NOTTINGHAM, England, 29 June 2004 — West Indies captain Brian Lara warned his side not to become complacent after their crushing seven-wicket NatWest Series One-Day International win against England at Trent Bridge on Sunday.
The result took the West Indies to the top of the table following their washed out opener Saturday against New Zealand, the third side in this triangular event, at Edgbaston.
But Lara insisted this victory would count for nothing when West Indies played their next series match, on Thursday, against England under the Headingley floodlights.
“We know it’s going to be a different story. It’s going to be an improved England team and we have to have an improved performance to stay on top,” Lara told reporters following an impressive West Indian display.
After Lara won the toss, West Indies bowled out England for 147 — the hosts’ lowest ever One-Day International total at Trent Bridge.
All his youthful pace attack chipped in, with 20-year-old medium pacer Dwayne Bravo taking career-best one-day international figures of three for 26. “I’m not surprised but I am happy they came up trumps,” Lara said. “It’s good to see for our cricket.”
Lara himself was there at the finish on 32 not out made from just 33 balls. But the batting honors belonged to his fellow left-hander Chris Gayle, the opener unbeaten on 60 off 90 balls with nine fours.
The duo shared an entertaining unbroken stand of 55 in 45 balls and the 35-year-old Lara said: “I’ve been batting really well. I’m always very confident of my form going into a game.
“What I am enjoying now is seeing the guys scoring runs the (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul’s, the Chris Gayle’s putting their heads down and scoring runs.
“That’s going to take a lot of pressure off everybody, knowing we have more and more match-winners.”
In April, Lara regained the world record for the highest individual Test score when he made 400 not out against England at Antigua.
But West Indies, who have been struggling in the five-day game they dominated for most of the 1970s and 1980s, lost the four-match series 3-0.
And when they could only manage a draw in their next Test, at home to minnows Bangladesh, Lara threatened to resign the captaincy.
But he insisted at the time he had done that to spark his side and stressed Sunday that there was no contest when it came to personal milestones or team success.
“There’s a lot of chat about the world record and the 501 (Lara’s world record first-class score made for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994).
“But what has always driven me is playing for West Indies. I’ve always enjoyed playing for West Indies, it’s always been my dream.
“Being at a low ebb now, our cricket, it’s given me that something more to continue. I want to see us get back to the top and whatever I achieve personally is not very important.
“I want to see this young team, in four of five years, really contesting against the big teams in the world. That is enough drive for me and I’m sure that’s enough drive for the young ones alongside me.”
Meanwhile England captain Michael Vaughan challenged his side to bounce back against New Zealand at Chester-le-Street today and demonstrate the resilience that last year saw them win the series final against South Africa after losing their opening match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
