board(WICB) for perpetual competition between the teams and accompaniedfrom London yesterday by the most successful West Indies captainhimself.If we play anything as decently as we played in Bulawayo, I thinkwe’ll beat Zimbabwe, he said.I’m confident we’re better than Zimbabwe and, once we play decentcricket, are not complacent, and stick to the basics of the game, wewill beat them.Complacency is always the greatest fear of those in charge of teamswith the kind of imposing advantage the West Indies secured in thefirst Test.The potential for it is enhanced by the injuries that keep key batsmenAndy Flower and Stuart Carlisle out of the opposition XI and by theinternal problems that have proved an obvious distraction.Hooper said he could find no evidence of it from all the signs in thenets. What he did observe was a lot of confidence radiating throughthe team.If there is any excess enthusiasm, it should be tempered by Zimbabwe’scomeback on the same Harare Sports Club ground to win the second Testand share the series against India. The pitch was what Hooperanticipated after Bulawayo very dry, without too much grass on it ormoisture.Colin Stuart and Reon King bowled with a bit of pace there on thefourth day and I don’t think Zimbabwe fancied that, he said. So, asexpected, this looks dry, fairly flat and good for batting and thebowlers will probably have their work cut out.Yet Hooper indicated he would more than likely choose to bowl if hewon the toss. The stated reason was that the pitch is reputedlybouncier than at Bulawayo but the fact that Zimbabwe folded for 155and 228 there and are short of quality batting is clearly anotherconsideration.While the Zimbabwe selectors had a lengthy meeting yesterday trying tosettle their final XI, in the end making only one necessary change,Hooper could announce that his team would be the same, all to theenforced change of Courtney Browne for Ridley Jacobs as wicket-keeper.There was also a little doubt about Pedro Collins who was beingtreated for a slight niggle in his right leg, but it is not seriousand Hooper is counting on him to play. If he isn’t ready this morning,Marlon Black or Corey Collymore will replace him.Zimbabwe brought in Hamilton Masakadza for Carlisle who fractured afinger fielding in the first Test. Masakadza is a tall, 17-year-oldopening batsman and colleague of 18-year-old wicket-keeper TatendaTaibu at Churchill College in Harare.He is only the second black batsman to represent Zimbabwe after TrevorMadondo, who died of malaria last month at the age of 24. He hadbatted solidly in his two first-class matches against the West Indiesand is highly touted by Dave Houghton, the former Zimbabwe captain.Fast bowlers Brighton Watambwa and the experienced Henry Olonga werereportedly not considered match ready after lengthy lay-offs throughinjury.The West Indies have had to do without more key players here than onany tour in recent memory but the loss of Jacobs, through matchreferee Dennis Lindsay’s suspension for an incident in one of the One-Day Internationals, is as crucial as any.Since his tardy introduction into the team in South Africa in 1998-99,when he made his debut on his 31st birthday, Jacobs has providedstability in every sense for 32 consecutive Tests, as wicket-keeper(117 catches, 4 stumpings), No.7 batsman (average 28.8) and unwaveringteam man (now vice-captain).Browne, who temporarily takes his place, is a competent keeper withthe experience of 13 Tests, the last four years ago in St Vincentagainst Sri Lanka. But it won’t be the same without Jacobs.The teams:West Indies: Carl Hooper (captain), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle,Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, CourtneyBrowne, Neil McGarrell, Colin Stuart, Pedro Collins (or MarlonBlack/Corey Collymore) and Reon King.Zimbabwe: Heath Streak (captain), Dion Ebrahim, AlistairCampbell, Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Wishart, Guy Whittal, GrantFlower, Andy Blignaut, Tatenda Taibu, Bryan Strang, Ray Price.Umpires: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe), A.J.Jayaprakash (India).Match referee: D.T.Lindsay (South Africa).
