Basseterre (St Kitts), July 16 (IANS/CMC) West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine says he had recognised the importance of Saturday’s fourth One-Day International against New Zealand and had seized the moment.
The beguiling Trinidadian bowled brilliantly to take two wickets for 20 runs from his ten overs to help the West Indies to a 24-run victory and a winning 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
“I was doing it for the team. It was the big game of the series and I knew I just had to do the job for the team again,” Narine indicated.
“We wanted to win Wednesday and seal the series, but we ended on the wrong end, so it was very important that we came back and finished off the job.
“Normally, when I go onto the field I look at the scoreboard and see what is required of me. Sometimes it requires me to be attacking, other times I just have to keep the pressure on.
“Today I tried to keep my composure and build the pressure. We got wickets at key stages and the pressure mounted on them.”
Chasing 265 for victory, New Zealand were put on course for victory by captain Ross Taylor who stroked 110 from 115 balls, his sixth ODI century.
He smashed six four and five sixes to accelerate the scoring in the final stages of the game but Narine kept his nerve – and the brakes on the Kiwi scoring – to ensure the Windies emerged winners in a tense encounter.
“There was a great deal of effort today. We had to dig deep to come up with this win, and that made it feel that much better,” said Narine.
“To win a series at home is special. The batsmen played really well after we found ourselves in some trouble and that gave us something to bowl at. Tino kept running in and I knew my job was to remain accurate and build the pressure on the batsmen.”
–IANS/CMC
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