CMC – WEST Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite said he hoped his side’s chastening loss against hosts England in the Richards-Botham trophy series will spur them to better performances when they play South Africa next month.

The Caribbean side were condemned to a 3-0 sweep in the Richards-Botham trophy series after they lost the third and final Test against the English by 10 wickets on Sunday at Edgbaston.
They also lost the first Test that ended three Fridays ago – inside three days – by an innings and 114 runs at Lord’s, and the second Test that finished last Sunday – inside four days – by 241 runs at Trent Bridge.

The West Indies will return this coming week to the Caribbean and will have little time to regroup and find a winning formula for a two-Test series against the South Africans – but Brathwaite said he believes that they can.

“I am very excited that we have [another] two Tests, starting in a week’s time against South Africa,” he said during a post-play interview on TV. “We need more cricket, and I think being in this competitive and intense international game, and you are playing it more against good players, you will improve.
“Playing Tests six months apart, it’s kind of tough, so I’m excited for the series against South Africa, and we know where we have to improve. Once we’ve got the right attitude, you will see growth and consistency.”

The first Test against the Proteas starts on August 7 at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, and the second Test starts on August 15 at the Guyana National Stadium.

“I am looking forward to these two Tests because it is important to see growth,” he said. “I would have spoken about learning from the first Test and so on, and this is where it has to be shown. We have to see growth in this first Test against South Africa.

“It’s nothing hard. We have to get better at bowling at the top of ‘off-stump’ and we need to stay committed, as batters, a little longer – in both first and second innings – but I am excited, and I’m looking forward to the two Tests coming up because once learning takes place, you will see growth in this team and Test wins.”

Brathwaite said a general lack of consistency all-round plagued West Indies throughout the series, but he said there were a few positive signs that his side could take forward to use for future high-intensity battles.

“We never gave up,” he said. “We always came back and fought – that’s one thing I must recognise.
“In the batting, Kavem Hodge got his first Test hundred, we [this group] got one of our highest first innings totals.

“Bowling wise, we were good in pieces – Jayden had a very good series with the ball, Motie when he played got some crucial wickets, so we had some positives and it’s important that we learn from this experience.”