Powell rues career-best did not earn Windies a win

Perth - Opener Kieran Powell said he was disappointed at not being able to deliver a victory for the West Indies in the second One-Day International against Australia here.

The left-hander carved out a career-best 83 off 90 balls in a 126-run, fourth-wicket stand with Dwayne Bravo (45) but the West Indies, chasing 267 for victory, faltered for 212 off 38.1 overs, to slip to a 54-run defeat at the WACA Ground Sunday, reports CMC.

“We lost early wickets and we decided we would back ourselves to go for our shots if the ball was in our zone but other than that we would grind it out. It paid off for a bit but we weren’t able to go all the way and win,” Powell lamented.

“After the hard graft earlier on, I knew I would get the chance to play my shots and I went for it as the ball was coming onto the bat well. I felt I played well, but I was disappointed I could not take the team to victory – that is the most important thing when you’re playing for your country, you want to be on the winning side.”

Powell struck ten fours and two sixes – both effortless leg-side strokes – in an entertaining innings that kept the West Indies in the hunt after they had plummeted to 33 for three in the eighth over.

The knock was his second half-century in three innings on what is his first tour Down Under, and he said the series was already proving valuable from a personal standpoint.

“Overall, I would have to say it has given me the confidence I needed,” he explained.

“I have been trying to crack One-Day cricket and this tour is teaching me a lot about the limited-overs version of the game. I have been successful in Test cricket last year and now I’m learning about One-Day cricket.”

Powell will return to Canberra for Wednesday’s third One-Day International at Manuka Oval, where he hammered 92 in the lone tour game last week.