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Another 50 for Renshaw; Burns, Ferguson fail again

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ScorecardMatt Renshaw added a second-innings 50 to his 108 from the first innings•Getty Images

Queensland opener Matt Renshaw improved his chances of a surprise Test call-up by adding a second-innings 50 to his century from the first innings, but Test incumbents Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson both failed again on the third day at the Gabba. Australia’s squad for the day-night Adelaide Test will be announced on Sunday and with several batting positions under discussion, all three Sheffield Shield games have been under great scrutiny.South Australia resumed on 9 for 222 and after their last pair pushed the total to 258 – wicketkeeper Alex Carey top scored with 76 – Queensland chose not to enforce the follow-on. That gave Burns and Renshaw a final opportunity to impress interim national selector Greg Chappell, who was at the Gabba, but Burns was unable to grab his chance and was lbw to Chadd Sayers for 2.It continued a horror run for Burns, who began the Shield season with a century but has now failed to reach double-figures in any of his past six first-class innings. Meanwhile the 20-year-old Renshaw, in his first Shield game of the summer having suffered a knee injury during the Matador Cup, showed that he can switch gears by striking 50 from 51 balls as the Bulls sought quick runs to set the Redbacks a target.In the first innings, Renshaw had watchfully seen off the swinging new ball before he started to expand his strokeplay, and finished with 108. Renshaw averages 44.39 with three centuries from his 12 first-class appearances, and if selected for Adelaide will be the least experienced specialist batsman to make his Test debut for Australia since Warner, who had played 11 first-class games when he won the baggy green.Usman Khawaja was caught and bowled by Kane Richardson for 17, Marnus Labuschagne was bowled by Sayers for 8, and young batsman Sam Heazlett posted 63 before he was lbw to the part-time offspin of Travis Head. The Bulls declared at 7 for 228, setting South Australia an unlikely 446 for victory, and by stumps the Redbacks were 2 for 71.Ferguson, who made his Test debut in Hobart, was caught behind off Peter George for 4 and is experiencing a similarly lean patch to Burns, having not reached double-figures in any of his past five first-class innings. At the close of play, Jake Weatherald was on 33 and Head was on 13.

Marsh all but seals spot for SA Tests with WACA ton

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ScorecardShaun Marsh aggregated 183 in two innings against South Australia at WACA•Getty Images

After scoring 73 in the first innings, Shaun Marsh struck a century on the third day of Western Australia’s day-night Sheffield Shield game against South Australia at the WACA. Marsh, returning from a hamstring injury, has been declared fit and is expected to be named in Australia’s squad for the home Tests against South Africa on Friday.Marsh had suffered a right hamstring tear while batting for Western Australia in a Matador Cup game earlier this month. He played the Shield match to prove his fitness and may have done enough to merit selection, having struck a century in Australia’s previous Test against Sri Lanka in August.However, despite Marsh’s efforts, Western Australia were facing defeat, with South Australia requiring just 37 more to win the game with all 10 wickets intact.South Australia had begun the day on 8 for 474. Kane Richardson and Chadd Sayers, the two overnight batsmen, built the lead before South Australia declared on 9 for 505 to take a 234-run advantage. Western Australia put up 302 in their second innings, courtesy Marsh’s 110 and Hilton Cartwright’s 110-ball 80. That left South Australia with 69 to get. They ended on 32 without loss.Marsh and Cartwright were left to lift Western Australia from 4 for 107, after Chadd Sayers picked up three quick wickets to derail them from 1 for 97. Marsh and Cartwright added 109 for the fifth wicket, before Sayers struck again, having Marsh caught behind for his fourth and final wicket.Cartwright added 42 more for the sixth wicket with Ashton Agar before being dismissed by Travis Head, the South Australia captain. Agar was the ninth man dismissed, for 33, and Western Australia’s innings ended shortly after. Sayers finished with 4 for 57, and Daniel Worrall, Kane Richardson and Head took two each.South Australia struck at four an over in the eight overs they batted, with Kelvin Smith and Jake Weatherald striking six fours between them.

