Last chance to salvage reputations by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Event:

West Indies in New Zealand 2008/09

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DateLine: 12th January 2009

 

After six weeks and eight matches of varying types, Tests, T20s and ODIs, the essential point of the exercise has come down to the finale, the fifth ODI at McLean Park in Napier. This match will, in probability decide who has gained and who has lost from this fixture.

 

The weather has contrived to produce such a deadlock, with two complete days lost and several others abbreviated. West Indies have repeatedly had to come from behind to stay in contention and there have been several unsatisfactory aspects. But if they prevail in this one, last time, they would return to the Caribbean from their tour of New Zealand in credit. It is a very long time since that has been the case.

 

In 2000, they beaten hollow in both Tests and all five ODIs. Three years ago, they lost the Test series 2-0 and the ODIs 4-1. This time, the ledger reads two drawn Tests, 1-1 in the Twenty20s and 1-1 in the ODIs (with two others abandoned).

 

It has been a contest between teams near the bottom of the ICC's rankings. Victory today, over opposition three places higher on the ICC's ODI table, would be an undeniable fillip. For a couple of West Indian players, the final match offers a last chance to redeem, if partially, disappointing tours. One spell in the aborted ODI in Auckland on Saturday (10-1-29-2 in a sizeable New Zealand total) did it for Lionel Baker. A substantial innings could do the same for Sewnarine Chattergoon and Xavier Marshall.

 

Chattergoon has had an extended chance to secure the elusive place as Chris Gayle's opening partner and hasn't taken it as his method is not suited to the limited-overs game. Marshall's failure to assert himself on his first major tour since his reintroduction into the Test team last season has been the most discouraging individual feature of all as New Zealand was the base on which he could build and secure a settled place. It has been a setback instead, a tour filled with low scores.

 

For their part, New Zealand brings back the left-hand batsman Jesse Ryder after his one-match disciplinary suspension. He takes his usual place as opener with Brendon McCullum, with Martin Guptill, debut century-maker in Auckland, moving down to No.3. Their eleven has a better looking balance and they are clearly superior in the field where they compare with the Australians and South Africans. They will not be easily beaten - but they can be.