REIFER...Preparation is key. The guys are preparing better, and we’ve built a culture of intense, purposeful work.
West Indies assistant coach Floyd Reifer believes their One-Day International (ODI) series victory over Bangladesh is a reflection of the team’s steady improvement and focus on key areas of their game.
The regional team, who hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, ended a ten-year drought against their opponents when they topped the opening contest by five wickets. They followed that up with another handsome seven-wicket win, much to the delight of Reifer and other members of the Darren Sammy-led coaching staff.
They will be aiming to complete a clean sweep of the series with victory in the final encounter on Thursday.
“This series was important for us, as before the series started, we set our goals in terms of where we want to be at the end. We sit at number 10 in the ODI rankings, but when we started in 2023, we were 15 to 17 points behind everybody. By the end of this series, we’ve cut that lead to just two points behind number nine,” Reifer said in a television interview after Tuesday’s second game at Warner Park.
A notable transformation has been in the West Indies’ middle-over batting—an area that has historically been a challenge. Reifer praised the team’s progress and commitment to improving this critical phase of their innings.
“When we first started, our middle-over batting was a challenge. Over the past year, we’ve worked hard to address this, and to see it come to fruition is very rewarding,” Reifer noted.
The results, Reifer said, speak for themselves, as the West Indies is now ranked second globally in middle-over batting, a dramatic turnaround he attributed to a shift in mindset and leadership.
“It’s all about mindset. The captain has been leading the charge with a positive mindset on how we approach those overs. A lot of work went into improving strike rotation, boundary options, and ensuring we put bowlers under pressure consistently,” he declared.
That said, Reifer pointed out that meticulous preparation and a strong work ethic have been pivotal in the team’s resurgence, adding that the players’ dedication to purposeful practice has not only improved their technical skills but also fostered a winning mentality.
“Preparation is key. The guys are preparing better, and we’ve built a culture of intense, purposeful work. Conversations in the dressing room between players and coaches have also helped elevate our game,” Reifer explained.
The emphasis on preparation and focus has been evident in the batting lineup’s performances, with five centuries scored across their last eight ODIs—a testament to the team’s growth.
That aside, Reifer also highlighted the bowling attack’s vital role in the team’s recent success and credited the efforts of bowling coach James Franklyn and team analyst Avinash Persaud for their guidance in aiding bowlers to execute their plans with precision.
“It’s about being as consistent as possible and grouping deliveries in the right areas. We also utilize the short delivery strategically, and the guys have been disciplined in following the plans,” Reifer revealed.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Brook becomes number one Test batter in the world
Harry Brook has leapfrogged team-mate Joe Root in the world rankings to become the number one Test batter.
The 25-year-old has impressed for England against New Zealand in the current series, helping them to a 2-0 unassailable lead.
Brook, who was labelled as the "best in the world" by Root after sealing the win over New Zealand, scored 171 in the first Test before following it up with scores of 123 and 55 in the second in Wellington.
He now has seven centuries in just 10 Tests away from home, the most by any batter in his first 10 such outings outside of their home country.
Across the 38 innings he has played in 23 Tests since making his debut in 2022, he has scored 2,280 runs.
His ranking score is now 898, one better than Root's 897, but he remains clear of third-place Kane Williamson, who he replaced at the top of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) rankings earlier this year.
Jasprit Bumrah remained top of the rankings in the bowler charts, though Pat Cummins made up some ground, moving up one place to fifth after taking seven wickets in the second Test of Australia's series against India.
Ravindra Jadeja also held onto top spot in the all-around rankings, and holds a healthy lead of 131 over second place, now held by Mehidy Hasan, who moved up two places.
'I’m thankful to the selectors for keeping faith in me': Seales reflects on ODI career-best figures with humility, pride
West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales reflected on his Player of the Match performance in the second ODI against Bangladesh with a mix of humility and pride after his career-best 4-22 helped the Caribbean side to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The 23-year-old’s spell, complemented by spinner Gudakesh Motie’s 2-36, restricted Bangladesh to 227 in 45.5 overs, while the West Indies batting lineup then showcased its strength and comfortably chased down the target with seven wickets in hand in just 36.5 overs.
For Seales, the performance marked a day to remember as his ODI record had drawn some scrutiny leading up to the match.
“It feels really good knowing that I could put in a performance to help the team win. I was pleased with the way the boys handled themselves with the ball and then finished it off with the bat,” Seales said after Tuesday’s contest at Warner Park in St Kitts.
“I’m thankful to the selectors for keeping faith in me. My ODI record isn’t the greatest, but it’s something I’m working on, and I’m focused on trying to keep getting better for the team and to do well,” he added.
Seales, who was thrust into a leadership role in the absence of Alzarri Joseph, rose to the occasion, delivering a disciplined and impactful spell that dismantled Bangladesh’s top and middle order.
“It was just about hitting my lines and lengths, forcing the batsmen to make mistakes, and as you can see, it paid off in the end,” he noted.
Seales’ standout performance ensured the West Indies avoided the familiar pitfall of losing momentum after a series-opening win. The most recent one was against England, where they lost the second contest and won the third to top that series 2-1.
“That was something we spoke about coming into this series,” he admitted.
“We’ve been in situations before where we win the first game but let the second one slip and then have to play like a final for the third one. So to get over the line was something that we worked really hard on, and getting the job done was a pleasant feeling for all of us,” Seales noted.
Unlike Bangladesh, who won the toss and opted to bat first in the opening contest, the West Indies decision to bowl first proved decisive, and Seales revealed the strategy behind it.
“We know typically here in the Caribbean that the pitches normally have a bit of moisture in them in the morning. So in the first game, we were surprised that Bangladesh chose to bat. We actually wanted to bowl first. So it's not really a secret, but it's just that we know in the Caribbean there's always the early morning moisture, and we wanted to make the most of the conditions,” Seales shared.
Despite his starring role, Seales remained grounded as he looked ahead to Thursday’s final contest.
“No one comes into a game thinking they’ll be Player of the Match. They would be more focused on just going and putting in a good performance for the team, and I'm very happy and thankful that I could do the job for the team,” the Trinidad and Tobago stalwart ended.
West Indies wrap up Bangladesh ODI series inside two matches
West Indies eased to a seven-wicket victory against Bangladesh in St. Kitts that, in turn, sealed their series victory with one match to go.
The hosts were inspired by a career-best bowling performance from Jayden Seales (4-22), which helped skittle Bangladesh for 227.
Seales took three wickets early on before Gudakesh Motie (2-36) helped ensure the tourists were unable to build any momentum.
The foundation of Bangladesh's total came from a 92-run partnership between Mamdullah (62) and Tanzim Hasan (45) for the eighth wicket.
Prior to that, West Indies had reduced Bangladesh to 115-7 and were in danger of running riot. Roston Chase ended the stand when he caught Tanzim off his own bowling in the 44th over.
After the switchover, opener Brandon King (82) hit five boundaries in the first seven overs on the way to top-scoring for the home side. Number two Evin Lewis (49) was also able to do his bit in the pair's second 100-run partnership of the calendar year.
While Lewis was eventually caught and bowled by Rishad Hossain one short of his half-century, Keacy Carty (45) and Sherfane Rutherford (24) topped up the runs to confirm the victory inside 37 overs.
Data debrief: West Indies seal historic win
While West Indies broke Bangladesh's 11-match ODI winning streak in the first match, this one confirmed their first series win against them in 10 years.
But the tourists did their best to stay in the game, with their 92-run partnership on the eighth wicket a new record.
Ultimately though, it was the early wickets and 4-22 figures of Seales that did the damage.
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