New Zealand's chance to shrug off Test hangover

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Match facts

October 16, 2016
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)2:26

Agarkar: Would definitely play Mandeep in the first game

Big Picture

Off the top of your head, it might be difficult to remember when New Zealand last played an ODI. Number nuts would tell you it was eight months ago, but perhaps the fact that it was Brendon McCullum’s final ODI appearance has more instant recall value. Things aren’t too dissimilar in the opposite camp. Amid a heavy diet of T20s and Tests, India have not played too many games in the 50-over format. You’d have to go back to Australia in January for any ODIs India have played against top teams this year; that series aside, the only other ODIs they’ve had this year was when a second-string side visited Zimbabwe in June.For both the teams, this five-match ODI series has both immediate and long-term relevance. While the 2017 Champions Trophy is the common bigger agenda, New Zealand would also dearly want to finish the tour on a high and help the scars of the 3-0 Test defeat heal.The visitors have seemingly not let that Test drubbing get to them, keeping it light with generous humour at practice and a bit of gushing over Dharamsala’s gorgeous mountains. In a season where they play 24 ODIs before the Champions Trophy begins in June next year, their build up, as Luke Ronchi suggested, is expected to be gradual with different players being rested and newer players tried out at different stages.India, on the other hand, don’t have the luxury of time in this format – they play only eight ODIs from now till June. India captain MS Dhoni, who usually frowns upon any reference to experimentation, admitted they have a limited window to audition players and hit upon their best combination. It is possible every member of India’s 15-man squad will get a game at some point in this series.

Form guide

India WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WLWWW

In the spotlight

Corey Anderson will be relieved to return to competitive cricket after being out of action for more than six months. Given that his previous international series (the World T20) was in India, where he has also tasted considerable success in IPLs past, Anderson might be quite comfortable with the venue of this comeback series. While he has been bowling in the nets, for now his role in the team will be restricted to batting in the middle order, where his late-order hitting could prove decisive.Hardik Pandya has had a brief but eventful T20I career so far. After decent performances in the Asia Cup and the World T20, Pandya’s loss of form in the IPL led to his omission for the Zimbabwe tour. Despite a mediocre outing with the India A side in Australia, the selectors have shown confidence in his all-round abilities and now he is set for an ODI debut. Should he click here, the team management will breath a lot easier about the seam-bowling allrounder’s position.Ross Taylor would hope a change of format brings an end to his lean run•Associated Press

Team news

India don’t have the services of another comeback man, Suresh Raina – he is recovering from fever. Going by the batting and bowling sequence in India’s practice session, Mandeep Singh and Umesh Yadav are likely to sit out. On the eve of the game, Kedar Jadhav had a lengthy batting stint followed by a brief session of offspin bowling, which suggests he might be called upon to bowl a few overs in the middle stages if required. Despite bowling for nearly three-fourths of India’s nets session, it seems likely that Jayant Yadav will be superfluous to a side that has two other spinners in Amit Mishra and Axar Patel. MS Dhoni indicated he will bat slightly higher up the order, possibly at No. 5.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Dhawal KulkarniThe last time New Zealand came to India they sprung a surprise by playing three spinners in their opening game. There was not much that could be gleaned from their practice sessions on their probable XI, but there will likely be a toss-up between Ish Sodhi and either Matt Henry or Tim Southee for the second seamer’s position. New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Luke Ronchi, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Ish Sodhi/Matt Henry

Pitch and conditions

In the lead up to the game, Dharamsala has remained fairly warm during the day before becoming considerably cooler after sunset. The forecast for Sunday is on similar lines. HPCA chief curator Sunil Chauhan said the surface will be seamer-friendly, but aid stroke-play. “I’m hoping for a 270-plus score,” he said. “The idea was to prepare a pitch that remains good for 100 overs. Dew is likely to set in by the end of the first innings and that it might help the chasing side.

Stats and trivia

  • India will play their 900th ODI when they face New Zealand in Dharamsala
  • New Zealand have never won a bilateral ODI series in India
  • Ross Taylor has the highest run aggregate (666 from 18 matches) among active players in matches played between India and New Zealand

Quotes

“India is all about winning. Let’s be frank. When the media talks about stuff, you only want the Indian cricket team to win. [So] it becomes difficult. If you see at the batting order, if you rest Virat or Ajinkya for a couple of games, you’ll be like ‘what’s really happening, why are they given rest’.”
“It is a completely different ball game now and it is a format where we have played good cricket over the last few years. As much as we wanted to do well in those Tests, it is gone now and now we have to focus on the five ODIs.”

