Tour match puts Windies in good stead – Holder
West Indies captain Jason Holder believes the three-day tour match against New Zealand A currently taking place will be enough to complement his side’s preparation for the upcoming Test series. The fixture at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval is the only tour match before the Caribbean side clash with the Black Caps in two Tests – at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from December 1-5 and at Seddon Park in Hamilton from December 9-13. “We’ve been on the road for a little while. We just came from Zimbabwe. We didn’t go home, so we went straight to Australia [and] we just kept our cricket going and kept topping up,” Holder said. “I think we’re in good stead. We had a two-day game in Australia as well, and we’ve come here having a three-day game before the first Test match. Based on the amount of cricket we’ve played in the last three months, I think we’re ready to go.”
DAILY TRAINING SESSIONS
West Indies arrived from Australia last Tuesday and have quickly moved to get acclimatised to the cool conditions in the southwestern Pacific, with daily training sessions.
West Indies are coming off a 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe in a two-Test series in Bulawayo earlier this month, and Holder said the New Zealand tour would be an opportunity to continue that progression.
“I think over the last few months the guys have really put their names out there,” the all-rounder noted.
“Guys like Kraigg Brathwaite have done well for us over a number of years. Shai Hope is just coming to the forefront of his potential, to be honest, and we’ve got guys like Roston Chase, who will probably lead our batting.
“We’ve got inexperience in our bowling but still one or two experienced heads like Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. I think it is a good mixture that we have. The beauty about our side is that we’ve been together for the last year and a half, and I think we’ve been going quite well.
“I expect really good things from us based on what we’ve been doing over the last year and, hopefully, we can continue going on.”