NZ vs WI | Our bowling was a bit erratic but it was an entertaining game, professes Kieron Pollard
Losing skipper Kieron Pollard stated that Windies bowling was erratic and if you are inconsistent it's difficult to win, however, he admitted that it was an entertaining game. Pollard made a brilliant fifty and kept Windies in the game and insisted that you train for such situations.
The first T20I between New Zealand and West Indies at Eden Park turned out to be one hell of a game with rain interrupting and West Indies putting up a typical performance where once they were going all guns blazing, then there was a collapse and again they fought back before their bowling did them. Losing West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard, who made 75* off 37 deliveries with eight sixes and helped his team post 180 from 59-5 in a rain-curtailed 16-over game, opined that batting was aided by the rain and the nature of the deck.
He also stated that as individuals, you train for such difficult situations to get the team out of trouble. "For me, when the bowlers have their tails up, you have to try something as a batter. Sometimes you just have to make one mistake. The rain and the nature of the pitch sort of helped us, with the ball coming through. The opening bowlers were a bit short. But he (Ferguson) changed his length and bowled a bit fuller, and that's why he was successful. Again, a daunting task, but these are the situations you train for as individuals, when your team is in trouble you try to get them out," Pollard said after the game, reported Cricbuzz.
West Indies put up 180 runs on the board but it wasn't enough as the hosts won the game by five wickets with four balls to spare. Pollard asserted that his side lacked discipline in bowling which was quite erratic and made it difficult for them to win the game.
"In terms of our disciplines, in the bowling aspect, I thought we were a bit erratic. And in international cricket, if you bowl so many no-balls and if you're so inconsistent, you are definitely going to end up on the losing side. But it was an entertaining game of cricket for the fans and the general public, something they haven't got to see in a very long time," said Pollard.
Lockie Ferguson, who was the Man-of-the-Match for his figures of 5-21, and was a key factor in Windies collapse that saw them going from 0-58 in 3.1 overs to 5-59 in 5.1 overs, reckoned that it is tough to do well against West Indies which has some dangerous batters that too at Eden Park where you can't err much as a bowler.
"When you face these guys - especially Kieron, who has been very successful - over the last few months, winning every competition there is, you're under the pump [and at] Eden Park [the margin for error] gets even smaller," said Ferguson after the game.
"I thought we bowled a couple of yorkers that only missed by a little bit and they went a long way into the boundary. Once again, we have to look at our plans and execute them better going forward. That's pretty cliche in T20 cricket.
"You have good days and you have bad. If we continue to improve, we'll be better for it. But you've got to tip your hat when a guy plays an innings like that, especially after we got quick wickets but he settled himself and had a quick burst in the end," said Ferguson.
New Zealand will lock horns with West Indies in the second of the three-match T20I series at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, after taking a lead of 1-0 in the series.
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