http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RJ-Nicol-c2331 acknowledges need to play longer innings – Cricket News Update
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754’s opening batsman Rob Nicol has acknowledged the need for him to convert starts into substantial innings at the top of the order, consequently establishing solid foundations for the remainder of the batting order to build upon.
“The reality of it is, pretty much during the whole series, I've got myself into position but haven't been able to push on for the side,” Nicol said.
The 29-year-old has played mediocre innings throughout the Kiwis’ ongoing ODI series against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760. After contributing individual scores of 32 and 7 during the T20I series, Nicol continued in a similar vein in the ODIs. He managed individual totals of 14 and 15 in the first two matches which his team lost, before going on the break through the dismal run with a 59 in the 3rd one-day – a match that the Kiwis managed to win by a margin of 88 runs, bringing the series score up to 2-1.
However, Nicol was unable to maintain the momentum, as was his team, and he contributed a meagre score of 35 in the 4th match, which saw the West Indies clinching a 24-run victory, and going on to secure the series, 3-1.
“I'm steadily finding my feet (at international level), but I'm a realist and I know time is of the essence,” Nicol admitted. “I need to start producing scores of 100+ for the side and batting in partnerships, like JW (NZ coach http://www.senore.com/Cricket/John-Geoffrey-Wright-c67883) says.”
The right-hander made an impressive ODI debut in October 2011, against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045, during which he scored a massive unbeaten 108. He followed that up with a brief slump, which saw him registering scores of 9, 14, and 0, before making a comeback against Zimbabwe, yet again, in February this year, during which he scored 146 in the team’s 2nd ODI against the Rhodesians.
However, following his second century, he has been unable to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canterbury-c775 batsman expressed the hope that the final match of the series, due to be played today (July 16) at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts, would grant him the opportunity to “forge something with someone”, despite the fact that it is a dead rubber.
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