A crestfallen Darren Sammy did not sugarcoat the West Indies’ brutal 238-run thrashing at the hands of England, as he lamented his side’s failure to execute the game plan in all departments in the first One Day International (ODI) at Edgbaston on Thursday.
After producing two solid batting performances to close out their recent series against Ireland, Sammy was hoping his team would ride the momentum to start positively against England. Instead, they fell into a familiar pattern where they crumbled under scoreboard pressure after wayward bowling and sloppy fielding in part.
The host piled up 400-8 before knocking the Caribbean side over for a meagre 162 in 26.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
“We were completely outplayed by a team that is also searching for their new identity, but that display was just not good enough. We have played a better brand of cricket over the last 18 months, and we just find ourselves finding it hard to start away from home, which is something we have to rectify,” Sammy declared in a post-match interview.
The West Indies’ bowling attack struggled from the outset, conceding 90 runs in the first 10 overs, a tempo that proved unsustainable on a true batting surface. England’s disciplined, clinical approach stood in stark contrast to the visitors’ erratic execution.
“It is good when batsmen play out of their skin, but when you have a plan and you did not really give it a chance to work, is the most annoying thing. Today our bowlers were not disciplined enough. We saw how England came out and stuck to a simple plan. It is a wicket that requires you to be straight and use the square boundaries from a straight line. So they showed us how it is done,” Sammy said.
“Again, our skills were not on par in any of the powerplays. We were chasing the game from early on. I mean, 90 runs in the first 10 means you will always find yourself on the defensive, and when you have set batters on a really good track, it’s hard to contain them. But execution, field placements, the skill required, and belief in execution were lacking, and we were all over the place today,” he added.
That said, Sammy pointed out that the decision to hand 18-year-old Jewel Andrew a start in place of the injured Evin Lewis is part of their long-term thinking.
“He has been a part of our ODI setup since Sri Lanka. The way he has practised and what he has shown, we know he belongs up there in international cricket, especially in this format. So with the plans that we have building forward, we will find opportunities to give to the youngsters that we are investing in, and today was that opportunity. Jewel is one of our exciting young talents, so we will give him opportunities to develop,” Sammy explained.
With the second ODI set for Sunday in Cardiff, the West Indies will need a swift turnaround to keep the series alive. Sammy remains optimistic about his squad’s ability to bounce back, but emphasized that belief must be backed by execution.
“Obviously it will be a different venue, and we will have the data at that venue, but again, it boils down to skills. We know we are a team that has been improving, and we never let one bad performance deter us from the things we want to do,” Sammy noted.
“We have the calibre of players who can come out and win, but it takes a process of knowing what the conditions bring, deciding what is required, and then backing ourselves in the delivery. We have not ticked those boxes, and until we do, we are going to find ourselves chasing the eight ball,” the coach ended. Sportsmax
