Gayle eager to banish Guyana mishap

John Dyson and Chris Gayle will want to banish forever talk of the rain-rule miscalculation that cost a series win

Chris Gayle claims to have identified England’s weakness - and is hoping his West Indies team can exploit it in the NatWest Series.

The Windies captain admits his tourists have a point to prove after losing a one-sided npower Test series 2-0 and shooting themselves in the foot when they went down just 3-2 in the one-day series in the Caribbean which preceded it.

Poor sums rather than faulty cricketing skills cost Gayle and company when West Indies got the wrong end of the stick with Duckworth-Lewis and donated the first match of the series in Guyana to England.

There was even more rain at Headingley Carnegie earlier this week, reducing this three-match one-day series to just two - starting at Bristol tomorrow and concluding at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

The stakes are high from the outset, and Gayle is optimistic - sensing England are more vulnerable in limited-overs cricket than the longer form of the game.

“On any given day, when England turn up, they can demolish any team,” conceded Gayle. “But at times, they can have a bit of a downfall in ODI cricket. It’s not their strength.”

One-day cricket is not only Gayle’s strength but, everyone knows after a candid interview before the Durham Test, by far his favoured format.

He is therefore looking forward with renewed enthusiasm to the remainder of a tour which will culminate in the World Twenty20 next month.

“After losing the Test series, we’d love to get off to a flier tomorrow and release some pressure,” he said.

“We lost that series (in the West Indies) 3-2, based on one lost opportunity. Now we’re looking to gain that momentum, buildng up to the Twenty20.”

Gayle has fond memories of limited-overs campaigns in this country, having been part of the squad who became shock winners of the 2004 Champions Trophy - beating England in a thrilling final at the Brit Oval - and taking over the captaincy when the West Indies came from behind to beat their hosts in the 2007 NatWest Series.

“It was brilliant at the Champions Trophy in 2004. We’re a good one-day team and we think we can beat any team we come across,” he said.

Chris Gayle already knows how to win the NatWest Series - he took the reins for a 2-1 series win in England two years ago

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Thursday’s false start in Leeds was something everyone could have done without, and Gayle is impatient to finally get on with things.

“It was a headache waiting around at Headingley. But there will be sunshine tomorrow, and we are really looking forward to it,” he confirmed.

“Sitting around (in Leeds) was not what we wanted, and we are ready to get back to playing cricket.”

Gayle knew before that washed-out first match that England would be without their most obvious match-winner Kevin Pietersen, because of an Achilles injury.

He would rather Pietersen were fit but is confident the mercurial batsman will be back to his best soon, in England’s huge summer of cricket.

“I always love playing against great cricketers like Kevin Pietersen,” Gayle claims.

“He’s injured now, which is disappointing - but I’m sure he’ll be back with a bang, maybe in the Ashes or the Twenty20.”

As for his own team, Gayle believes their early-season reconnaissance - and his own Indian Premier League campaign shortly beforehand - will add up to ideal preparation for what is to come.

“We have an advantage (for the World Twenty20) being here early - and we’re looking forward to getting to the later stages of it,” he said.

“The IPL experience was brilliant, and I got to see a lot of players I’m sure we will be up against. It was a perfect opportunity.”