Madsen saves face but Derbyshire finish on a low note

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ScorecardWayne Madsen’s century saved the innings defeat for Derbyshire but Worcestershire prevailed in the end•Getty Images

For the first time in 92 years Derbyshire finished a County Championship season without a single victory after losing to Worcestershire by nine wickets in their final Specsavers Division Two fixture at New Road.Having started the last day at 15 for 1, still 212 behind, they held off the home side for five hours until they were dug out for 266. Worcestershire had to make 40 and lost Brett D’Oliveira before securing third place behind Essex and Kent.At least the division’s bottom county went down on a note of defiance thanks to Wayne Madsen’s sixth championship century of the season and Harvey Hosein’s achievement in becoming only the fourth Derbyshire wicketkeeper to make a hundred and a fifty in a match.The last Derbyshire player to score six hundreds was Chris Rogers in 2009, and there was another milestone for Madsen in closing the campaign with a personal-best total of 1,292 runs, the fourth year in a row that he has topped 1,000.There was also a distinction on the bowling side as Joe Leach took 7 for 108 in the match and ended his summer with 65 wickets, the most in Division Two.Leach had given Worcestershire encouragement in his second over of the day. Alex Hughes went forward and drove hard but edged to Tom Kohler-Cadmore.More trouble for Derbyshire followed when Billy Godleman hoisted a ball from Miguel Cummins straight to Ed Barnard at fine leg, a shot that was perhaps not in keeping with a side battling to avoid defeat.At 29 for 3, Derbyshire were still 198 behind but Madsen gave them some hope with Tom Wood’s help until his younger partner was caught behind the wicket off Barnard after making 10 out of 45 in 10 overs.It was the appearance of Hosein that injected new conviction. In making his fifth consecutive score of 50 or more, the 20-year-old judged his role to perfection, allowing Madsen to take the main role but scoring consistently himself as they put on 124 in 26 overs.Another New Road pitch conformed to the pattern of the season in becoming flatter the longer the game went on.Even Madsen’s dismissal, leg-before to Charlie Morris for exactly 100 after hitting 15 fours and a six, did not immediately open the door to Worcestershire.Hosein maintained his unflappable tempo and Tom Milnes brought a bolder approach until Daryl Mitchell intervened with two wickets in eight ballsThe seventh bowler in the attack, the home captain bowled Milnes for 36 and Greg Cork for 4. Suddenly Worcestershire’s challenge was reignited and in the next over, D’Oliveira accounted for Hosein, caught at short leg for 59, and Will Davis, lbw without scoring, in successive deliveries.Cummins then took the new ball and when Tony Palladino was given out leg-before, the last five wickets had fallen for the addition of 11 runs.

Third day lost to sodden Kingsmead outfield

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLooks deceived at Kingsmead when despite blue skies and sunshine, no play was possible on day three. A wet outfield, which has not recovered from the recent relaying process, took 65mm of rain overnight and did not dry out over the course of the morning and early afternoon. It has received a full day of sunshine and, barring any further mishaps, should be ready for play on Monday morning.Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and the rest of South Africa’s attack will find conditions completely different to what they were when they took the field on Saturday afternoon. The overcast skies and persistent drizzle have moved away and after a full day of sun, the pitch would have flattened out.After rain interrupted play on Saturday afternoon, a steady drizzle turned into a downpour and although the showers had abated by 6am, the outfield was covered with water. Conditions improved significantly between then and 9:30, when it was announced that the morning session would be lost and an inspection would take place at noon.The umpires asked for no artificial measures to be used in drying the outfield in that time, preferring to use the natural processes of sunlight and wind. The super-sopper was not brought out because the muddy patches were too soft and using it would only have worsened the damp outfield.By 12pm, there was further improvement but areas outside the square – which were in pristine condition – and along the perimeter of the outfield, where scant grass had left the sandy patches exposed, were still too wet. Underfoot conditions were deemed “treacherous,” and a second inspection was planned for 2pm. Even then, the damp patches had not improved enough for play to resume.Of particular concern were patches where puddles had gathered at the edge of the covers, which will lead to questions over the number of covers at Kingsmead. Currently, Kingsmead’s covers keep the pitch and square protected but do not extend to the rest of the outfield. It is estimated that Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union would need around R400,000 (US$30,000) to better protect the ground. Should cricket be played in winter again, that investment may have to be made but this time, few would have expected it was needed.Winter rainfall has been prevalent this year despite it being an unusual occurrence in Durban. In the last three weeks, the same amount of rain has fallen that the city usually gets over the three months from August to October. The excessive rain, along with the delayed start to the relaying of the outfield which took place in June, left the outfield unable to cope with the unexpected moisture. Light was also a concern with early sunsets threatening to eat away at playing time, but play continued until 5:20pm on the first day. Still, 12.2 overs were lost on day one and 68 on day two, bringing the total number of overs lost to 170.2.Still, 180 overs remain and with good weather forecast for the next two days, there may be enough time for a result other than a draw. Sunday’s tickets will be valid for the remaining two days or for a Dolphins domestic match later this season.

