Chanderpaul adds to Surrey's problems

ScorecardShivnarine Chanderpaul scored at a good pace for much of his innings•Getty Images

You could not fault Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s timing, in any respect. On a stage set for Ricky Ponting to ride to Surrey’s rescue on his second debut in county cricket, it was the Guyanese who hogged the spotlight, compiling his 10th century in the Championship to encourage struggling Derbyshire to believe that even they might add to Surrey’s woes.Chanderpaul, of an age with Ponting and still performing at the highest level, has played for four counties and now has made hundreds for all of them. His brief with Derbyshire is to make himself difficult to get out, to bring stability in the batting while others less experienced find their feet. It is a skill in which he has few peers. But no batsman makes 10,000 runs in Test cricket simply by digging in. In the right mood, he scores with deceptive speed, cannily finding gaps in the field, rolling the ball into space with shots played with soft hands to facilitate comfortable singles, sending others skimming to the boundary with effortless timing.This was one of those days and to Ponting it must have seemed all too familiar. Chanderpaul has made 1649 Test runs against Australia, a sizeable proportion witnessed at first hand by Ponting, including four of five hundreds. One of those, on his home ground in Georgetown – with Ponting again in the on-field audience – came off only 69 balls. This one was a little slower but at 116 balls was brisk enough to turn an abbreviated day – only 55 overs were possible after a start delayed by a soggy outfield – into one of Derbyshire’s better ones.Chanderpaul’s partnership with his captain, Wayne Madsen, who was closing on a century of his own, had added 203 by the close, a record for any Derbyshire wicket against Surrey, who again look a side short on confidence. After losing Graeme Smith to injury, they need Ponting to fire, and quickly, if they are to pull away from the bottom of the table.They are not short of ability, but lack consistency. While they may have lost their last Championship match, against Nottinghamshire, their bowlers performed well, albeit in helpful conditions, and Chris Adams, their frustrated team director, saw light at the end of the tunnel. This time they were consistent mainly in that they all leaked runs.Jade Dernbach was missing, called away by England to cover for Tim Bresnan in the one-dayers against New Zealand should Bresnan’s expectant wife go into labour. But Chris Tremlett came in, a like for like replacement in terms of quality, and when his fifth ball hit the top of Chesney Hughes’ off-stump, with the batsman neither forward nor back, there may have been a doubt in Madsen’s mind over whether opting to bat first after winning his first toss of the Championship season was really the right move.Billy Godleman made early progress as Tim Linley sought to find his rhythm but then edged to third slip pushing at a ball that left him late, at which point Derbyshire were 29 for 2.But Chanderpaul was quickly into his stride, getting off the mark by hitting Linley down the ground for four and repeating the stroke to the next delivery, with the same result. It was an immediate indication that he felt comfortable and confident and rarely thereafter did he miss an opportunity for runs.Momentarily, after passing 50, he got a little bogged down, but when Tremlett became untidy he scored 26 in only a couple of overs and his 67th first-class hundred suddenly loomed closer. His 13th four took him there, driven off the back foot wide of the fielder at cover.Apart from a chance of a run-out, Chanderpaul offered little encouragement to Surrey, but then again neither did Madsen, who has batted well enough to deserve a first hundred of the season. It may be some time yet before Ponting has the chance to deliver a response.

Danish Kaneria's father dies

Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria’s father Parbha Shankar Kaneria died on Tuesday.The loss comes at a difficult time for Kaneria, who, last week, lost his ECB disciplinary appeal against two corruption convictions. He was found guilty last year of inducing his former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield to take part in spot-fixing and bringing the game into disrepute. Kaneria, however, could still have the length of his life ban from cricket reduced.”I am devastated,” Kaneria told AFP from London. “He was suffering from esophageal cancer which was diagnosed in January and his last rites will be held when I return home.”The PCB condoled the death of Kaneria’s father. “The entire PCB family expresses their deepest sympathies to Mr. Danish Kaneria on this sad occasion,” a board release said. “May the soul of the departed rest in eternal peace. May Allah Almighty give him and his family strength to bear this huge loss.”

