Cricket: For NZ a toast, for the Windies a roast

BRIDGETOWN - The West Indies cricketers have been roasted by Barbados' biggest newspaper for their weak showing against New Zealand.

Veteran cricket journalist Tony Cozier, writing in the Daily Nation , said Tuesday's winning margin of 204 runs was a fair reflection of the difference between the sides at Kensington Oval.

"The outcome was neither flattering to New Zealand nor unjust to the West Indies," Cozier wrote.

"It was an utterly fair representation of the difference between the teams in purpose, intensity, allround strength and sheer cricketing common sense, and confirmed their respective ratings of third and sixth on the ICC test championship table."

The sharpest barbs were saved for the West Indies batsmen, who perished meekly in the first innings for 107 to give New Zealand a 230-run lead.

Eight batsmen fell to catches, most taken off ill-disciplined shots.

Cozier said a small crowd of a few thousand was grossly short-changed.

"Although they, and everyone else, knew that it was an inevitable result, they had a right to expect more of a fight," he said.

"They had watched in disbelief and disappointment as rank carelessness, unbecoming of a professional team of international repute, led to the first innings collapse to 107 that virtually determined the issue.

"Man has split the atom, landed on the Moon and found the Titanic, but no side have ever scored 474 to win a test match - and the West Indies team, with their glaring limitations, certainly weren't going to make history."

Cozier praised New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming for his shrewd captaincy.

- NZPA