Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, pinned the responsibility for the 186-run defeat to New Zealand in the Kingston Test squarely on the batsmen, saying the performances in the two innings on a flat track were “bitterly disappointing”
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-20146:03
Coach Gibson hits out at WI batting
Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, pinned the responsibility for the 186-run defeat to New Zealand in the Kingston Test on the side’s batsmen, saying the performances in the two innings on a flat track were “bitterly disappointing”.West Indies made 262 and 216 in the game and only two top-order batsmen made fifties. The home side conceded a lead of 246 in the first innings and Gibson pointed out that the first-innings failure was a key factor in the loss.”Obviously, [I’m] very disappointed with the way we batted especially,” Gibson said. “By all accounts, after the first day’s play, we agreed in the dressing room afterwards that it was a flat pitch, so to have a batting performance like that over two innings is bitterly disappointing and something that we need to put right as quickly as possible.”They have just go to occupy the crease and look at New Zealand, the way they went about it – making runs, starts, getting yourself in first, assessing the conditions, assessing the bowlers, scoring areas. We had five batsmen over two innings in our top six who made ducks and that puts your batting under pressure.”First-innings runs have always been important. Any team that’s going to win Test matches needs big first-innings runs. New Zealand showed that in the first innings, getting 500, and we didn’t really respond. We needed to respond with a 450 or 500 score and take some more time and overs out of the game. We didn’t do that. To get bowled out on that pitch in the second innings in 48 overs is very, very disappointing.”While the batting was a let-down, Gibson said he was pleased with the efforts of the front-line bowlers, who had all come into the match after significant time away from international cricket. Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach were battling injuries, while Shane Shillingford played his first Test since his suspension due to an illegal bowling action.’Shane needs to develop a quality ball’
Shane Shillingford, who made a comeback in the Kingston Test, needs to develop a quality ball to replace his doosra, according to Ottis Gibson. The offspinner was suspended in December last year, during West Indies’ tour to New Zealand, for an illegal action and was cleared for an international return after remedial work on his bowling. However, his doosra remains an illegal delivery.
“Shane as a bowler now is different to the Shane who can bowl a doosra,” Gibson said. “He bowled well, but not having a doosra meant that batsmen can just sit on his offbreak and just pick it off. He now has to develop a quality ball to compensate for the lack of his doosra.”
Gibson praised Shillingford’s knock in the second innings and said it had given the Kingston fans something to cheer.
“As far as the batting goes, he’s always touted himself as a batsman and I’ve always said that if we go in with four bowlers, with Roach going in at No 8, then they have to assume the role of allrounders and try to make a score for the team,” he said. “And that Shane was able to do. He was chasing a lost cause in terms of trying to win the game but he went out and played a really good innings for us today. He gave the crowd in Jamaica, something to cheer about.”
“I thought the bowlers worked really hard. We went in with only two fast bowlers and two world-class spinners,” Gibson said. “When you look at workloads, I thought Jerome Taylor playing in his first Test after such a long time, stood up to that task very well and got better as the Test match went on. Kemar Roach, also, after a long layoff from injury and his shoulder surgery, got better as the Test match went on and bowled really well in the second innings as well.”Taylor swung the new ball nicely and when he came back with the old ball, he was skillful and picked up wickets. Hopefully, he’ll be fit and get through this Test series and, going forward, make us a stronger unit by being in the bowling attack.”While Shillingford finished with a match haul of 5 for 184, he had an impressive showing with the bat, slamming the second fastest Test fifty. Shillingford struck three fours and five sixes to bring up his fifty in 25 balls and, along with Sulieman Benn, nearly stretched the game into the fifth day.”Growing up, I never used to be a bowler. I used to be a No. 3 batsman, playing under-19s, under-13s,” Shillingford said. “The technique and all is still there, the way I like to strike the ball. My strength is to hit the ball straight. A lot of coaches, in terms of different teams, they see me bat and always tell me I will get runs. Even the Windward coach tells me that. So I am doing some work in the nets along with the assistant coach and staff on batting, and I’m glad it paid off today.”
