Narine, Bravo, Roach in World Cup quad

ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda (AFP) — Highlyrated off spinner Sunil Narine, top-order batsman Darren Bravo and fast bowler Kemar Roach were all named in the West Indies World Cup squad yesterday despite missing out on the current South Africa tour.

Narine was summoned to share spin-bowling duties with Sulieman Benn, Bravo was recalled after choosing to sit out the current series for “personal reasons”, while Roach has recovered from an injury suffered in the team’s 220-run defeat against South Africa in the first Test last month.

Barbados all-rounder Jason Holder was confirmed as captain with experienced batsman Marlon Samuels appointed vice-captain.

The most experienced ODI player in the squad is opener Chris Gayle with 258 appearances. Samuels (162), Denesh Ramdin (115) and Darren Sammy (115) all have over a hundred ODI games under their belts, while Dwayne Smith (94) could achieve his 100th appearance during the World Cup which starts on February 14.

The squad has a total of 1,156 ODI appearances with only Sheldon Cottrell and Jonathan Carter yet to debut internationally. Carter and Cottrell are both in the ODI squad to face South Africa in a five-match series to commence shortly.

“I believe we have selected a very good team which will do West Indies proud at the World Cup,” said Clive Lloyd, the West Indies chairman of selectors. “We have a good mixture of some good seasoned players and some good youngsters who will fly the West Indies flag in Australia and New Zealand.

“If they play to their potential I am quite sure we will do very well. I have really high hopes in this team.

I believe they can do something special.” As expected, there was no World Cup reprieve for former captain Dwayne Bravo, who was axed after the team’s controversial decision to quit October’s tour of India four matches into a five-game One- Day Series over a pay dispute.

West Indies play their opening World Cup match on February 16 against Ireland before going on to face Pool B rivals, defending champions India, South Africa, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates.

West Indies squad: Jason Holder (captain), Marlon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor.

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Narine, Bravo, Roach in World Cup quad

Roach captures 100th test wicket but Williamson, rain dampen Windies hopes

: Fast bowler Kemar Roach celebrates his 100th wicket as BJ Watling falls. (Credit: WICB Media)

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Monday June 30, 2014, CMC – Speedster Kemar Roach captured his 100th Test wicket but Kane Williamson’s career-best century and then torrential rain, spoiled West Indies chances of winning the decisive third Test at Kensington Oval here Sunday.

When the adverse weather ended play prematurely at 4:51 pm on the fourth day, New Zealand had reached a formidable 331 for seven in their second innings – a lead of already 307 heading into Monday’s final day.

The rain, which first came at 1:48 pm and then allowed just 26 balls following a 4:30 pm restart, robbed the game of a precious 42.5 overs.

Williamson, who began the day on 58, finished on a superb, unbeaten 161, an innings that formed the bedrock of the New Zealand innings and seems likely to ensure them at least a share of the series.

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The 23-year-old right-hander hardly put a foot wrong as he faced 271 balls in just under 6-1/2 hours at the crease, and stroked 22 fours.

Along the way, he extended his overnight fourth wicket stand to 67 with captain Brendon McCullum who scored 25, added a further 91 for the fifth wicket with Jimmy Neesham who belted an attacking 51 and then also posted 79 for the sixth wicket with BJ Watling who hit 29.

It was the wicket of Watling, caught at gully by Jason Holder 45 minutes after lunch, which gave Roach the 100th scalp of his 26-Test career.

He was the best Windies best bowler with four for 55 while debutant fast bowler Jason Holder has claimed two for 26.

Resuming the day on 123 for three, New Zealand gathered runs quickly as Williamson showed his intent from as early as the third ball of the day, lofting off-spinner Shane Shillingford wide of long on for four and then cutting the first ball of Roach’s next over to the point boundary.

McCullum, however, added just two to his overnight 23 before falling lbw to Roach in the day’s fourth over, trapped on the crease by a delivery that came back. He
consulted DRS in vain.

Neesham’s arrival increased the scoring rate, the left-hander belting three fours and four sixes off just 67 balls in an hour-and-a-half at the crease.

He took a liking to the toothless Shillingford – unable to fire his lethal doosra because of the ICC restrictions – lofting him onto the media centre at the southern end in the day’s seventh over and then clearing the ropes and wide long on in the bowler’s next over.

When seamer Jerome Taylor was introduced, Neesham struck him for a flat six over long on and then smashed left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn over the ropes at mid-wicket off the first ball following the water break.

Williamson, meanwhile, edged seamer Jason Holder to third man to move to 97 before reaching his seventh century with a couple behind point off Benn, 50 minutes before
lunch.

Neesham followed him soon after, driving Holder for two to reach his half-century but then fell off the very next ball, smashing a full-blooded drive into the lap of Kraigg Brathwaite at a very short cover, with the score on 226 for five.

Any hopes the Windies had of making further inroads were quickly erased as Williamson and Watling stood firm in another half-century stand that proved a source of
frustration.

With Williamson picking off boundaries at will, Watling held up the other end for nearly an hour-and-a-half, before falling in the second over with the second new
ball, slashing at Roach at 305 for six.

Williamson equaled his previous career-best of 135 with a boundary to third man off Benn before steering Taylor through gully for another to raise his 150.

Southee, dropped by Benn at slip off Roach before he had scored, hung around half-hour for seven before tapping a tame return catch back to Taylor, 20 minutes after
the rain break.

Only five more deliveries were possible before rain put paid to any more hopes of play.

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Roach captures 100th test wicket but Williamson, rain dampen Windies hopes