|
 |
 | | | You are in: Cricket |
|
| | Monday, 24 June, 2002, 23:44 GMT 00:44 UK Fleming savours NZ triumph Fleming collects the Man of the Match award New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said his team's historic Test victory over the West Indies was especially satisfying given their lack of success on three previous tours. The win was New Zealand's first ever in the West Indies after 11 Tests produced three losses and eight draws. "I rate it highly because of where we are," Fleming said after the Black Caps sealed a comprehensive 204-run win in the opening Test late on the fourth day. "There's been a lot of New Zealand teams that have been battered and bruised at this ground and in the West Indies before," Fleming said. "That provides motivation." Good support It was only the home team's fourth loss in Barbados in 39 Tests, and the win gave the visitors a 1-0 series lead.
"The guys have gained a lot of confidence from this performance, so as captain I take a lot of satisfaction from it," said Fleming. The skipper led from the front with his 130 in the first innings, earning him the Man of the Match award. But he got good support from his team, especially left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori and fast-bowler Shane Bond. Fleming warned: "The team is very young in key areas, but they have talent, and sometimes when talent gets the taste of success that can be a very dangerous thing. Fleming said the key to victory was skittling the West Indies for 107 on day two to take a huge first-innings lead of 230. "We went at the West Indies with an intensity," he said. "I don't know if they were expecting it, but mentally they weren't with us and they paid the price."
His opposite number Carl Hooper put the West Indies' loss down to poor batting. "The point is I don't think we batted well. Our shot selection was very poor in the first innings," Hooper said. But coach Roger Harper said: "I don't think this was a case of technical deficiencies - it was poor application. "I don't think we applied ourselves well enough in the first innings in particular and in some cases in the second innings as well." The final game of the two-match series starts at St George's, Grenada, on Friday. | |
Internet links:  The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Cricket stories now: Links to more Cricket stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|  | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
|  E-mail this story to a friend |
| |
| Links to more Cricket stories |
| | | ||
 | ||||
 | | Back to top
| ||
| ------------------------------------------------------------ BBC News >> | BBC Weather >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |
