Coach and Captain reflect on 1st Betway Test vs the Proteas
West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons and captain Kraigg Brathwaite both said the team will be lookngg to rebound from the defeat first Betway Test match to south Africa. They promised a better showing in the second match next week. West Indies lost to the Proteas by an innings and 63 runs on Saturday at the Darren Sammy Stadium in Saint Lucia. They will have to regroup and look to rebound when the final contest of the two-match rubber, at the same venue on Friday, June 18.
“We didn’t have a good first innings and that is mainly where we faltered. I must say well played to Roston Chase, the way he fought in the second innings. We had plans but things didn’t go to plan in this match. We have to refresh and come again strong in the next match,” Brathwaite said.
“We have to be fully locked into the plan next time around. It will be tough and challenging. My message to the team is to keep believing. I thought our bowlers did an outstanding job in the match. I thought everyone gave 100 percent.”
Both Simmons and Brathwaite spoke to the media after the match ended on Saturday. Chase battled hard in the second innings for three hours and topscored with 62 off 156 balls with seven fours and a six. In the bowling department Jason Holder took four wickets while debutant Jayden Seales was also impressive with three scalps.
“We have to be more clinical in the way we do things … we have to put the players back through the paces and prepare in as diligent a way as we prepared (ahead of the first match) and maybe add a bit more. The preparation and the training before was quite intense. We need to bat well in the first innings … when we bat well, we bat for over 100 overs and that’s one of our targets,” Simmons said.