West Indies skipper Darren Powell has hailed the return of star batsman Chris Gayle but urged for more hard work after his side defeated New Zealand in the First Test by nine wickets in Antigua.
Gayle played a key role, plundering 150 alongside Kieran Powell as they put together a 250 run opening stand in the first innings to guide the Windies to a commanding score of 522 which held them in good stead for the rest of the match.
After Kemar Roach cleaned up New Zealand on day five, Gayle hit 64 not out to take the Windies to victory reached the 102 run target with the loss of only one wicket.
“With Chris back, he brings his experience and you could see that in the way he nurtured Kieran Powell along to his first test century,” Sammy said. “We have to just keep our focus in this series and look to repeat what we did.”
New Zealand managed 351 in the first innings of the match (after being 2/223), before the Windies usurped that score. The Black Ferns could only put together 272 in their second dig, with Roach the chief destroyer, before the hosts cruised home.
Opener Martin Guptill was his side’s best with scores of 97 and 67, while Brendon McCullum managed 84 in the second innings, however most Kiwi batsmen had starts but couldn’t push on. The bowling attack also failed to cause the Windies enough grief with Gayle and Powell’s opening stand the defining moment in the match.
However, West Indies attack of Roach and the newly-included Sunil Narine were immense, with seven and eight wickets apiece.
NZ captain Ross Taylor said: “We didn’t look like creating enough pressure at times. We have to be smarter in the way we play, bowl in better areas and our batsmen have to spend a lot of time at the crease.”
The Second Test is in Jamaica and starts on Thursday.