Sussex dreamers cut a dash

ScorecardSussex captain Ed Joyce led by example•Getty Images

This was a day when Sussex viewed the loss of wickets as necessary tariffs to be paid on the pathway to greater prosperity. Like TE Lawrence’s dreamers of the day, they sought to make their wishes reality by bold strategem and admirable risk-taking. It worked, too.Beginning the morning on 104 for 3, a lead of eight, Joyce’s men added 252 runs in 51.5 overs to be bowled out for 356. They then removed Alex Lees, caught at slip by Chris Jordan off Steve Magoffin for 4, before bad light and rain ended play 34 overs early. Already, just two days into the County Championship season, Yorkshire’s batsmen are 233 runs in arrears and face an interesting test of their technique and resolve in the top tier of English cricket. The forecast for tomorrow may predict dull weather but the sport on view at Headingley should be gripping.There was scarcely a moment in Thursday’s play when Sussex did not try to seize the game by its very throat. Rory Hamilton-Brown set the tone in the first hour by spanking five boundaries in a breezy 26 and Joe Gatting made 20 off 23 balls before he skied Azeem Rafiq’s first ball to wide mid-off where Jack Brooks ran round to take a good catch.Sussex’s tactics were plain. With bad weather predicted – it didn’t arrive until 3.45pm – the batsmen were intent on taking every chance to force the pace and establish a large lead. This approach was best expressed by the batting of Ed Joyce and Ben Brown, who added 120 in 23 overs either side of lunch as the Yorkshire attack was eviscerated. Joyce, who insofar as the innings needed an anchor had done the job, made 92 off 140 balls before he edged Brooks to slip. He deserved a century but not as much as Brown, whose batting was something of a revelation.The Sussex wicketkeeper hit 14 fours, some of them sublime, on his way to 93 and three figures seemed his for the taking when a full delivery from Brooks rattled the ash. Yorkshire were encouraged by these successes and Brooks celebrated by having Jordan lbw next ball. But by then the lead was over 200; Sussex were over the hills and far away as far as the match was concerned. The loss of the last five wickets for 38 runs still left Joyce’s bold adventurers with a first-innings lead of 260.It was an interesting day for Rafiq, who conceded 70 runs in his 15 overs, and even more so for Yorkshire’s Championship debutant Brooks. The ex-Northamptonshire seamer’s first 9.4 overs in the innings cost 60 runs; he then took four wickets in 15 balls at a cost of 15 runs and finished with 4 for 76 off 13 overs. At least he stuck at it but it was interesting to compare his figures to those of the admirable Ryan Sidebottom, who took 4 for 72 in 21.5 overs.At the end of the day Brooks was talking with conviction about Yorkshire chances of winning the game if they “bat long”. “Really?” the sceptical Leeds crowd might reply in unison. Most White Rose diehards would be very happy with a draw on Saturday evening. Unless a lot of weather intervenes, even that would be a significant achievement. But this is Headingley after all and perhaps Brooks will be celebrating his four wickets with a bottle of the ’81 this evening.

Taylor signs for Caribbean Premier League

Ross Taylor, the New Zealand batsman, became the third foreign player to sign for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist. Six international players from West Indies have already confirmed their participation – Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Marlon Samuels.”I am very excited about playing in the first ever edition of the CPL,” Taylor said. “As current world champions, West Indies have been a force in T20 cricket over the past couple of years, and CPL should help uncover new international superstars in the mould of Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine. The Caribbean is one of my favourite places to play cricket and with the passionate crowds, great atmosphere and the athletic style of play, I’m looking forward to being a part of this exciting competition.”Taylor has 3450 runs in 151 Twenty20s at 30.80 with a strike rate of 142.79. He is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for his fourth franchise Pune Warriors, after having previously represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils.The inaugural edition of the CPL will be played this year from July 29 to August 26 by six franchise countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. Each team will select 15 players with a limit of four international players and at least four players under the age of 23.

Shehzad, Afridi lead Pak A to comfortable win

ScorecardFile photo: Shahid Afridi hit four fours and two sixes in his 25-ball 45•AFP

Afghanistan crumbled under the weight of Pakistan A’s big total of 189, to lose by 49 runs in the Twenty20 in Lahore. Opener Ahmed Shehzad and Shahid Afridi took the contest away from Afghanistan with their attacking knocks of 68 and 45 respectively. In reply, regular wickets and slow scoring hurt them, and they limped to 140 for 9.Afghanistan started the chase brightly, the openers scoring 32 in three overs, but they slipped to 89 for 6 in the 11th over. Asghar Stanikzai was the only batsman to remain unbeaten eventually, scoring 47. The last seven batsmen scored 27 runs in all.Pakistan’s innings was based on partnerships of 66, between openers Shehzad and Sharjeel Khan, and 65, between Shehzad and Afridi, after which they were 131 for 2 in 13 overs. Although Afghanistan bounced back to keep them to below 200, the target ultimately proved too daunting for them.