Jaipur to host pink-ball match

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A month after India’s first pink-ball multi-day match, the Rajasthan Cricket Association is set to host the four-day final of its inter-district tournament under lights in Jaipur from July 12 to 15. Nagore and Bikaner will play for the Colvin Shield at the RCA Academy ground with a pink ball.”It struck us that it would be interesting to try out the pink ball in the final,” RCA secretary Sumendra Tiwary told ESPNcricinfo. “With talks of a pink-ball Test in India, we want to have tried it out as well. I am confident of a good response from the crowds. This is an inter-district tournament and this forms the basis for the selection of Ranji Trophy teams.”Tiwary said first-class cricketers like Rajesh Bishnoi Sr, Madhur Khatri and Gajendra Singh will turn out in the final, which will be played with an SR Supreme ball. “The problem with SG Test and Kookaburra balls is that white balls are dyed in pink, so after about 30 overs the white spots start showing,” Tiwary said.”In this game, players are playing in whites and white sightscreens and under lights, so the batsmen won’t be able to sight it. So we are using SR Supreme balls with a black seam. SR Supreme is giving us pink balls, which, even after 30-odd overs, remains pink.”While Tiwary admitted that players haven’t practised with the ball, he was confident they would get used to it. “A lot of selectors have felt it’s a good decision,” he said. “Players haven’t practised with it yet, but they have an idea of the kind of balls. Tomorrow, we have a practice session with the pink balls. Play begins at 2.45 pm and ends at 9.15 pm. There are three drinks breaks and one tea break.”

