Frustrated McCullum still winless as skipper

Cricket365
December 7, 2013

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was left frustrated as the first Test against the West Indies ended in a draw on Saturday, with rain leaving the Black Caps just 33 runs short of McCullum's first win as skipper.

McCullum took over the job a year ago and has yet to record a Test win under his leadership, and like against England earlier in the year, the weather snatched victory out from under the Kiwis' eyes.

The hosts needed 112 to win in the second innings, after the Windies were all out for 507, and they reached 79 for four when the rain arrived in Dunedin. The covers never came off as tea turned into 'stumps'.

McCullum said: "You are obviously judged by your results. When you've not won a Test since I've taken over it frustrates you, but we did everything we could to win this Test match and I believe we'd have won if it hadn't rained.

"We've had some lows during the time as well, but I firmly believe we are performing pretty well in Test cricket and sooner or later the wins will come. We just have to keep persevering and if we get the odd slice of luck go our way then those results will follow."

He admitted they didn't pay as much attention to the weather as they should have, adding: "It's not often you get through five clear days of sunshine in Dunedin.

"We never really got ourselves in a position in that chase to really put the hammer down. We had a feeling it was going to rain at some point but weather watching is never a great strategy when you're trying to set up a chase."

Of his own efforts, McCullum said he was relieved to get a century under his belt in the first innings, but was frustrated that it, and Ross Taylor's double ton, were for nought in the end.

He continued: "I don't think I've played under that much media or public scrutiny throughout my career. To be able to come out the other side of that and score a hundred under pretty tough external pressure, but also internal pressure from an injury point of view, was reliving more so than pleasing.

"Still it was very disappointing I wasn't able to be there at the end today. Sometimes you make poor decisions in clutch moments and if I had that moment back I would. But overall it's a step in the right direction and hopefully I can eradicate a few of those errors that crop up."