BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – All-rounder Ashley Nurse is hoping that the immense show of power he demonstrated on Wednesday night will serve him well in the upcoming Tri Nation One-Day International Series.
The 26-year-old stole the spotlight in the West Indies winnings with a courageous 50 off 31 balls though the effort failed to save West Indies blushes, as they lost to a Barbados Select XI by 50 runs in a day/night fixture at Kensington Oval.
“I played naturally, I always play naturally. It was a case of assessing the situation and doing what was required,” Nurse said.
“We were way off the pace at one stage so I had to settle in before looking to play my shots. Once I got in it then became a case of looking to win the match.
“For me, this is a solid build-up. I have been working hard in the nets with my batting, bowling and fielding and I’m feeling quite ready for what we have coming up in the Tri-Series.
“In terms of my bowling, the ball is coming out the way I want it to. I got a few wickets here as well, so overall it’s a good feeling going into the series.”
Known more for his off-spin bowling that his batting, Nurse played a rear-guard knock which brought the Windies from the danger of 143 for six in the 31st over to 240 all out in the 48th over.
He added 66 for the seventh wicket with Jamaican Rovman Powell, who top-scored with a composed 58 off 71 balls.
Nurse was a member of the West Indies team which won the T20 World Cup in India last month and said that was a huge fillip for his game.
“I was absolutely thrilled to be part of the team which won the tournament and brought such glory to the people of the West Indies,” Nurse said.
“Being part of that squad gave me a lot of confidence and I just want to continue that momentum. We will be playing at home, the first time since we won on India so there will be a lot of expectation and we anticipate a lot of support from the fans.”
He continued: “This is my first One-Day tournament for West Indies so I’m hoping that my form continues into next week and right throughout the tournament. This is a stepping stone for me and I really want to take this opportunity.
“The team morale is really good with everyone being his brother’s keeping. Our team is balanced and we can cope with the conditions and we will do well against the Aussies and the South Africans.”
The Tri-Nations, involving Australia and South Africa, runs from June 3-26 in Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis and Barbados.
SQUAD – Jason Holder (captain), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor.