Early wickets will prove crucial for New Zealand on Monday, feels http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TG-Southee-c2659 – Cricket News Update
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754’s spearhead pace bowler, Tim Southee feels an early assault on Monday morning could bring the Black Caps back in the game, as they fight to rescue the ongoing second and final Test against West Indies, underway at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica
since Thursday, August 2.
On a Kingston wicket not conducive to fast scoring, the Windies are just 71 runs short of a 2-0 clean sweep while the Black Caps need six wickets to clinch an improbable win and get past the series defeat. Though momentum has shifted away from the tourists,
Southee feels it’s still not all doom and gloom.
"If you look over the last couple of mornings, wickets have fallen early," shared the 23-year-old right-arm medium-pacer at the post-day press conference.
"It's going to be crucial in that first hour and hopefully we can chip a couple out early tomorrow and then it's anyone's game. If we can grab Chanderpaul early tomorrow, and a couple of others, we're right back in it," he added further.
The hosts finished the Day 3 at Sabina Park on 143 for 5, with veteran http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Marlon-Nathaniel-Samuels-c74804 scored a painstaking half century – well complemented by Assad Fudadin’s hard-fought
27 – to put the Windies in a comfortable position in the match.
Resuming third day on their overnight score of 59 for 2, the tourists lost their last eight wickets for just 95 runs, setting a target of 206 runs for the hosts.
Blaming poor shot selection for Sunday’s debacle, Southee said that it has put some extra pressure on the bowlers, as they work not only to save the match but also the series.
"Obviously, we don't have as many runs as we'd like to play with," said Southee, who has so far claimed three wickets in the ongoing second Test.
"Some of the shot selection wasn't great but the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 bowled well - they had to, to get themselves back into the game," he added further.
If it happens, this will be New Zealand’s first Test series defeat at the hands of West Indies since 1997. The series crushing will also have some bearing on Kiwis’ Test rankings, as it will push them to the bottom of the rankings table, ahead only of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747.
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