NEWS
Follow UsRoston Chase was in very good batting form coming into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, but in six outings so far for the Windies in the ongoing tournament, he has only had two chances to bat, scoring an unbeaten 42 and a duck in the process. With Shai Hope doing incredibly well at the top of the order, Chase has ended up watching the batters carrying on the demolition job while being padded up more often than not.
Windies skipper Rovman Powell batted at No.4 when the team already had a solid base to work upon to plunder more runs. Chase feels that, at times, it was frustrating for him to be padded up and waiting for his chances, but he said he understood the need to change the game plan according to game situations.
“Yeah, obviously, it's a bit frustrating being slotted at four and having on your pads and obviously watching the cricket and analyzing and studying what I'm going to do before I get out there and then skip a set - it's a bit frustrating, but I mean, it's all for the good of the team. I mean, obviously, we've been struggling in that, as I say, 7 to 15 field,” Chase said in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Windies’ last Super 8 game against South Africa in North Sound.
“So, at that time, I mean, it's a time for us to go there and up the tempo. And I am a guy that really tends to start a bit slow and then just knock it around and then expand at the end. So, I mean, as I say, it's all for the team. So, what the team needs, requires. If it suits me or if it doesn't suit me, I'm happy with it. Once we get the W at the end of the night, that's all I focus on.
“Well, I think that's easy for me because my job is to give them the strike and let them hit it for six. So that's right up my alley. So, I guess that's why I'm penciled in at four to just be that transition between the boundaries and just keeping the strike rotated as well. I find that most of the time, the boundary hitters usually hit boundaries, but then they may get a few dot balls. And then obviously, it equals out the equation. But if you have me there just to stroke it around and look nice, that's good.”
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Left-arm finger spinner Akeal Hosein has been the lynchpin of the West Indies bowling attack in this tournament, snapping nine wickets at an average of 12.2 and at an economy of 5. He has consistently bowled three overs in the powerplay, averaging 13.7 this season - something Chase feels has been superb for the side and also allowed the likes of him and Gudakesh Motie to spill over in the middle overs.
“Yeah, I think the spinners in this team are really the backbone of the bowling. I mean, we're the ones that really control the game in the middle overs. I think the middle-overs are very important. I mean, everyone's going to come hard in the power play, but it's then for us to just stop that momentum on the floor runs in the middle over. I think that the spinners have been doing good.
“I mean Akeal Hossein, he's been bowling in the power play. As a spinner, it's very tough to bowl in the power play. You only have two fielders out. So, I think it just goes to show why he's in the top five or top 10 bowlers in the world. He's doing a fantastic job. And I mean, he really makes it easy for us to then come in, because he usually picks up wickets.
“So obviously, bowling to a new batter is always easier than bowling to a batter that's set, especially coming out of that power play with the momentum. So, it's just for me and Motie then to back him up and keep the Spinner's Brotherhood strong,” Chase added.
But does the success of Motie and Hosein frustrate Chase, who, despite being in a very good rhythm, hasn’t got four overs to bowl more often? “No, it's not frustrating at all. I mean, not really. I mean, it could be, but I don't really see it as that because bowling is more of a matchup situation. So, if I'm bowling well, but then there's a matchup that doesn't really suit me. And I'm taking off for a bowler that may be better suited in that situation,” the 32-year-old said.
“I'm not really vexed. I think that's why we play six bowlers, so that if something happens, it's not forced for the captain to continue bowling someone that may not be suited in a situation. So, it's all about match-ups and thinking about who's the best man for the job at that specific over. So, it's not here or there for me.”
West Indies are currently tied at two points in Group 1 of the Super 8s and will have a clear qualification situation in front of them after the USA-England game on June 23 (Sunday).
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