One step forward, two steps back.
That’s the parallel West Indies head coach Daren Sammy used to describe his team’s progress following contrasting performances in the opening two Tests of their ongoing series against hosts New Zealand.
Thanks to Justin Greaves’ unbeaten 202, Shai Hope’s 140, and Kemar Roach’s 58 not-out, the Caribbean side managed to put a 531-run target under threat in the first Test before ultimately settling for a draw. They were then subjected to an embarrassing 9-wicket defeat inside three days in the second encounter, after collapsing to 205 and 128, respectively.
Hope (47) and John Campbell (44) came closest to producing half-centuries for the visiting batsmen in the Wellington Test that followed. However, it was the failure to convert those scores that was of significance to Coach Sammy.
“You need batsmen who get starts to carry on,” he said. “We got five batters getting starts in the first innings, and nobody converted. In a team, you want people to step up, and in this Test match, nobody stood up for us.”
While first crediting the West Indies for placing themselves in advantageous positions, Sammy then noted their inability to remain engaged for crucial match-defining sequences.