ODIs - Aussies v. Windies

[The Prototype]

Shame Gilly didn't get 100, it would of been a very good thing if he did.

[Donny]

The Windies won the toss and are batting.

Drakes is out, replaced by Bernard and for the Aussies, Bichel, Hauritz and Maher come in for Gillespie, Hogg and Hayden.

[Donny]

Gayle (5) trapped in front by Lee in the second over. After 3, they are 1/15.

[HAL]

What was it like before 3 they are 115 ?

[Donny]

1/60 from 14. Lara is on 25.

[HAL]

And on 25 is Lara.

[Donny]

The Windies have a win. What a difference when your captain actually captains !!

Win the toss. Bat first. Bat yourself at first drop. Be positive. Lead from the front. Lara did all these and got the result.

A 178 run 2nd. wicket partnership from Hinds (79) and Lara (80) put thw Windies on target for a big score. They ended up with 5/290 and it proved to be enough.

Lee took 3/56 and Bichel, 2/67.

Australia made 9/251 in reply. Dillon and Collymore bowled well in this game and took 3/40 and 2/25 respectively.

Symonds made 77 and Clarke (39) finally got an average. It's 208. Bevan hit 31.

[Donny]

Lee suffers concussion ahead of sixth ODI in Grenada
Wisden CricInfo staff - May 29, 2003


Australia have come back to earth with a bump – quite literally, in Brett Lee's case – since their 21-match winning streak came to an end in Trinidad on Sunday, but with two matches remaining on their Caribbean tour, Ricky Ponting is determined to go out on top in Grenada.

Australia's minds have been on other matters in recent days. An investigation is underway after several players had the gear stolen at the airport en route to Grenada, and even the net sessions have failed to run smoothly – Lee ended up with concussion after being hit on the back of the neck by a stray ball from Jimmy Maher, although he is likely to be available for selection.

But when the action resumes on Friday, winning is all that matters for Australia, as Ponting was keen to reiterate. "The loss was a wake-up for us," he said of West Indies's 67-run victory at Port-of-Spain. "If you don't play at your best then you can be beaten and that's what happened. We've had a few days off before Friday's game so we've had plenty of time to freshen up and make sure we're a better team."

For any other side, it would be hard to regain momentum at the end of such an run of invincibility, and Ponting admitted his disappointment. "It would have been nice to continue it a bit longer," he said, "but I'm very proud of how we've done it and how we've gone about it." But after wrapping up the seven-match series 4-0, they are effectively 1-0 down in a best-of-three encounter. That should be incentive enough to go for the jugular.

In addition to Lee, Australia will make late decisions on the fitness of Michael Bevan and Glenn McGrath, both of whom suffered groin strains on Sunday. Darren Lehmann, on the other hand, is expected to be back in contention, after recovering fully from a calf strain, although he will have some job displacing Michael Clarke from the starting line-up. Clarke, 22, has scored 169 runs for once out since getting his chance.

Grenada has hosted just five one-day internationals and a solitary Test since the new stadium was opened in 1999, and there is an air of expectation ahead of the two matches. All the schools are being given a day off and the locals will be hoping that Devon Smith becomes the first Grenadian to play a home international.

West Indies's only injury worry is the offspinner Ryan Hurley, who damaged his shoulder taking a spectacular catch in Trinidad. But even if he can't play, West Indies have a readymade replacement in Omari Banks.

[Donny]

Not 100% sure but I think this will be the Aussie team for tonight's game.

Gilchrist, Hayden, Ponting, Lehmann, Clarke, Symonds, Harvey, Hogg, Bichel, Lee and Gillespie.

[Donny]

Punter won the toss and the Aussies will bat.

Clarke and Harvey for Maher and Hauritz from the above team.

[Donny]

After 10 overs, Australia is 0/50. I feel a big total coming up here.

[MrsTarrant]

Australia made 252 all out after 50 overs. Gilchrist top scored with 64 off 66 balls followed by Lehmann, 43 off 53 and Bichel 41 off 40 balls! For the West Indies Gayle took 3/37, Collymore 2/46 and Samuels 2/39 all off 10 overs.

Go Australia!

[Donny]

The Windies spinners did the job for Lara. Gayle and Samuels took 5/76 from 20 overs and helped restrict Australia to 252. It was 30-40 runs short of what they were heading for after such a good start from the openers.

