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Team manager worried about lack of practice matches

Batsmen lack patience - Clive Lloyd

Cricinfo staff

December 24, 2007

Only three batsmen made half-centuries in West Indies' 10-wicket loss to South Africa A © Getty Images

Clive Lloyd, the West Indies team manager, has said the reason for low scores is the lack of patience in the side's batsmen. "They get pinned down by bowlers who don't give them a drive for 15 or 20 minutes and frustration leads them into a big shot that cost their wicket," Lloyd told Trinidad Express.

West Indies lost their three-day game against South Africa A by ten wickets in East London. Only three batsmen made half-centuries, while there were eight scores under 20 in the first innings and seven in the second.

Lloyd said the team needed batsmen like the ones West Indies had in the past. "What we need are a couple of Larry Gomes, a couple of stickability guys," Lloyd said. "We could do with a [Gordon] Greenidge, [Desmond] Haynes or [Roy] Fredericks as an opener as well." But he was happy with the way the bowlers had performed. "In [Jerome] Taylor, [Daren] Powell and [Fidel] Edwards, we have three genuine fast bowlers who are now reaching their peak," the celebrated captain of the golden era in the 1970s and 80s said.

"[Dwayne] Bravo and [Darren] Sammy are competent back-ups with their medium-pace."

But Lloyd added that having only one tour game was not enough for the team to prepare for the Tests. "East London was the first first-class match for most of our players for something like six months and now we have to front up for three Tests within three weeks against the No. 2 ranked team.

"We have had excellent nets with very good local bowlers provided by the authorities both here and in Zimbabwe," he noted. "But you can't judge a player's form on nets. There is nothing like the real thing. Perhaps a team like Australia, which is so strong and well prepared, can get by without such matches but we can't at present."

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