Trinidad Express article.
Port of Spain, Trinidad - Barbados off-spinner Ashley Nurse described his match-winning six for 29 against the Leeward Islands as one of his better performances for his country, adding that it did not come about by simple luck and chance.
Speaking to the media following Barbados’ four-wicket win at Queen’s Park Oval on Monday night, Nurse said that after a mediocre showing against Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match, when he bowled seven overs for 46 runs with four wides and a no ball, he went back to the nets, put in the hard work and reaped the rewards on Monday.
“I just tried to be as consistent as possible because in the first game I did not have a good night. I was bowling a bit too straight and got a lot of turn and the balls were just going down the leg side so I just tried to bowl just outside the off-stump and bowl a fuller length,” Nurse said.
“After the Trinidad game I worked very hard in the nets on my line and lengths and tried to vary...bowl slower, bowl faster but with a fuller-pitched ball.
“It was one of the better games I had for Barbados for sure. I did the job today. Today was just my day.”
Nurse is also hoping to attract the attention of the regional selectors in the future and believes consistency will be the key.
“I am just trying to be as consistent as possible and hopefully the selectors will look at me in the future.”
The spinner was pleased to help his team clinch a semi-final spot.
“Anytime Barbados play, there is always high expectations that we will be in the last four or last two so it is nice to make the fans at home happy by making the semi-finals and living up to those expectations.”
Looking ahead to their semi-final clash with Guyana at the Oval tomorrow, Nurse said: “It is a simple game. Whoever bats the best will win the game. There is really no big difference in the teams. The batting is there, the spinners are there, the pacers are there.”
The Leewards also put in an excellent bowling performance, with leg-spinner Anthony Martin taking two wickets for eight runs in ten overs.
While they did well to put Barbados under pressure in a small chase, Martin conceded that they just did not have enough runs on the board.
“It was a good pitch to bowl on. The guys gave it a good effort but the runs were not there for us to really defend. We spilled two easy catches and that could have been a twist in the game and made it a little more difficult for Barbados. Barbados panicked a bit in the end to get 104 but the runs were not enough,” said Martin.