Technique, situational awareness under microscope, says Simmons

Wed, Jun 23, '21

GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) — Phil Simmons has pointed to flaws in technique, as well as situational awareness, as the principal factors behind West Indies' batting fiasco in the recent two-Test series against South Africa.

Only two batsmen — Roston Chase in the first Test and opener Kieran Powell in the second Test — managed half-centuries as the home side scraped totals of 97, 162, 149 and 165 in the two matches.

West Indies suffered heavy defeats in both, losing the first by an innings and 63 runs in 2 ½ days and the second by 158 runs half-hour before tea on the fourth day here Monday.

“Looking back at it and an assessment of the game, there are a few little technical issues,” Simmons said.

“Just to mention one, in the first Test match we got caught playing away from our bodies a lot, and when a wicket is doing as much as it did in that Test match, then that's to your detriment — and we saw that in being bowled out for 97.

“A few of the guys came back from that in the last Test match and we saw a few guys get into the 40s and 50s, but at the same time [the players were] not assessing the whole situation of the game and {this creates a problem, especially] knowing that we're on top and we need to be tight for a while in order to put pressure on them [South Africa].