Lara open-minded about batting role
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
LONDON, England (AFP): West Indies captain
Brian Lara said Monday he was ready to continue as an opening batsman in
one-day cricket if it was in the best interests of his side.
Left-hander Lara sprung a surprise by opening in Saturday's NatWest Series
triangular match against New Zealand.
Although his side lost the match, Lara's decision to open in a one-dayer for
the first time in nearly five years was a success with the 35-year-old
Trinidad and Tobago star notching a run-a-ball 58.
Now Lara has to decide whether to stay at the top of the order for Tuesday's
crunch series game against England at Lord's - a match that if his side win
will see into Saturday's Lord's final against New Zealand, who have already
qualified. All the completed matches in the
competition so far have been won by the team batting second, with top-order
batsmen struggling to cope with the greater assistance that English pitches
give seam bowlers early on compared to flatter tracks in other parts of the
world. England captain Michael Vaughan has
suffered as a one-day opener lately, managing just 39 runs in four tournament
innings and Lara told reporters at Lord's on Monday: "It has been a very
negative area in most of the games so far.
"England have been worrying if Michael Vaughan should open or not. With
Shivnarine Chanderpaul opening and Dwayne Smith batting at three there was a
little bit of discomfort there. "I feel very
confident about my batting whatever position I bat in and if I can go and show
the example and maybe lay the foundation within the game plan that is good -
whoever can do it should do it." But the
downside of Lara's decision to open was seen in Saturday's reverse against New
Zealand at Cardiff. After his innings had
helped propel the team to a strong position of 180 for three in the 37th over,
a Lara-less middle-order folded with the West Indies losing their last seven
wickets for just 36 runs. One-day
internationals are increasingly being won by the side batting second and Lara,
speaking ahead of September's ICC Champions Trophy one-day tournament in
England, said: "The team batting second realise that conditions are not the
same, the pitch has got drier, is not as fresh as 10.45 (when day games in
England start) in the morning and go in with a lot more confidence.
"It is not that the team batting first are lacking confidence, it is just the
conditions are slightly better. "Even if
there were 300 runs on the board I feel that the team batting second would
fancy getting it." If England win on Tuesday,
but fail to collect a bonus point, West Indies will still be alive ahead of
the final group match against New Zealand at the Hampshire Rose Bowl on
Thursday.
Wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs is fit again after a calf injury but pace bowler
Ravi Rampaul (shin splints) is still out and his fellow quick Jermaine Lawson,
missed training Monday due to flu.
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