Tony Becca
THE WEST Indies lead the seven-match one-day international series against Zimbabwe 4-0 and, with two matches to go, they are heading for a clean sweep.
Up to two years ago when Zimbabwe boasted not only players like the brothers Grant Flower and Andy Flower but also others such as Heath Streak, Trevor Gripper, Craig Wishart, Stuart Carlisle, Tatenda Taibu, Andy Blignaut, Gary Brent and Henry Olonga, such a scoreline would have been reason to jump and shout - to boast that the West Indies, after their recent performances, have turned the corner.
Today, however, Zimbabwe are so weak that anything but the present scoreline would have been an embarrassment to West Indies cricket, and that anything but a whitewash will be disappointing. In fact, although the West Indies lead 4-0 with one no-result due to rain, their first two victories were disappointing - so disappointing that many of their fans were puzzled and wondering if the West Indies, and particularly so their batting, had really fallen so low that they had to struggle to defeat this Zimbabwe team.
WINDIES COME TO LIFE
After limiting Zimbabwe to 151 for nine and struggling to 154 for five, however, after scoring 242 for nine and dismissing Zimbabwe for 144 in 46.2 overs, the West Indies came to life in the fourth and fifth matches and in
totally dominating both games, with their batsmen enjoying themselves, put the over-matched visitors in their place.
Although they allowed Zimbabwe to reach 251 for seven batting second, the West Indies scored 333 for six in the fourth match, in the fifth they dismissed Zimbabwe for 152 and chipped to 156 without loss in 27.4 overs, and in doing so they have underlined the fact that even though, based on their performances, they are behind Australia, South Africa, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the rankings, they are way ahead of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh - the two behind them.
Based on the poor quality of Zimbabwe's bowling, the West Indies batting in matches four and five is nothing to shout about, and as well as they played, certainly not the batting of captain Brian Lara in the fourth and Chris Gayle in the fifth even though one scored 56 off 45 deliveries and the other 95 not out off 91.
PAR FOR THE COURSE
Against such weak and inexperienced bowling, such batting should be par for the course for the two lefthanders, one of whom is simply the best batsman in the world, and apart from his experience and record of performance against the best, one of whom is numbered among the hardest hitters of the ball in the business.
The batting of Shivnarine Chander-paul was something else, however. It showed that the left-hander, for a long time the number two batsman in the team, was getting back into form.
After a long drought of runs during his time as captain, after looking so out of touch, Chanderpaul turned up in the fourth match, spanked 93 off 82 deliveries with 10 fours and three sixes, he looked good, and although it was against Zimbabwe, it was just what the doctor ordered for a batsman who, against Sri Lanka, against Australia and against New Zealand, simply had lost so much of his confidence that he could not stroke the ball off the square.
Four up and two to go, the West Indies should finish with a clean sweep, and hopefully, they will do so in style - in a manner that will underline the difference between the two teams.
