Gibson: West Indies have to 'get it right'

ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):With the series already surrendered, beleaguered West Indies will try to focus all their energies on breaking their five-match losing slump when they clash with South Africa in the fourth one-day international (ODI) here today.

They have lost every match of the limited-overs series and with the five-match series nearing an end, will be desperate to halt a worrying run of form, especially ahead of the upcoming Test series.

West Indies were swept aside in the preceding two-match Twenty20 international series and are now 3-0 down in the one-day series after their dismal 67-run loss in the first match of the weekend double-header on Friday at Windsor Park.

It means the Windies have now lost their last 13 ODIs in a bilateral series with the Proteas, and face the ignominy of being whitewashed by them in a five-match one-day series for a third straight tour.

Head coach Ottis Gibson remained convinced his side was not playing at their best.

"We can do much better than we did. Sunday's game will be another opportunity to get it right. We know we have to get it right," the former West Indies fast bowler said.

In every match of the series, West Indies have been badly let down by their dismal batting. Chasing 280 in the first ODI in Antigua, they were bowled for a paltry 215 without a single player getting a half-century.

second-match efforts

Their effort in the second match - in pursuit of South Africa's mammoth 300 - was more admirable but it took Darren Sammy's whirlwind unbeaten 58 from 24 balls, at the end, to get them up to 283.

Their best chance to clinch victory came after their bowlers limited the Proteas to a modest 224 in the second ODI on Friday, but even then the Windies batsmen came up short.

"We let ourselves down again with the bat and this is where we are losing matches," Gibson lamented.

"We have to do something about it. This was a great opportunity to win but we did not do as well as I know we can."

Talismanic opener and captain Chris Gayle has failed to fire with scores of 45, 26 and 16 while all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who has been asked to bat as high as number three, has produced scores of 15, 74 and 13.

Barbadian opener Dale Richards, drafted in for the second ODI, has made a difference at the top of the innings with scores of 51 and 28 but Kieron Pollard, whose reputation is far more intimidating than his batting, has flattered to deceive with scores of 44, 29 and 10.

Amazingly, Pollard has scored just one half-century in 25 ODI innings and continues to struggle with a modest average of 19.

good foundation

South Africa have had no such problems. Opener Hashim Amla has scored prolifically with 228 runs and has laid the foundation for winning totals with solid opening partnerships of 53, 89 and 53 with his captain Graeme Smith.

Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers have chipped in when needed, making South Africa a formidable batting unit.

Despite having clinched the series, Smith warned his side would not be relaxing for the two final matches, though hinting at a few changes.

"Every game that you play for your country is important ... and just five or six games ago, we were in a very disappointing place," Smith noted.

"We may look at a few things and see who needs a break. Some of the guys have had a really long season so far and they've got a big Test series around the corner, so we'll look at a few things."

The final ODI of the series will be played next Thursday at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.

West Indies: Chris Gayle (captain), Dwayne Bravo, Dale Richards, Travis Dowlin, Shiv Chanderpaul, Darren Bravo, Narsingh Deonarine, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard, David Bernard, Denesh Ramdin, Sulieman Benn, Jerome Taylor, Ravi Rampaul.