GUYANA: CRICKET - Brian Lara and the West Indies team prepare to face Sra Lanka in Super Eight play at the Cricket World Cup

The cricket pitch at the Providence Stadium in Guyana received some final preparations today (Saturday), before Sunday's World Cup Super 8s match against Sri Lanka and West Indies captain, Brian Lara is convinced his lineup appreciates and will respond to what is at stake. After back-to-back heavy losses to defending champion Australia and New Zealand, the West Indies must beat 1996 champion Sri Lanka to have any chance of reaching the semifinals. Both teams had practice sessions at Providence Stadium today in time for Sunday clash. After two batting failures, Lara said it was desperation time for the hosts. It is obvious where the West Indies need to improve, he said, and two urgent team meetings have crystalized that. "Well, every game in this World Cup we consider to be of importance. I mean after getting through the first round, you wanna upset Australia. You want to beat New Zealand. You want to get to semi finals before any other team so we count each as very important. We didn't think you know, well you know we are going to be defeated by Australia and we still got 5 games left. I think it's important to have that mindset where you go out there and play each game like if it's…like if it's the final," Lara said. West Indies topped Group D with wins over Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland, but at no stage posted a total surpassing 250. Lara, still contemplating a move up the batting order to take command near the top of the innings, said the must-win nature of the match might work in favour of his team. The Sri Lankans topped Group B with wins over India, Bangladesh and Bermuda. But they had a batting failure against South Africa to open the Super 8s and only an unprecedented four-wicket burst by Lasith Malinga reduced the deficit to one wicket. Victories are imperative now for the West Indies, champions in the first two editions of the World Cup and hosting the quadrennial tournament for the first time. After topping Group D with three wins, Brian Lara's lineup has had consecutive, heavy losses to Australia and New Zealand in Antigua and must beat Sri Lanka at Guyana to retain any chance of making the semifinals. The top four from the eight-team Super 8s will advance to the semifinals. Initial indications are that qualifying will require at least four wins over other the seven teams. Sri Lanka and West Indies both carried two points into the second round after topping their preliminary groups. Australia and New Zealand also brought two points forward and each now have four points after wins in the Super 8s.

ITN Source | April 2, 2007

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