West Indies stay winless despite Pollard ton

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe West Indies innings was a salvage operation for Kieron Pollard, but it wasn’t enough to prevent another defeat•AFP

Shane Watson’s life without bowling is so far turning out to be a life without worries – for him, and for Australia. Another fluent innings from Watson set the hosts on the path to a leisurely five-wicket victory over the West Indies at the SCG, thus extending the series ledger to 4-0 in favour of Michael Clarke’s team as they begin to be fragmented by departures for the imminent tour of India.Forming important early stands with Aaron Finch and Phillip Hughes, Watson showed there was little bowling joy to be found in a pitch on which the visitors earlier slipped to 6 for 55. Kieron Pollard’s admirable rearguard had dragged the visitors’ tally to 220 and at least ensured the lights would be required before 18,161 spectators watched Australia strolling home with 31 balls to spare.Watson played handsome strokes all around the ground, while also absorbing a teasing spell from Sunil Narine, but was given a major helping of good fortune on 32 when wicketkeeper Devon Thomas dropped the sort of chance any gloveman would have been embarrassed to turf. The West Indies were again their own worst enemies when Narsingh Deonarine spurned a chance to run out Hughes, taking the ball but disturbing the stumps with his arm as he did so.Pollard’s century notwithstanding, Australia’s target had been kept well within reach by Mitchell Johnson, who had done his best impression of the rested Mitchell Starc to zip through the visitors’ batting. None of the West Indian top four reached double figures, leaving Pollard attempting to cobble some kind of total together in a match rendered dead by Australia’s completion of an unassailable 3-0 margin on Wednesday night in Canberra.Supported by Ben Cutting, Clint McKay and a tidy Glenn Maxwell, Johnson grabbed three early wickets to turn the West Indies innings into a salvage operation for Pollard after their captain Darren Sammy had little hesitation batting first on a dry, hard surface that offered bounce.Finch and Watson began the chase with good sense, striding to a second half-century opening stand in as many innings before Finch was pinned lbw by Narine. Reviewing the decision, Finch discovered the ball was straight enough and clipping the top of the stumps, sending him on his way for another total that indicated more promise than substance.Hughes was soon playing in Watson’s slipstream, the target steadily reduced, but he did not exploit the missed run out, gloving an attempted paddle sweep to slip after struggling to deal with Narine’s spin, which from the outset of the innings had seemed West Indies’ lone hope of inducing a rush of wickets.Watson prevented this however, and had left the middle order a task far from taxing by the time Thomas did hang onto a chance, a swift delivery from Tino Best taking bat handle or glove. The remainder of the chase was more comfortable than memorable, though Matthew Wade roused the crowd by hoicking his first ball – a free-hit from Andrew Russell – into the Members Stand, and the win was momentarily delayed when Clarke gloved Best behind with only one run required.It had seemed a useful toss for Sammy to win on a pristine afternoon, but Johnson found enough new ball swing to bring back the tourists’ repressed memories of being shot down for 70 at the WACA ground. In the fourth over Johnson Charles was utterly defeated by a delivery bending back late to pluck out his off stump. McKay was giving nothing away at the other end, allowing Johnson to attack, and Kieran Powell fell victim to another swinging ball before Darren Bravo failed to ride the bounce.Dwayne Bravo was given lbw on referral when Maxwell straightened an off break into him, then Cutting extracted useful bounce on his arrival to the bowling crease that accounted for Deonarine and Thomas, the latter sent on his way after the third umpire reviewed Finch’s low catch.At that point another pre-dinner finish beckoned, but Pollard provided a reminder of the batting skill that drove him to a century against the same opponents in St Lucia last year. He did so with greater restraint than has usually been characteristic in forming stands of 35 with Andre Russell and 64 with Narine.Pollard waited until his 115th delivery to swing for the fences, crashing James Faulkner’s slower ball over wide long-on, and he added another off McKay before jumping for joy upon reaching three figures. Well as he played, the final tally was never likely to be enough. Watson’s authority made that certain.