Warner, bowlers script Australia's comeback win

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIf there is any venue outside Australia where David Warner should feel at home it is the ground in Basseterre on the island of St Kitts. It is tailor-made for him with its short boundaries and hard surface. It is even named Warner Park. In his first international match at his namesake venue, Warner struck his sixth ODI hundred, and first outside Australia, to set up a 36-run victory over South Africa.Australia thus became the first team to win two games in this tri-series, which has now moved on from the slow, spinning surfaces of Guyana. Steven Smith had no hesitation in choosing to bat first and Warner’s 109 was the dominant contribution of the match, setting Australia on the path to 288 for 6.South Africa’s bowlers seemed to have done well to keep Australia under 300, but those same bowlers also formed a long tail that was unable to offer much resistance after Australia’s attack got through the middle order. Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood picked up three wickets each and the lower order collapsed, the last seven wickets falling for 42 runs.For a while, South Africa looked to be cruising in their chase. They had lost Quinton de Kock early, when he pulled Hazlewood to deep square leg for 19, but Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis set about building a typically solid platform that should have been adequate. They made it to 140 for 1 in the 26th over before Amla (60) was sharply taken by Smith at cover off Hazlewood.Life became tougher for the South African batsmen as Australia’s fast men found some reverse swing, which helped Starc get rid of du Plessis, who sliced to backward point for 63. AB de Villiers and JP Duminy then had the job of steering the rest of the innings, but de Villiers was also done by reverse swing when Hazlewood tailed one in to bowl him for 39.The loss of Duminy, through a somewhat lax sweep to deep midwicket off Zampa for 41, precipitated the lower-order collapse. Zampa had Farhaan Behardien lbw for 4 and had Wayne Parnell caught at long-on for 3, leaving too much work for the tail. Kyle Abbott had already been bowled, done by Starc’s reverse swing, before Aaron Phangiso also fell to Starc and Imran Tahir was run out to end the game.South Africa’s seamers had found almost no reverse earlier in the day. Like Australia, who dropped Nathan Lyon and Glenn Maxwell, South Africa strengthened their pace group at the expense of their spin attack, and while Abbott and Parnell especially were tight enough, they couldn’t manage to string enough wickets together, even after ending Warner’s innings.Warner’s previous five one-day international hundreds had all come in Australia, where the quick and bouncy pitches tend to suit his preference for the ball coming on to the bat. He started this one with two boundaries in the first over of the game and in all struck 11 fours and two sixes, and he was typically harsh on any width offered by the quicks.His opening partner, Aaron Finch, found no momentum and was bowled for 13 off 28 when he missed an attempted sweep off an Imran Tahir straight ball. Warner and Usman Khawaja put on 136 for the second wicket and a total well in excess of 300 looked like a strong possibility.Warner brought up his hundred from his 109th delivery when he cut a single off Abbott, and two deliveries later Khawaja raised his half-century from his 58th ball, but neither man was to go on much further. The second drinks break came at just the right time for South Africa, as Warner pulled Parnell to midwicket off the first ball after the resumption.Khawaja had swept the spinners effectively but the shot eventually brought his downfall on 59 when he top-edged off Phangiso and skied a catch that was taken by Amla from short fine leg. George Bailey was lbw to Tahir for 11 and Mitchell Marsh holed out deep midwicket for 10 off an Abbott full toss, and South Africa’s fightback was looking strong.However, Smith managed to steer the Australians into the high 200s with a half-century at better than a run-a-ball, with some assistance from Matthew Wade, who scored 24 off 14 balls. Smith ended up unbeaten on 52 from 49 deliveries, and Australia had enough to hold off South Africa.

England's chase 'absolutely remarkable' – Morgan

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Eoin Morgan said he had “never seen anything like it” as England thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second ODI at Edgbaston.Morgan, England’s captain, hailed an “absolutely remarkable” unbroken opening stand of 256 – a record for any wicket for England in ODI cricket – as Alex Hales and Jason Roy both recorded unbeaten centuries and career-best ODI scores. It is the highest total overhauled by a 10-wicket margin by any side in the history of ODI cricket.”That chase was absolutely remarkable,” Morgan said. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. We were so in control without being reckless. The two boys were outstanding. They were very imposing and they played brilliant, very entertaining cricket.”But both Roy and Morgan also praised England’s bowlers for a much-improved performance that kept Sri Lanka to a total that could have been as much as 100 under par on an excellent batting surface.”I said after Trent Bridge that we were way-off with the ball,” Morgan said. “Here, I didn’t think we did anything exceptional, but we did the basics well. It didn’t swing or nip off the seam and there are always huge challenges in one-day cricket when that doesn’t happen.”But we starved them of runs. We banged out a length and we used our bouncers well. We built pressure that way which resulted in us taking wickets. It was brilliant.”It was a lesson for us last year when we played against Australia. They are a really good at doing that and we picked up that we needed to be better at it.”Roy, who celebrated his first international century in England, agreed. “The bowlers kept Sri Lanka to a total where we didn’t feel under a huge amount of pressure going out there,” he said. “So a huge amount of credit must go to them.”The victory not only gave England a 1-0 lead in the series, but an unassailable 13-3 lead in the Super Series. It left Morgan reflecting on England’s fortune in escaping with a tie from the first ODI in which they played “poorly” in his words.”I emphasised after that game that it was our get out of jail free card,” Morgan said. “We played very poorly as a team, but a few individuals performed exceptionally well and did enough that we went unscathed. A six off the last ball doesn’t happen very often.”Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, admitted it was a “disappointing performance” from his side’s batsmen but suggested they must “forget about it as quickly as possible” with another ODI looming on Sunday.”Simply we didn’t get enough runs on the board for our bowlers to get them out,” Mathews said. “It was a belter of a wicket. 256 was below par; 300 is a must on that wicket. It played brilliantly. It was a little bit slow in the first half but it got better and better so we fell short by 50 or 60 runs.”We have to try to flush it out of the system and forget about this game as quickly as possible because we’ve got only one day to come back and play pretty well.”Our batsmen are in good nick and unfortunately they get 20s and 30s and getting run out is absolutely not on. And it is unfortunate that it has been happening the last two games and hopefully we can run well in the next three games and not give run outs to the opposition.”He was also full of praise for the England batsmen. “They are explosive openers and if you give them a chance then that’s what they can do; they can destroy any attack and unfortunately we didn’t have the penetration today. Jason and Alex batted brilliantly to get them home.”

