Gayle sets sights on series decider
Published: Tuesday | March 31, 2009
West Indies captain Chris Gayle has described as "very disappointing" his side's failure to secure a series win in the fourth one-day international on Sunday at Kensington Oval and declared he was looking forward to the last match in St Lucia.
Gayle stayed away from pronouncements he made last Saturday that the players were considering a boycott of Friday's final match in St Lucia and suggested that he was ready to focus on the series decider.
"We will look forward to the next game. It's two-all now, so hopefully we can win the series in St Lucia," he said.
On the eve of Sunday's match, Gayle had indicated that players on the West Indies team were prepared to boycott the fifth and final one-day international against England next Friday in St Lucia if outstanding issues with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) remained unsettled. But he appeared to suggest the game is on when asked about their current position for the game.
"I am sure things will happen, cricket will happen, but at the same time we just have to keep our focus and concentrate on what we have to do," he said.
England rallied on Sunday after a powerful start by West Indies and posted an emphatic nine-wicket victory on the Duckworth/Lewis method at Kensington Oval to lock the series at 2-2.
Gayle smashed an aggressive 39-ball 46 with three fours and five sixes in a 72-run opening stand with Lendl Simmons from 12.4 overs. The Caribbean side failed to flourish in the middle order but eventually gathered 239 for nine after a fine innings from Dwayne Bravo.
After rain stoppages, England easily chased a target of 135 in 20 overs, finishing on 136 for one off 18.3 overs.
"I am very disappointed," Gayle said in the post-match presentation ceremony. "After that start, we kind of collapsed there, but I thought (Dwayne) Bravo pulled it back for us in there, you know."
Inconsistent bowling
Bravo's face-saving 69 off 72 balls was upstaged when Andrew Strauss made a polished 79 not out from 61 balls to carry England to their victory. The West Indies, bowling was inconsistent and hardly pressured England as they approached the run chase.
"In the bowling department, we didn't get the start we wanted and Andrew Strauss, you have to give him credit, he batted well. It was always going to be difficult to actually defend 135 on this sort of wicket in 20 overs," Gayle said.
The result was a huge turnaround after Friday's emphatic flogging of the touring team, an eight-wicket victory for the Windies led by Gayle's blazing 80 off 43 balls also at Kensington Oval.