South Africa grabbed the initiative every time, Lara admits

Thursday, January 22, 2004

CENTURION, South Africa (AFP): South Africa grabbed the initiative early in every Test, West Indian captain Brian Lara admitted after South Africa wrapped up a 3-0 series win with a ten-wicket victory on the fifth day of the fourth and final Test at Centurion Park Tuesday.

"We had to play catch-up from day one," said Lara. "It is a fact that the opposition seemed to grab the opportunity on the first day every time."

South African skipper Graeme Smith said it was no accident.

"We put big importance on the first session of every Test and we want to win day one every time."

Smith praised what he described as "a great culture in the squad."

He said the batsmen were no longer satisfied with making one century in a series, while the bowlers had been "fantastic" on pitches which were so good for batting that 20 centuries were scored by the two teams in four matches, only one short of the world record for hundreds in a five-match series.

Lara was not despondent about the series result and said it had been a much better team performance than when the West Indies lost all five Tests in 1998/99.

"I must congratulate the South African team, who played very good cricket, but we can take a lot of positives from the series," said Lara. "The batting performance, in terms of runs and application, was maybe the best of my entire career by a West Indies team away from home."

Lara acknowledged that the bowling and fielding had not matched the batting. "The South Africans were scoring too quickly and that is why they won the series 3-0. If you don't bowl in the right areas to players like Smith and (Herschelle) Gibbs they are going to get off to a flier." 

The West Indian captain called for the West Indies board to introduce a system of central contracts, which have become the norm in most leading cricket nations.

"You can't play international sport if you don't do anything for four months. I would like the board to contract these guys to make sure they stay fit and keep going to the nets."

Lara said his team had been hit hard by injuries and he expected a much better performance when England tour the Caribbean later this year. He also expected the West Indies would be more competitive in a five-match one-day series against South Africa which starts at Newlands in Cape Town Sunday.

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