I must say, Ponting's run out was suicidal and completely unnecessary.

Wavell Hinds' innings was magnificent. 6 sixes in his 125 n.o. did the damage. An excellent match. At least for Clokey and the Windies. Lol.

[Donny]

Hinds leads Windies to glory
Wisden CricInfo staff - May 29, 2003

When Australia's unprecedented run of 21 consecutive victories finally came to an end at Port-of-Spain last week, Ricky Ponting had described the result as a wake-up call for his side. Today, however, it seemed that someone had pressed the snooze button, as Australia dawdled through long periods of the match, only to be rudely awoken by inspired innings from Wavell Hinds, who cavorted to an unbeaten 125, his second one-day century, and his second matchwinning innings in consecutive matches.

As is his habit, Hinds was virtually anonymous in the early part of his innings. At first, he looked on impassively from the non-striker's end as Brett Lee and Chris Gayle indulged in a magnificent duel, which involved three fizzing off-side boundaries, a cartwheeling off stump from a no-ball, and eventually a ferocious throat-ball that Gayle nudged to Gilchrist behind the stumps (23 for 1).

But, after taking 13 overs to reach double-figures, Hinds exploded into action, belting Bichel mightily over long-on for the first of six sixes. The aerial route seemed the best option on this pitch – by contrast, Brian Lara endured a frustrating innings of 15, repeatedly hitting the ring of fielders on the off side, before giving himself room and miscuing a return catch to Andrew Symonds, (67 for 2).

Ramnaresh Sarwan proved sturdier company, reaching his first half-century of the series in adding 114 for the third wicket. Hinds reached his own half-century in sheepish fashion, clubbing Brad Hogg for six straight through the hands of Lee at long-on. But his confidence was undaunted, and six overs later, Nathan Hauritz received the same treatment, only bettered executed. Hauritz was soon driven from the attack, via a Sarwan four through midwicket and yet another Hinds six over long-on, but Lee's return once again changed the picture.

His first delivery was in the slot, but Sarwan's footwork wasn't quite up to the task, and Symonds took a fine low catch at short cover. Two balls later, Marlon Samuels had his stumps shattered by Lee's trademark inswinging yorker, and at 181 for 4 with ten overs remaining, Australia had eased into a position to strike.

Ponting turned to Darren Lehmann's offspin to complement the pace of Lee, but Hinds deposited him over long on, only for Ricardo Powell to ruin the effect with a tame return chip in the same over (193 for 5). And when Ridley Jacobs swung wildly at Bichel for Jimmy Maher to pouch a swirling chance at fine-leg, Hinds was fast running out of partners. His response was emphatic – Gillespie was hoisted for six, this time over long-off, and when Lee was belted through midwicket for four, Australia were all but beaten. The end was appropriate – Gilchrist, whose keeping had been ragged all day, conceded four byes off Lee.

Australia's total of 252 had been an equally stop-start affair, which owed everything to a pair of buccaneering knocks from Gilchrist at the top of the order, and Bichel at the bottom. Gilchrist had added 90 for the first wicket with Matthew Hayden, but when Hayden hoisted Corey Collymore to Hinds on the midwicket boundary, the rot set in. Three overs later, Ponting was run out by Lara for 2 (105 for 2), and Lara was back in the action for the very next delivery, a good-length ball which Gilchrist slapped straight to point (105 for 3).

Darren Lehmann and Andrew Symonds repaired the damage with a sedate partnership of 44, but the spin duo of Gayle and Marlon Samuels stymied the runs in the middle overs, picking up four more wickets between them. Bichel, as ever, was in no mood to capitulate, lamping 17 runs off an over from Ramnaresh Sarwan, including a lost-ball six over long-off. But it would have been a travesty if Australia had pulled this one out of the fire. They lacked intensity throughout, and after their exertions over the last six months, they will be hard-pressed to raise their game one last time on Sunday.

[Donny]

I find the above article's headline interesting.

"Hinds leads Windies to glory" It's an indication of what a win - or two in succession in this case - against the world champs means.

The Windies had lost the ODI series comprehensively, 4/0 and yet the headline is one you'd see for a WC final victory.