ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Seamer Kemar Roach hopes West Indies’ proud home record against England can serve as added motivation in the three-Test series starting here tomorrow.
Despite their declining fortunes in the longest format in recent decades, the Caribbean side have lost just one Test series in the last 50 years to perhaps their most bitter opponents.
“I take the English coming to the Caribbean very seriously. It’s a very good record we have, only losing once at home and that’s a long period of time – 50 years is a long time.
“I think the onus is on us as players to have that at the back of your minds and go out there and play the best cricket you can on the day.
“I would like to keep that record intact, I wouldn’t like to lose that record. It would be great to win the series and take that tradition and that record further and further forward.
“Hopefully we can hold it for a hundred years. That would be fantastic, winning some more series at home but it’s a stepping stone, it’s a procedure and we’ll see how we go from here.”
Written off before the start of the last home series against England three years ago, West Indies stunned the visitors by a mammoth innings and 381 runs in the opener at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, to set the tone for their domination.
The second Test here at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium saw West Indies clinch an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series, crushing England by 10 wickets.
And even though they lost the final Test in St Lucia, the series success saw the home side reclaim the then Wisden Trophy – now the Botham-Richards Trophy – for the first time in a decade.
Roach, who dominated that series with 18 wickets, said the key to limiting the dangerous England unit was removing captain Joe Root and talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes cheaply.
“Joe Root and Ben Stokes – if we put immense pressure on those both I think we’re in with a very good chance,” Roach stressed.
And even though the iconic fast bowling duo of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad – with 1 177 Test wickets between them – will be missing, batsman Nkrumah Bonner said West Indies would be taking nothing for granted.
“It’s a Test game nevertheless, whether or not Anderson and Broad are playing,” the right-hander pointed out.
“Obviously they’re quality bowlers [but] the same application will be required. In every Test series it’s the same approach and this one is no different.”
