Roach hails team plan for match-winning effort

North Sound, Antigua ,  CMC – Fast bowler Kemar Roach, who broke the back of New Zealand’s second innings to set up a win for West Indies in the first Test, says his performance was part of a team plan that worked.

Roach enhanced his reputation as one of the leading fast bowlers in world cricket with a superb five-wicket haul to bowl West Indies to a 9 wicket victory at the Sir Vivian Richards cricket ground Sunday.

The 24 year old pacer says the plan of attacking one side of the wicket paid off in the post luncheon session of the final afternoon of play.

“The plan today was to bowl on one side of the wicket and look to build pressure. We believed that would lead to the wickets” said Roach whose latest efforts took him to 34 wickets at an average of 22 runs apiece in six Test matches this year – the fourth most in the world.

“In the first session they did not score many runs and then after lunch we took our opportunities. It was a good team plan and it worked out very well today for us.”

Roach took five for 60 off 23.2 overs on a batsman-friendly surface as the visitors were bowled out for 272 in their second innings.

It was his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket and he ended the match with seven wickets for 115 runs.

“It was hard work out there…very hard work, but I am thrilled I put my hand up for the team and delivered a good victory” said Roach.

“Winning is great. I think I will have a very good night’s sleep tonight,” he told Reporters on Sunday.

The nine wicket win gives West Indies a one-nil lead and a chance of winning the two-match test series against New Zealand. Roach says his effort was backed by support from team mates including Ravi Rampaul who appears to be carrying an injury.

“When you look at the pitch, it was good for batting throughout the match and we were banking on Sunny (Sunil Narine) to get the bulk of the wickets today and win the match for us. He bowled extremely well in the match and was great in both innings, but today was my day and I seized the moment” said Roach.

“Ravi (Ravi Rampaul) was a warrior out there for us today as well. He was carrying a niggle but he kept running in and worked hard. He offered me some great advice and I’m thankful for that.”

Earlier this year, Roach demonstrated his ability with a 10-wicket match haul against Australia at Queen’s Park in Trinidad on another unresponsive pitch.

That performance catapulted him into the Top 20 in the ICC’s Test match bowling rankings.

“This pitch was much harder to bowl on than in Trinidad. It was tough work in Trinidad, but here the pitch was just flat and quite good for the batsmen “he said.

“The key was to get it straight and keep it straight. As the ball got older and softer I noticed the batsmen found it harder to score so I just stayed on top of off stump,” said Roach.

The two teams yesterday travelled  to Jamaica for the second and final Digicel Test match, which bowls off Thursday at Sabina Park.