Shillingford brands Windies win as his best Test ever

Bridgetown (Barbados), March 15 (IANS/CMC)

Offspinner Shane Shillingford says the West Indies’ nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe is the “best Test match” he has ever played since the start of his international career in 2010.

The Dominican right-armer picked up six for 49 in the second innings to add to the three wickets he grabbed in the first innings as Zimbabwe caved in just after lunch Thursday, the third day of the scheduled five-day fixture, reports Xinhua.

Shillingford had match figures of ten wickets against Australia in a Test match in Dominica last April but despite his efforts the Australians still prevailed.

“Yes definitely, even playing against Australia and getting the ten wickets and still losing at the end of the day you are not really happy,” said Shillingford who played his first Test match in almost a year.

“It’s not just a one-man performance. You want the team to go out there and perform well and get some results. So this definitely is my best Test match in that all the guys performed well and we won.”

Shillingford finished with match figures of nine for 107, his best Test figures, as the West Indies took a one-nil lead in the two Test series.

“I always remember playing in Barbados and picking up a lot of wickets. So it’s a ground where I do well often enough so the support and everything was there from the teammates,” Shillingford said.

“The pitch was kind of up and down later in the game but it’s a pitch where you have to put a lot into, especially the spinners if you want to get results and that’s what I try to do.”

The West Indies have already beaten Zimbabwe in ODI and T20 series last month.

The second Test bowls off at Windsor Park in Dominica Wednesday and Shillingford is expecting a different type of surface.

“I think the one (surface) in Dominica will bounce a little bit more,” he said.

“The ball will come through a bit earlier on so once the bowlers put in the effort they will get the results.”