Consistent batting will be important – Estwick

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, (CMC):

Assistant coach Roddy Estwick said batting stability will be very important to success for the West Indies Test team on the Tour of New Zealand.

The Windies Test team is currently preparing for a two-Test series against the Black Caps next month.

The Caribbean side has not won a Test series, let alone in Test, in New Zealand since Courtney Walsh’s side crushed Ken Rutherford’s men by an innings and 322 runs 25 years ago at the Basin Reserve, to clinch a two-Test series 1-0.

GOOD BOWLERS

Estwick, whose substantive role in the Windies support staff is bowling coach, said the Caribbean side is well served in the bowling department and the challenge will be how well the side bats.

“Over the last two or three years, the bowlers have held their own, but the batsmen have not come up to where we want them to be,” he said.

“They are working hard. They are trying to get it right and it will be good to have someone of Darren Bravo’s experience back and we have to get big scores from the batsmen. Once we can get big totals, we can be competitive because we have three bowlers in the top 20 in the World,” he added.

Test captain Jason Holder is currently ranked fifth in the ICC Test Championship Bowling Rankings, compatriot Kemar Roach is ranked 15th and tearaway Shannon Gabriel is ranked 20th.

Estwick said the batsmen are working hard iron out technical flaws cruelly exposed during their previous Test series last June on the tour of England.

He said Kraigg Brathwaite and left-hander John Campbell, who are expected to be the opening pair for the two Tests, will be under pressure to play a critical role in the success of the batting.

“A key thing is the openers have to give us good start because the ball will swing for a few overs,” he said.

“You have got to make sure you ride that swing out and you lay a platform for the batsman coming down the order, so it’s going to be very important that Kraigg and John give us good starts.”

The first Test between the Windies and the Black Caps starts on December 3 at Seddon Park in Hamilton and the second Test from December 11 to 15 will be contested at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.