Thaindian News

Nottingham, England, May 28 (IANS/CMC) Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul said the West Indies had placed their confidence again in the pair of captain Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels to bail the Caribbean side out of their latest crisis.

Trailing England by 58 runs on the first innings, the West Indies plummeted to 61 for six Sunday at the close of the third day at Trent Bridge, a lead of just three runs overall.

Samuels was unbeaten on 13 and Sammy was yet to score, leaving the pair with another Herculean repair job.

“It’s tough watching your top six batsmen get out like this after the bowlers worked so hard in the first two sessions, but that’s the way the games goes,” Rampaul said.

“The two batsmen at the crease - Samuels and Sammy - both scored hundreds in the first innings, so we are still a confident bunch.”

“Hopefully, Samuels and Sammy can apply themselves and get us out of the spot of bother in which we find ourselves.”

Sammy and Samuels performed a similar rescue act in the first innings, both striking centuries in a record seventh-wicket partnership of 204, to pull the Windies around from the brink of disaster at 136 for six.

Rampaul said the West Indies had done well to limit England to 428 all out after the hosts resumed on 259 for two, but their batting had not gone according to plan.

“We were hoping to get through the final session without the loss of any wickets to be in a position to build an innings and try to get a total that would allow us to bowl out England again,” the Trinidadian explained.

“It’s not easy bowling 120-odd overs trying to bowl out a team and then look at your batsmen not applying themselves.”

“I do not fault any one of them, but I will do my part to give them confidence and ask them to focus more, apply themselves a little bit more, and eventually they will get there.”

The West Indies’ top four have struggled throughout the series, leaving the bulk of the run-scoring to the middle and lower order.

Brief Scores:

West Indies 370 (Marlon Samuels 117, Darren Sammy 106, Shiv Chanderpaul 46, Kieran Powell 33; Tim Bresnan 4-106, James Anderson 2-73, Stuart Broad 2-81) and 61 for six (Darren Bravo 22; Tim Bresnan 3-10, James Anderson 2-12).

England 428 (Andrew Strauss 141, Kevin Pietersen 80, Tim Bresnan 39 not out, Jonathan Trott 35, Stuart Broad 25, Alistair Cook 24, Ian Bell 22; Ravi Rampaul 3-75, Marlon Samuels 2-14, Kemar Roach 2-90, Darren Sammy 2-120).

–IANS/CMC
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