WEST INDIES’ inexperienced batting lineup endured another difficult day of Test cricket as they ended day two of the second Digicel Test match at Windsor Park on 165 for eight. But assistant coach Toby Radford is urging patience with the youngsters.
The day was especially difficult for 19-year-old opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who failed to score for the third time in as many innings.
“He played very well in Barbados in that first innings; today he got out in a similar fashion to the way he got out the second innings in Barbados, just sort of hanging the bat a little bit,” Radford said
“But again you back him. He’s a good player, he’s a young player and our job as coaches is to keep his confidence high and to work on any little things that come along.”
While disappointed with the overall batting effort however, Radford was encouraged by some of the work at the top of the order.
“I was actually really pleased with how we played the new ball today,” he said.
“I thought (Adrian) Barath was good, I thought (Kieran) Powell was good…then on comes the off-spinner, lots of turn and bounce and he does the damage.”
He added: “These are young guys, talented guys who I think will have good careers and we’ve got to be patient with them and back them…It’s not suicide for us. You learn, and you come back and you’ll be better and stronger.”
West Indies still find themselves 163 behind Australia’s first innings score of 328, an effort dominated by wicketkeeper Mathew Wade with his first Test century – 106.
Radford said it was Wade’s play rather than West Indian complacency that produced the larger than expected total.
“The message this morning was we must bowl at those guys, (Mitchell) Starc and Wade as if they were (Mike) Hussey and the top order,” he said.
However Radford hinted that tiredness may have played a factor.
“Six hours in that heat (Monday) I think took a lot out of one or two of the seamers. The physical toll, someone like Kemar Roach…I think he started getting a bit of fatigue…I think it was hard for him this morning to just dig that deeper again.”
Radford is hopeful however that the Windies lower order can come close to emulating the Australian tail.
“I think if we can take anything away, it’s important that our lower order bat in the same way with the same brains and with the same technique,” he said.
“We’re always looking to develop, we’re always looking to analyze and learn and that’s always my message; even if you have bad days, if you come in tomorrow and you say ‘how are we going to have a better one? We must keep learning.”
