Simmons wants results pitches in the wake of the series stalemate
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons.
NORTH SOUND, Antigua – West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has urged authorities in the Caribbean to prepare more results-oriented pitches, following a nil-all draw in the recent two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Both matches finished in tame stalemates on flat wickets at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium. Simmons said it was important to provide more competitive pitches in the region to lift test match cricket profiles.
“I think we from a country standpoint need to get better wickets where we can have Test matches that will create a result,” he contended.
West Indies batsmen starting to deliver, says coach Phil Simmons
Phil Simmons -
WEST INDIES coach Phil Simmons praised the effort of his batsmen following the Test series against Sri Lanka. He said the West Indies batsmen are starting to pull their weight after the bowlers carried the team for years.
The two-match series ended in a 0-0 draw with both matches being played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.
Five West Indies batsmen ended with an average of over 50 – captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Kyle Mayers, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder and Rahkeem Cornwall.
Brathwaite and Bonner both cracked centuries during the series. There were also two half-centuries each from Mayers and Cornwall and one apiece from Holder and Brathwaite.
Daily Times
April 4, 2021
Sri Lankan batsman Dimuth Karunaratne sweeps as West Indies player Joshua Da Silva looks on the final and fifth day of their second Test in Antigua on Friday.
NORTH SOUND: West Indies and Sri Lanka settled for a tame draw in the second Test after they both fell short of their respective last day targets on Friday. Sri Lanka were 193-2 when the two captains agreed to end the game one hour before the scheduled close on the last day, still 184 runs short of their target and with the home side still needing eight more wickets for victory. West Indies were better placed to win, and secure series success, going into the final day. They needed to bowl Sri Lanka out while the tourists were chasing an imposing target of 377. But rain dampened both sides prospects as it delayed the start of play and then the dull surface offered little for both batsmen and bowlers, rendering the contest effectively over long before the finish.
Big effort needed on final day, Holder says nationnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Holder: Big effort needed by Windies on final day
Friday 2 April 2021
Lahiru Thirimanne (2L) and Dinesh Chandimal (2R) of Sri Lanka laugh with Jason Holder (L) and Hayden Walsh Jr. (C) of West Indies while walking off the field at the end of day 4 of the 2nd Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, on Thursday. - (AFP PHOTO)
WEST Indies all-rounder Jason Holder said a “big effort” is needed on Friday for West Indies to complete a victory in the second Test match against Sri Lanka and complete the series win at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.