Confident Aussies arrive for battle

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Australia arrived here Saturday bubbling with confidence and champing at the bit to face West Indies in the five-match One-Day International series bowling off next Friday.

Interim captain Shane Watson said Australia’s capture of the Tri-Series title against Sri Lanka earlier in the week had given the side a huge surge.

“Hopefully, we can produce some very good cricket for the fans over here. We have just come off a very big series in Australia, and hopefully, we can continue the form that we showed and bring it in the games against West Indies, Watson said.

“We are always confident. We know that if we are at the top of our game, we are going to be very hard to beat.

“Right now, the most important thing is to make sure we have recovered from our long flight and make the best of the next couple of days to make sure we are ready to go for the first match.”

Australia are without their skipper Michael Clarke who injured a hamstring in the second final of the Tri-Series and has stayed behind to recuperate. He is expected to fly out for the Test series.

Exciting fast bowler James Pattinson is also an injury worry but Watson said Australia had the players to accomplish the mission before them.