Lack of practice worrying Harper

GALLE, NOV. 12West Indies coach Roger Harper says his players had little practice ahead of the first Test against Sr Lanka starting tomorrow due to bad weather, but the team has some good news.

Wavel Hinds, the left-hander from Jamaica, who had undergone facial surgery for a broken nose and was uncertain about the series, has joined the team.

Also, fast bowler Colin Stuart, who developed cramps during a practice game due to oppressive heat, was fit. The first of the three Test series starts in this southern port city tomorrow.

``The bowlers had a fairly good run up here, which was good. I think they've equipped themselves well in the intense heat and in the conditions.'' Harper was all praise for batsman Chris Gayle and captain Carl Hooper after each of them scored centuries in the curtailed games.

``Even though we didn't get as much cricket in the middle as we would have liked a number of batsmen got a few runs and the bowlers had a good run.''

Gayle followed his 26-ball innings of 41 in the first match in Colombo with 120 off 119 balls at Matara.

``We expect the wickets in Sri Lanka to help the spin bowlers, but initially, to be successful, you have to bowl as a unit. Everyone has to play their part, that's what we are really looking at.

Everyone should contribute in bowling out the opposition,'' Harper said.

The weather, which marred both the pre-Test matches, was worrying Harper. ``Our problem has not been the opposition, but the weather, which we can't do much about,'' he said.

Sri Lanka has yet to win a Test against the West Indies. The two teams have only played three times, the inaugural game in 1993 followed by a two-match series in 1996-97.

Sri Lankan selectors have meanwhile recalled left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratillake for the first Test, signalling an emphasis on spin rather than fast bowling against the West Indies.

Bandaratillake will partner the spin attack with Muttiah Muralitharan, returning to the venue where he recorded his best figures in Test cricket, a match haul of nine for 82 against New Zealand in 1997-98 in Galle.

lSri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Hasan Tillakaratne, Thilan Samaraweera, Chaminda Vaas, Niroshan Bandaratillake, Ruchira Perera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Charitha Buddhika, A.S.A. Perera, Nuwan Zoysa and Michael Vandort.

West Indies: Carl Hooper (captain), Chris Gayle, Darren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Mervyn Dillon, Reon King, Colin Stuart, Dinanth Ramnaraine, Marlon Black, Neil McGarrell and Wavel Hinds.

- AP

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