Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer

Dyson

TORONTO, Canada:

They weren't exactly Australia or South Africa. No Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee or Graeme Smith in the opposition's line-up at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club.

Yet, according to team management, performing well against lower level competition during the tri-nation one-day international series here should help boost the confidence of the West Indies, despite the postponement of the ICC Champions Trophy, where the regional team was scheduled to face host nation Pakistan, Australia and India in group play next month.

The visitors, who won their three matches here - against Bermuda and Canada (twice) - were looking to refocus following the recent home defeats by top-ranked Australia in both long and short versions of the game.

"Sure, that's exactly right. That's what it is," said coach John Dyson. "It gives them a chance to work on something in their game against a lesser opposition."

Pressure on the players

Dyson said it did not matter that Canada and Bermuda are minnows in world cricket, neither nation having Test match status. The key, he explained, is that the West Indies got needed match practice, especially since there is no first-class cricket currently being played in the Caribbean.

"It's in the middle," said Dyson. "It's in a match circumstance, a match situation, which is, again, more valuable than nets. Even though it's against lesser opposition, it's still a full international game of cricket. And from that point of view, there's some pressure on the players."

The 14-man touring party showed it was rounding into form when the announcement of the Champions Trophy post-ponement was made. In the first game against Bermuda, played on August 20, veteran Ramnaresh Sarwan scored 49 not out. Newcomers Shawn Findlay 41, Leon Johnson 27 and Brendan Nash 27 not out also got among the runs. Nikita Miller took three wickets.

In the second game against Canada on August 22, Xavier Marshall blasted 157 not out off 118 balls, including a world record-tying 12 sixes, after making a duck against Bermuda. Johnson scored a half-century and Nash 39 not out. Nash thenclaimed three wickets and Dave Mohammed, two.

Despite the 49-run margin of victory, the West Indies did not regard the game as a stroll.

"Canada gave us a run for ourmoney," said captain Chris Gayle, who smashed his 16th ODI century in the final on Sunday, when the West Indies beat Canada by seven wickets.

However, the West Indies did not do particularly well in the field against Canada in the first match. Several catches were floored. In one near-comical situation two players, standing just a few yards apart, watched as a mistimed pull from Canada's top scorer Rizwan Cheema plopped between them. Cheema was then on 18. He then ripped into the West Indies attack for 89 off 69 balls, receiving two other chances along the way.

"They have good bowlers, but there was too much pitching up or too short and that's my strength," said Pakistani-born Cheema, who also took three wickets in that match.

Yet, Dyson believes the tour went well.

"We're not playing a full member nation. We're playing an associate nation, but we've done everything asked of us so far," he said during the first Canada game.

"I'm pleased with the guys, considering they haven't had much cricket. They're out of season. Our net sessions have been good. Our performance against Bermuda was basically good."

Special emphasis

Dyson said after the defeat by Australia, the West Indies needed to "rethink some things and to work on specific areas in our game".

Special emphasis was placed on getting the top order batsmen, especially the younger ones, to play long innings. So, the coach was particularly happy that Marshall batted through to the end against Canada.

"It's really important that they all get that hunger to do this," Dyson said.

The major concern on the tour was the fitness of fast bowler Fidel Edwards, who hurt his back during the team's first training session. He did not play in any of the games and was scheduled for an MRI on Sunday. Later, team management said he would now do the scan when he returned to the Caribbean.

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.