West Indies’ Brooks on the prowl

Experienced batsman Shamarh Brooks will be looking to carry his "memorable performances" into the second one-day international (ODI) against the Kane Williamson-led New Zealand on Friday.

In the first ODI, Brooks' first at home, the classy stroke-maker led the West Indies with a Man-of-the-Match 79 from 91 deliveries.

Brooks in his post-game assessment said that before the start of the game, teammate Jason Holder advised him to ensure the occasion was impactful.

"It was my first ODI here in Barbados. I remember Jason Holder telling me to make it a memorable one, so that's what I did.

"I'm just happy that we got over the line. We all know how important these three ODIs are for us going forward for the World Cup, so it was good to start with a win," said Brooks.

He admitted, despite what eventually turned out to be the match-winning performance, that the wicket was difficult to bat on.

"I think the wicket wasn't the easiest to bat on. We definitely had to apply ourselves out there. All we said was we needed some partnerships and that made a big difference, having a slight partnership with Shai Hope and then captain Nicholas Pooran and I guessed that proved vital in terms of breaking the back of the Kiwis," Brooks added.

Entering the first ODI, the West Indies had racked up nine straight defeats in the format, but according to Brooks, as a team, he doesn't believe the West Indies have changed their approach or should feel pressured despite the recent poor results.

"I don't think we've been doing much different. We've been just looking to improve as a team as we go on. When we look at our last ODI series against India, we were getting 300 plus in back-to-back games and even though we lost the games, that's good for a team like us who are now building a team for the World Cup next year," he said.

The West Indies, who lead the three-match series 1-0, will be looking to take an unassailable lead in match two, which will bowl off at 1 p.m. Jamaica time.

The last time the West Indies won an ODI series against a team ranked above them was in 2021 when they defeated Sri Lanka 3-0.