West Indies off-spinner Ashley Nurse said Monday’s defeat to Bangladesh had not dented the team’s confidence, and they were now fully focussed on winning Friday’s final of the Tri-Nations ODI Series. West Indies lost down by five wickets at The Village Ground in Malahide. They had already qualified for the final with two comprehensive wins over Ireland. Nurse has been the leading bowler in the tournament with seven wickets (average 26.7).
“Next game is the final so it’s the most important game of the series. All the work we did over the last couple games is all well and good but to get the win in the final is the most important thing right now,” Nurse was quoted by CWI Media as saying.
“It’s a tournament where the final is the ultimate goal. They’ve gotten the better of us in the last two games but that doesn’t mean anything. We have to turn up on Friday and try to do the work,” he added.
Nurse, who has played 49 ODIs since his debut in 2016, said it was important not only for the Windies to bat well but to place pressure on the Bangladesh middle order which was yet to be really tested.
“I think if we can get some more runs on the board, first and foremost, then the bowlers would have an easier job. Because the wickets are really easy paced and it’s a case where we have to be on the ball as a bowling unit, build some pressure in the field and put them under some serious pressure and get into their middle order,” he said.
Nurse was the team’s best bowler on Monday with 3-53 off his 10 overs. However, he said while he was pleased with his performance, he was disappointed by the result.
“Today I had some more rhythm. From playing the other games I didn’t have a lot of rhythm but today was a lot warmer as well so I felt a lot more at home,” Nurse said.
“It was a slow pitch so I think the pace we bowled at was very important and today I got most of it right so it was a good performance from me but obviously to get the win was the most important thing and we didn’t do that so we have to go back to the drawing boards and come back next game,” Nurse told CWI Media.