Services' day despite Tendulkar, Nayar fifties

ScorecardFile photo: Sachin Tendulkar made a half-century to revive Mumbai from 23 for 3•BCCI

When Services had said they would not be daunted by Mumbai’s trophy-laden Ranji record, their star players or their reputation as the domestic tough guys, leaving aside the loyal belief of officers and men, civilians could have found that hard to imagine. At the end of the first day of their first Ranji semi-final in 44 years, Services certainly proved so. Mumbai ended a shortened day at 199 for 6 from 78 overs.At stumps, Mumbai’s last batting pair, Aditya Tare and Ajit Agarkar, were at the crease. Other than Abhishek Nayar and Sachin Tendulkar, no Mumbai batsman made more than 30 against the Services bowling.While the Palam wicket was not easy to bat on, Services’ three-man medium-pace attack responded to demands as well. They were persistent and accurate, sending down 62 of the 78 overs today, and were well-supported by their field.If Mumbai have to enter their 44th Ranji final, it is up to Agarkar and his attack to provide telling evidence of the gap between the two semi-finalists. The runs scored by Mumbai, in theory, could look like being enough against Services’ starless batting line-up. It is in practice, though, that Mumbai will have to make them count.Both Nayar and Tendulkar had produced innings of composure which had been paced very well, until they each fell to strokes of extravagance. Following a slow morning session after play was delayed by half an hour due to a wet outfield, Mumbai launched a rousing counter-attack after lunch. Tendulkar carved into Nishan Singh and Suraj Yadav as Mumbai scored 62 runs at a run-a-ball.On 49, Tendulkar tried to paddle Nishan to reach his fifty, but the ball raced away for four byes. A sedate single to square leg took him to 50 before he was presented the first of the Services slow bowlers, left-arm spinner Avishek Sinha. It was like Tendulkar’s eyes lit up. Sinha was deposited for six over long-on off the very first ball and on the second, Tendulkar skied an attempted slog-sweep, and was caught by the retreating mid-on, Nakul Verma.”Luck,” a Serviceman chuckled at the end of the day about getting Tendulkar. “A plan,” said another. “He had played so many medium-pacers and we held off the spinner for so long that when he saw one, he went for his big shots.” Sinha had come on to bowl in the 35th over. Whatever it was, Services’ shrieks of celebration were louder than the noise of the 100-strong crowd.Nayar picked up the slack after Tendulkar’s departure and controlled the pace of the innings. Agarkar, the Mumbai captain, has called him “our man for the season” and that confidence and faith reflected in Nayyar’s knock. From his awkward crouching stance against the quick bowlers, Nayar unfolds into a left-hander of height and poise when he meets the ball with his straight bat. Tendulkar’s wicket had lifted some of the load off the Services’ bowlers shoulders, their seamers having taken the post-lunch punishment. Nayar made the most of facing Sinha and the part-time slow-medium of Yashpal Singh. He picking 36 runs off them, went past fifty and went into tea with Tare for company and a partnership of 59 for the fifth wicket.In Shadab Nazar’s second over after tea, though Nayar played an expansive drive nicking an edge to first slip Suraj Yadav. The Services players admitted later that the ball had climbed a little on Nayar forcing the edge. Three balls later, Ankit Chavan was bowled around his legs, moving too far across his stumps trying to play the flick. Mumbai were teetering a little at 169-6, before Tare and Agarkar put up 30 before bad light stopped play.It was the kind of total that makes electing to bat first look like a bad idea. Mumbai had been hit hard in the morning itself, when they lost their top three batsmen within the hour, reducing them 23 for 3. The loss of openers Kaustubh Pawar and Wasim Jaffer in eight balls came about as a result of helpful conditions, a moving ball, an attack committed to discipline and a stroke of luck. Pawar had struggled against Yadav, no runs given in one stretch for 34 balls, leading him to offer a nothing shot across the line to Yadav in the 9th over. In the next over came, Jaffer’s reluctant departure, he was given out caught behind, poking at Nishan Singh.The quick dismissals meant batting through the first session was going to be as much about leaving as it was about playing. To that extent, in their fourth-wicket stand of 81, both Tendulkar and Nayar were judicious and assured; Services’ far less lauded batsmen know it is what will be expected of them. “A big job on small shoulders,” said one of their players.The wicket slowed down during the course of the day. When combined with the winter air and the wobbly ball, it is going to test the patience of every batsman. This Ranji semi-final is going to be a battathon of a very different nature.

