Adams' captaincy rewarded by revival in spirits

The disco speakers in the Red Stripe Mound Stand blared out the latest soca hit: "It doesn't get much better than this".

The new West Indies captain, Jimmy Adams, led his team in a victory lap around Sabina Park, accompanied by what seemed the entire population of Kingston, blowing their whistles, waving the flags, roaring their approval.

It might have seemed an overstated celebration of victory over Zimbabwe, the weaklings of international cricket, but it was an outpouring of sheer relief from recent gloom. They lost both Tests and all five one-day internationals in New Zealand in December and January, making 10 successive Test defeats. Then there was the row over replacing Sir Viv Richards as coach with Roger Harper and the resignation of Brian Lara as captain and his decision to take a rest from this series and the forthcoming one against Pakistan.

Adams, himself lacking confidence, had the job of lifting the West Indies, and they showed new spirit in exploiting the fragile Zimbabwean temperament despite looking down and out at times. Their fast bowlers bowled out them for 63 when they needed 99 to win the first Test in Port of Spain, and here Adams' men turned 171 for 7, replying to Zimbabwe's first innings 308, into comfortable victory.

ZIMBABWE - First Innings: 308 (M Goodwin 113; R King 5-51)

WEST INDIES - First Innings: 339 (J Adams 101no; N Johnson 4-77)

ZIMBABWE - Second Innings

G W Flower c Hinds b Walsh 11 T R Gripper c Jacobs b Walsh 0 M W Goodwin b King 9 A D R Campbell lbw b Ambrose 22 *ÿA Flower b King 10 N C Johnson b Rose 29 S V Carlisle lbw b Gayle 11 B A Murphy not out 0 B C Strang c Ambrose b Rose 3 H K Olonga c Hinds b Walsh 2 H H Streak absent hurt 0 Extras (lb4 nb5) 9 Total (59.5 overs) 102

Fall (contd): 3-37 (Goodwin, 25.6 overs) 4-48 (A Flower, 29.4 overs) 5-72 (Campbell, 40.3 overs) 6-90 (Carlisle, 53.4) 7-96 (Johnson, 56.2) 8-100 (Strang, 58.6) 9-102 (Olonga, 59.5). Bowling: Ambrose 16-9-14-1 (2nb); Walsh 15.5-6-21-3 (1nb); Rose 12-5-24-2 (2nb); King 10-1-30-2; Gayle 6-3-9-1.

WEST INDIES - Second Innings

S Campbell not out 16 A Griffith not out 54 Extras (nb5) 5 Total (for 0, 12.4 overs) 75

Bowling: Strang 3-0-21-0; Johnson 5-1-27-0 (nb5); Olonga 3-0-20-0; G Flower 1-1-0-0; Gripper 0.4-0-7-0.

Man of the match: J C Adams. Man of the series: F D Rose. West Indies win series 2-0.