Beating Indians a huge boost: West Indies 'A' coach

Pleased with the commitment shown by his team in beating India 'A' in the second unofficial Test, West Indies 'A' coach Hendy Springer said the fine show against a strong batting line-up has given the hosts a lot of confidence going into the third and final match in St Lucia on Saturday.

Having lost to India 'A' in the the first match in Barbados, the West Indies 'A' bounced back in style in the second game in Kingstown to register a convincing 125-run victory.

Stating that winning the second game has given him a lot of satisfaction, as the Windies 'A' is less experienced than the visitors, Springer said, "This Indian team (has a) top six who have done well at the first-class level; some of them have made triple-hundreds, so to bowl them out twice, and for 94 in the second innings, is a huge boost.

"We are a much younger team, with far less experience at the first-class and international level, so every match is about learning -- learning about ourselves and learning from the opposition as well."

Chasing a target of 220, India 'A' was bundled out for a paltry 94 as left-arm seamer Delorn Johnson (6/34) and skipper Veeraswamy Permaul (4/22) shared the spoils to help West Indies 'A' level the three-match series 1-1.

"I am seeing improvement, I am seeing commitment, I am seeing hard work! We have a group of young men who want to do well, who are enjoying their cricket and who are giving their all," Springer was quoted as saying, in a statement from the West Indies Cricket Board.

"Everyone understands what is required. This positive approach, the belief in each other, is paying off. We went from a situation where a few players seemed a little intimidated going into that first match, to a place where we came to within two wickets of victory, to the present situation, where we proved to everyone that we can perform and win at this level.

"We will have that same kind of belief going into the final match on Saturday," he added.

Springer also heaped praise on Johnson and Permaul.

"He (Johnson) bowled with pace and also got the ball to swing. He showed great control from over the wicket, and when he went around the wicket and got results. That match was a significant stepping stone in his development.

"The captain (Permaul) has also been doing a great job with the ball and also with the bat when required. He assessed the pitch in Kingstown very well and bowled with great control," added the coach.

Photograph: windiescricket.com