South Africa take small steps on road to parity

South Africa’s weary fielders were greeted by almost complete silence after the first day in Adelaide. Having conceded only 27 fewer than the most runs scored by a team in one day, there was not much to say. The bowlers did not need to be told they had done wrong.”We knew we needed to step up, otherwise we would be staring at 700 and then we would have been in big, big trouble,” Morne Morkel said after the second day’s play. “The team management didn’t say much to us. It was almost as though the time for talking was over. We knew we had to come back and be strong.”After Australia scored 5 for 482 on day one, South Africa’s coach Gary Kirsten had said his men were guilty of bowling too short, and Morkel seemed to take the most notice. Being the tallest of the quicks, Morkel can find it difficult to adjust to a fuller length but he did so and was rewarded with the wicket of Michael Clarke. Morkel pitched it up and the middle stump was uprooted after Clarke missed.Morkel did not abandon the short ball completely either, but used it more selectively and to better effect, especially against Australia’s tail. He peppered James Pattinson with it and Ben Hilfenhaus was dismissed top edging an attempted hook to give Morkel his fifth wicket. South Africa took 5 for 68 this morning to dismiss Australia for 550.While the improvement from Morkel was obvious, the same cannot be said of Imran Tahir. If his expenses were overwhelming yesterday, Tahir became bankrupt today as he continued to toss it up and pay.Tahir’s Test career was due to take off in this match. Instead, it is now in the balance and Morkel, who suffered the same fate in the past, could relate. “I feel so sorry for Imran because he has worked really hard,” Morkel said. “His big haul is just around the corner and we know he will deliver something special soon.”Before anything extraordinary can happen for South Africa with the ball, they need feats with the bat. A 138-run opening stand and Graeme Smith’s century have kept them in the match, but the visitors know they have to do much more.Morkel said the first target was reaching an even keel, and that was evident in South Africa’s approach. Their scoring-rate was less than 3.50 runs per over. When compared to Australia’s 5.12 on a pitch that remained flat, it is obvious South Africa were cautious.Morkel said the approach would stay that way until they found steady ground. “We’re not even going to look at the scoreboard; we’re just going to bat. We know that there is a lot of time in this Test match and it’s important for us to build big partnerships.”For someone like Jacques Rudolph, that could be an advantage. Rudolph has yet to play a defining innings since making his comeback and is under scrutiny for failing to produce under pressure. His only century in the last year was made after the top order had already laid a platform. This could be Rudolph’s opportunity to prove he belongs.”We’ve also got guys like AB [de Villiers] and Faf [du Plessis] coming in who can rotate strike,” Morkel said. Jacques Kallis is also due to bat. He will have to wait until 92 overs are bowled or five wickets have fallen because of time spent off the field, but he is fit enough to play.With Adelaide Tests known for going five days Michael Hussey said they were “not won in the first two days but they can be lost then.” Two days are done, but South Africa will know it hasn’t been lost yet.

Final forced into reserve day by rain

ScorecardSouth Africa’s one-day cup final will be replayed on Saturday after it was washed out on Friday with 16.2 overs played. The match will start again from scratch, which means the 64 for 4 notched up by Cape Cobras in their innings will count for nothing. A new toss also means new teams can be announced.That will come as welcome news to both sides, who had to leave a player out through injury. Justin Kemp failed a fitness test for Cobras just before the match was due to start and was replaced by Vernon Philander. With extra time, Kemp’s hamstring may hold-up for the replayed match. Lions’ allrounder Chris Morris was also ruled out at the 11th hour. He is carrying a quad strain and may only be able to play by Wednesday but will probably have a fitness test again.Both teams fielded the other international players available to them. Dale Steyn, Rory Kleinveldt and Robin Peterson turned out for the Cobras with Alviro Petersen and Imran Tahir in the Lions XI. It was during a Tahir over that play stopped.The legspinner, fresh from a humiliating experience on the Australia tour where he conceded 260 runs without taking a wicket in the Adelaide Test, bowled his first over for just three runs and had bowled two balls of the second when a massive thunderstorm began. The players had earlier left the field for 45 minutes when rain interrupted play the first time with the Cobras on 22 for 2.Hardus Viljoen did all the damage for the Lions. He removed the Cobras top-order – having Andrew Puttick caught at second slip and the dangerous Richard Levi at first. A ball after the break, Viljoen trapped Dane Vilas lbw and then had Stiaan van Zyl caught behind. Cobras were in trouble for 36 for 4 but Justin Ontong and Yaseen Vallie had begun the counter-attack.Lions will be aggrieved that their efforts will count for nought as both sides resume with clean sheets tomorrow.

