ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC– Assistant coach Toby Radford says the West Indies are coming out with guns blazing in an attempt to send the Zimbabwe players back to Harare empty handed, when the second test begins here today.
The two sides play each other in a second and deciding test at Windsor Park in Roseau following West Indies 9 wicket win at Kensington, their fifth straight win in test.
The Caribbean side will be looking for their sixth consecutive win –
going back to August last year when they beat New Zealand in Antigua and Jamaica; and last November when they beat Bangladesh in Dhaka and Khulna. “Every game is important. We want to make sure the Zimbabweans don’t win a game on this tour. We want to send them home empty-handed, “said Radford. “ We have had a really good run in Test cricket this last year – we did well against New Zealand, we did really well in Bangladesh and we would like to follow that up with a complete sweep here as well.”
The game will be Zimbabwe’s last opportunity to salvage some pride after losing every international match on their Caribbean tour. They have already suffered heavy losses in the One-Day Internationals 3-0 at the Grenada National Stadium and took the T20s 2-0 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.
The Zimbabwe cricketers will have their work cut out for them on a surface expected to provide bounce against inform spinner Shane Shillingford playing in front his home crowd.
“Last year it was fantastic and Shane bowled exceptionally well as he did again last week in Barbados,” said Radford in reference to Shillingford’s ten wicket haul against the Australians at Windsor Park last year.
“If he can produce something again like that I think it will be a great atmosphere. They are really good people here they love their cricket.. a nice stadium and I think we will be in for a really good game”.
The second Test bowls off at Windsor Park today at 10 am (9 am Jamaica Time).
