Charles links improved batting to HPC stint

BRISBANE, Australia,  CMC- West Indies opener Johnson Charles says his stint at the Sagicor High Performance centre (HPC) has significantly improved his batting and resulted in his maiden century in the final One Day International (ODI) match against Australia last weekend.

Charles says his eight month stint at the Barbados based centre has thought him how to build an innings after overcoming his most vulnerable point as a batsman.

The St. Lucian batsman hit 100 off 121 balls against Australia but it was not enough to prevent the Windies from suffering their fifth defeat in the five-match series.

“Being at the Sagicor HPC gave me an opportunity to work on my batting. One of the key things [I learnt] was to be patient. With the new ball is when you are most vulnerable. I learned to settle down,” said Johnson.

“I realised once I could get through the new ball it would get easier. I have been on the team for over a year and with what I am capable of, I felt it was about time I got a century. I hope it is the start of more to come”.

It was the first time Charles passed 50 in his ODI career and it led the West Indies to 257 all out as they fell 17 runs short after Australia made 274-5 in front a crowd of 22,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“It’s a massive relief, it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders to get my first century for West Indies,” Charles recalled.

“I’m hoping this is the first of many more to come”.

The West Indies will play Australia in the one-off T20 International Wednesday at the Gabba.

First ball is 6.35 pm (4.35 am Eastern Caribbean Time).