Collymore(left) and Lara celebrate |
West Indies captain Brian Lara was elated by his side's seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second Test which wrapped up the two-Test series 1-0. Lara's team knocked off the 212 runs they needed to achieve victory with more than two days left in Kingston.
The skipper himself scored the winning run after a partnership of 161 with Ramnaresh Sarwan but it was Corey Collymore's 7-57 which laid the foundations.
"We've worked over the last three months to get the right combination and the right attitude," said Lara.
"I'd say we now have the right 16 or 17 players to choose from to do well over the long term.
"I'm really looking forward to the future."
"At the beginning of this year I would have said that we'd do well to win a Test match in South Africa, but now I expect us to win the series."
Paceman Collymore, playing in only his third Test, finished with the best West Indies bowling figures since Courtney Walsh's 7-37 against New Zealand in Wellington in 1995.
 I called my bowling hero Courtney Walsh and he told me just go out and do your best |
And the 25-year-old Barbadian, who was struggling with an ankle injury, revealed he was inspired by an overnight chat with his hero Walsh.
"I was struggling [Saturday] afternoon with an injury to my ankle and I came in and didn't know what it would be like [Sunday]," he said.
"But I called my bowling hero Courtney Walsh last night and he told me just go out and do your best and I did that."
Walsh, who retired two years ago, is still the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 519.
Collymore made his debut for West Indies in 1999 against Australia, but was hampered by an ongoing back injury before making his way back via the one-day team.
He took five wickets in the rain-affected draw in the first Test in St Lucia, and ended the series with 14 wickets at an average of 11.43.
"I'm feeling good," he said. "I've been bowling good all season and I think it's great for me here in Jamaica.
"I'm bowling a bit slower than before but I've been working on swinging the ball and concentrating on line and length and sticking to the basics."
MMIX
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