Sammy keen to keep that winning feeling

The West Indies captain Darren Sammy is quietly confident his side can continue their good showing against New Zealand when the series wraps up with the final Test in Jamaica, starting on Thursday. West Indies have struggled immensely in the past couple of years to put together consistent performances – it is ten years since they have won two consecutive Tests – and although a draw would be enough to clinch the series, Sammy wants to ensure the winning habit continues.”It’s a good feeling when you are winning,” Sammy said. “We will remember the feeling we had in the T20s and the one-day series and we are 1-0 in the Test series. It’s a feeling we want to keep in the dressing room. We are going to go out there the next five days and look to win this Test match.”Winning is important for any team. For us, it [doesn’t] come around too often. We’ve gotten ourselves in good positions over the last year and to win this Test series would mean a lot to the guys, especially with performances coming from young [Kieran] Powell, [Kemar] Roach and [Assad] Fudadin. These guys coming in to the dressing room are quite young, and [winning] makes the dressing room a little more cheerful.”Although West Indies have won all but one encounter during this New Zealand tour, Sammy isn’t willing to look too far ahead or take a victory in Kingston for granted. West Indies will move ahead of New Zealand on the ICC Test rankings if they win or draw in Jamaica, but Sammy knows New Zealand are capable of fighting back.”We have only half the job done in this series,” he said. “We are playing an international team and we don’t take them for granted. The way the team is playing, we’re doing some good things, have to be positive and look to continue that.”West Indies need to decide on the make-up of their attack after Ravi Rampaul was ruled out due to a groin injury. Fidel Edwards, who has joined the squad, has a good record at Sabina Park, but Tino Best was part of the squad for the first Test and Sammy indicated that Best, who also provides useful batting down the order, could have the edge over Edwards on a pitch expected to offer more pace and bounce.But the key for West Indies remains Sunil Narine. He bowled more than a third of the overs for the hosts in the first Test and since then has been mostly towards resting those sore fingers. “Narine is pulling [through] all right,” Sammy said. “When I see him bowl all these many overs, I am tempted to take him off but he insists he wants to bowl. I’ll be constantly talking to him and see how he feels and if he wants to keep bowling, then it is all good for the team.”Narine picked up eight wickets in Antigua but the New Zealand captain Ross Taylor believes his batsmen played Narine “pretty well”, except for the “couple of unplayable balls” in the first Test. He said they had done all the preparation they could for facing Narine and his success wasn’t down to being an unknown element.”There was a lot of hype about him before the series and he had a very good IPL as well,” Taylor said. “With a lot of the video analysis going on these days, you do get to see a lot of international cricket. There is only so much analysis you can do. Best thing is to get a look at it in person. You have to get confidence from facing him. The more you face him, the better you get at playing [him].”Though the lone specialist spinner from the side that lost by nine wickets, Daniel Vettori, has been declared unfit, it is not a given that the legspinner Tarun Nethula will make his Test debut, considering his stock ball will be coming in to the left-handers, of which West Indies have five in their top six. Taylor said playing four fast men “is an option”, similar to their memorable victory against Australia in Hobart in December, when Vettori didn’t play due to injury.It has been a tough tour for New Zealand, but it has given them the “nothing-to-lose” attitude going in to this Test. “We should have been able to draw the last Test match,” Taylor said. “We have been outplayed but we are not too far from where we want to be.”That seems to be the mantra in the New Zealand side that gives them the belief that theycan go on to win the Test match. It will also be John Wright’s last outing with New Zealand as their coach, which adds to the occasion for New Zealand.”John has been a good servant of NZC over the years, not only as a player but as a coach,” Taylor said. “Obviously, I have a learnt a lot off him. He has had a lot to do with these youngsters. They will be up for this game and hopefully, give him a good send-off.”Wright’s departure and the desire to stay ahead of West Indies in the rankings are extra motivation, but New Zealand’s main goal is simply to turn around the form that has resulted in them winning only one match on the trip so far.”Rankings play a big part, but winning a Test match is the ultimate,” Taylor said. “We don’t win a lot of games away from home in the recent times. That’s the motivation factor for the team. We bat well, continue with the top three scoring the runs, and the middle order helps them out, we give ourselves a good chance.”

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