Cricket: Batting mistakes still haunting Windies.

Byline: BY RICHARD GIBSON Daily Post Correspondent

WEST INDIES captain Chris Gayle has called on his side to eradicate their batting slumps permanently as they head into their final tour match against Ireland in Dublin today.

Gayle's young team flirted with defeat against Scotland at Clontarf yesterday when they lost five wickets for only 13 runs from a position of 120 for one.

Although Gayle and Darren Sammy combined to hit the 32 runs required off 21 balls to win with one delivery to spare, it was a reminder of West Indian failings during the recent Test series with England.

The tourists lost half-a-dozen wickets for 13 in their first innings at Old Trafford, having suffered a collapse of five for 21 at Headingley.

"That is something we've got to improve," Gayle said.

"It's up to the individuals to really assess the conditions as quickly as possible, and they should be able to sit from the outside and see what's going on.

"I stressed to the players about taking individual responsibility and some of them did not play shots according to the conditions."

West Indies could recall experienced batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who hit an unbeaten hundred in the eight-wicket win over Ireland during the World Cup, and Marlon Samuels after the pair were rested against the Scots.

Despite the Dutch needing only 16 runs from three overs and seven from the final one, with four wickets still intact, Kevin O'Brien kept his cool to seal a one-run victory.

Ireland are without pace spearhead Boyd Rankin, who has a broken leg.

CAPTION(S):

West Indies' Chris Gayle