Ashish Nehra out of IPL with hamstring injury

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Ashish Nehra has been ruled out of the rest of the IPL with a hamstring injury. The 37-year old fast bowler had been one of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s key players, with nine wickets from eight matches at an average of 22.11 and an economy rate of 7.65.Sunrisers have to win at least one of their two remaining matches – against Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders – to make the playoffs. Losing Nehra, who has swung the new ball and picked up early wickets, will affect their first-choice XI.A press release from the franchise said Nehra “sustained a significant hamstring tendon injury during the match against Kings XI Punjab on May 15.”Ashish Nehra is now in consultation with a specialist orthopedic surgeon for the most appropriate course of treatment to ensure a successful return to competitive cricket. Unfortunately he will play no further part in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad.”It is the second time he has broken down this season. Nehra had missed four matches with a groin strain that he picked up in early April. In terms of replacements, Sunrisers may opt for another left-arm quick Barinder Sran, who has picked up nine wickets from nine matches.

Clive Lloyd: 'We have to examine all aspects of West Indies cricket'

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Clive Lloyd has said that “all aspects” of West Indian cricket need to be examined after he was invited to be part of an emergency summit on the game following the Test team’s 27 all out against Australia at Sabina Park.West Indies came within touching distance of equaling the lowest-ever Test total of 26, made by New Zealand in 1955, with the last wicket of Jayden Seales falling the ball after a misfield had allowed them to scrape past the figure.Lloyd, who was extended invites alongside Viv Richards and Brian Lara by Cricket West Indies president Dr Kishore Shallow, added he was “always available to help” and stressed the urgency to find solutions, particularly around the Test match batting.Related

  • Ten days in the Caribbean: WI batters hit new lows, questions remain around Australia's top three

  • After 27 all out, West Indies come face to face with deepening Test crisis

  • Stats – WI post second-lowest Test total; Starc takes five in 15 balls

  • 'Heartbreaking' and 'embarrassing' – Chase laments West Indies batting woes

  • Starc six-for, Boland hat-trick consign West Indies to 27 all-out and 0-3 defeat

“We have to examine all aspects of West Indies cricket from grassroots to the international level,” Lloyd said in a statement provided to ESPNcricinfo. “Everything must be looked at closely and carefully. West Indies cricket is an institution. It has given so much to the people of this region and we must do all we can to revive it.”I’m always available to help in any way. How we can marry the ideas we have with what is necessary and have healthy discussion on the way we move forward, that’s what I’m thinking. It has been nearly 100 years since we have been playing top-class [Test] cricket and we have to get it right.”Brandon King, who made his Test debut in Barbados, was the only West Indies batter aside from Anderson Phillip to average over 20 against Australia and his 75 in Grenada was the highest individual score from either side.During the series, head coach Daren Sammy regularly addressed the side’s batting challenges, with an indication they were attempting to score quicker if they struggle to bat time. However, Lloyd was of the view that they had to find ways to be able to build innings adding that pitches around the Caribbean needed to be addressed which has also been a topic raised by Sammy.”We need a couple of Larry Gomes, more batsmen like him,” Lloyd said. “We need batsmen who put a heavy price on their wickets and when they get in look to stay in. There is nothing wrong with digging in and ‘batting ugly’. We have to find ways of fighting, occupying the crease, and staying in for long periods to wear down the bowlers. We have not been doing that.”Obviously, the mental side of our game needs to improve. We have to go back to the basics. We have to look at schools’ cricket, club cricket, first-class cricket – are we playing enough; we also have to look at the pitches – how are we preparing them and how they are playing.”West Indies have finished eighth in the three editions of the World Test Championship. Their next series two series in the current cycle are away trips to India and New Zealand.CWI has recently commemorated 50 years since West Indies’ 1975 ODI World Cup victory where Lloyd was captain and Player of the Match in the final his century against Australia.