Mystery illness has Gayle on sideline
Chris Gayle was ill – that’s all we know.
The superstar West Indian batsman played just a brief part in his side’s five-wicket loss to New Zealand in Whangarei yesterday, making 22 with the bat and then not fielding.
‘‘He took ill,’’ Windies coach Stuart Law said after the match.
‘‘He’s going to seek further medical advice once we arrive in Christchurch tomorrow. At this point in time I can’t give you any further details of what’s going on.’’
When asked when the illness took hold, Law said: ‘‘He just felt ill.’’
Law felt the toss was a huge influence on the match, after New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson chose to bowl after morning rain.
‘‘We would have liked to have bowled first as well,’’ he said.
‘‘Whether or not the wicket got damp through the covers . . . it was certainly a tackiness to the surface when the game started.
‘‘I looked at halftime and it was bone dry.
‘‘You would have liked an even contest, not taking anything away from New Zealand at all.
‘‘We saw our opening batters – they’re pretty good strikers of a cricket ball – they were having trouble locating it, which means the wicket was doing something. We didn’t see that this afternoon.’’
Gayle’s opening partner Evin Lewis led the way with the bat, making 76 off 100 balls, and earned praise from Law.
‘‘He was circumspect with the deliveries he attacked.
‘‘He’s a wonderful striker of a cricket ball. Today he wasn’t able to be as free as he would’ve liked but he showed some class. He showed the ability to get through some really tough times, to build an innings, and then unfortunately given out lbw when he was set, ready to continue that partnership with Rovman Powell.
‘‘Those two can score very quickly once they get going.’’
Law admitted 248-9 from 50 overs wasn’t going to be enough to beat New Zealand in the conditions the hosts batted in.
‘‘We needed a lot of things to go our way . . . we needed early wickets and that didn’t come.’’