Don't count Windies out: Lara

Brian Lara said New Zealand would go into Saturday's NatWest final at Lord's as favourites but insisted his side could rise to the challenge.

West Indies captain Brian Lara said New Zealand would go into Saturday's NatWest Series final at Lord's as favourites but insisted his side could rise to the challenge.

HT Image

Last weekend, in the only completed match between the teams in the tournament so far, New Zealand enjoyed a five-wicket win in Cardiff.

"New Zealand should go in as favourites. But it's one game, 100 overs on Saturday and we are looking to come out on top," the 35-year-old left-handed batsman Lara told reporters at Lord's on Friday.

West Indies were on course for a big score in their last match against New Zealand, a game where Lara scored a run-a-ball 58 as an opener, before losing their last seven wickets for 36 runs.

And Lara said of that match: "We know for a fact they are not going to give up. We thought we were pretty well placed at 180 for three in 37 overs and if we batted properly we can get close to 300 but that did not happen.

"You can't count them out at all. Maybe we did that in Cardiff.

"Now we have an opportunity for the first time in a long-time to win a one-day trophy away from home (the last was then they won a series in Zimbabwe 3-2 in November) and we are going to give it our all."

All the completed matches in the tournament so far have been won by the team fielding first.

And Lara added: "Both captains will field first if they win the toss because that's been the trend of the tournament."

But he stressed how England's performance in scoring 285 for seven at Lord's against the West Indies on Tuesday batting first, albeit in a losing cause, had shown how the toss needn't be crucial.

"Looking at England batting at Lord's on Tuesday it shows that if you bat properly you can get how much you want," explained Lara whose side's seven-wicket win ended the hosts' interest in the triangular event.

One concern arising from the England win was the performance of back-up seamers Dwayne Bravo and Dwayne Smith.

The duo's 20 overs cost an expensive 151 runs with Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss both scoring hundreds for England.

West Indies were without fast bowler Jermaine Lawson (flu) for that game and while he is fit again they will definitely be without paceman Ravi Rampaul (shin injury).

However, Lara indicated he might go in with the same team as Tuesday but this time call on the spin abilities of Ramnaresh Sarwan (leg breaks) and Ricardo Powell (off-breaks), neither of whom bowled against England.

West Indies, after Saturday's final, remain in England for a four Test series starting at Lord's on July 22.

It gives Lara's men a chance to avenge their 3-0 Test series defeat in the Caribbean by England earlier this year.

But Lara said the West Indies would not have any advantage after beating England twice in the NatWest Series.

"There's no comparison. Test series are totally different." said Lara who regained the world reord for the highest individual Test score with 400 not out in the drawn fourth Test in Antigua in April.

Lara insisted that all the praise he received meant very little unless he was in a winning team.

"I'm still very disappointed that I've been a part of the West Indies team that for the majority of my career has been in decline.

"I have not been able to make a big difference. Yes, there have been some match-winning innings but I'd love to be part of a team that wins regularly, it doesn't matter what my performance is.

"On that level it (his career) has not been the greatest. But I've tried, I've given it a good shot."