Ausies v. Windies - 4th. Test

[Donny]

No easing off for Australia as whitewash beckons
Andrew Miller - 8 May 2003


These days, Australia break records more often than they break sweat, but the prize for victory in tomorrow's fourth and final Test in Antigua is one of the sweetest on offer. In the 75-year history of West Indian cricket, no side has ever completed a clean sweep in the Caribbean, but all that might be about to change.

West Indies's previous showings in this series hardly suggest they are capable of an upset – Brian Lara's valiant run-chase in Trinidad still came up 118 runs short, and that result was bracketed by two nine-wicket maulings in Guyana and Barbados, even on the flattest wickets imaginable. But Australia, as every team who has spent the last decade clinging to their coat-tails knows, are uncharacteristically vulnerable in the final Test of a rubber.

It is a strange anomaly for a team that is characterised by its ruthless pursuit of victory. England were spared a whitewash at Sydney in January, just as South Africa were in Durban ten months earlier, but these are the only blips in a galumphing run of form, in which Australia have won 15 of their last 17 Tests.

Steve Waugh is keenly aware of his team's supposed dead-rubber curse, and was adamant they would not fall prey to it yet again. "I've just got a feeling it won't happen this time," said Waugh. "I don't know why, it's just a gut feeling. I reckon we'll be full on for this Test match."

Waugh himself will certainly be full on. His personal contribution to the series has been overshadowed by the sheer glut of runs from the rest of Australia's batsmen, but he has been breaking records almost by default. In the first Test, he became the most capped cricketer in Test history; in the third he overhauled Don Bradman's Australian record of 29 Test centuries. And in Antigua, he has the opportunity to become the most successful captain in Test history.

Waugh already has 36 wins to his name, but it speaks volumes for the success of his charges that he has captained Australia in only 48 Tests. That is fewer than Mike Atherton (13 wins in 54) and Stephen Fleming (19 in 51), let alone Allan Border (32 in 93) and the long-time record-holder, Clive Lloyd (36 in 74).

As is becoming customary towards the end of a series, Waugh is already casting half an eye to the future. "There's always been a tendency to write players off when they get to a certain age," he said. "I feel I've still got a few more years in me yet. Graham Gooch played some of his best cricket after 40, so anything's possible. It's in the hands of the selectors. I don't expect any favours from them and I've never asked for any in the past."

But the rampant success of his deputy, Ricky Ponting, is a greater danger to Waugh's tenure than any opposition team. Ponting has already laced 523 runs in the series, including three centuries, and his command performance at the World Cup suggests that the succession may come sooner rather than later. For the time being, however, Ponting is laid low with a viral infection, although he will surely come through a late fitness test to take his place in the side.

The other batting star of the series, Lara, is already suffering from a well-documented – but as yet unknown – illness. But he has confirmed his participation, and will emerge once again from his sick-bed to lead his young team. "The experienced players have been tried and tested and a lot of them have come up short," said Lara in defence of West Indies's youth policy. "I don't see any need to go back there."

Lara was understandably keen to play down any thoughts of victory, regardless of the impending whitewash. "These guys are on the verge of breaking through and making a name for themselves," he said. "I'm quite happy with the way we're performing up to a certain level. We're playing against the best team in the world and I just want the standard to keep at that level."

Lara, 34 last week, is the elder statesman of the side, but he may be joined by the 33-year-old wicketkeeper, Ridley Jacobs. Jacobs missed the last two Tests with a groin muscle injury, but is likely to make a comeback on his home ground, replacing Carlton Baugh.

Australia's only concern is whether – and how – to recall the wrist-spinner, Brad Hogg. Australia played four seamers on the lifeless Barbados pitch, but it was Stuart MacGill who was their most effective bowler, picking up nine wickets with his legspin. If Hogg is to be recalled, it will almost certainly be at the expense of Andy Bichel, who scored a Test-best 71 in the same match.

The state of the Caribbean wickets has been a constant issue for the Australians." To take 60 wickets on those pitches has been a tremendous effort," said Waugh, "and probably a bit undervalued and underestimated. But every ball we kept going forward and we kept believing."

Nevertheless, with just three days' rest between matches, the sheer effort required to prise a victory at Bridgetown may yet undermine Australia's best-laid plans. Waugh, however, was unequivocal. "We've raised the bar to another notch, and now we know what we can do and what we should do. I don't think we'll let ourselves down in this last Test match."

Teams
Australia (likely) 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Justin Langer, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Darren Lehmann, 5 Steve Waugh (capt), 6 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 7 Andy Bichel or Brad Hogg, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Stuart MacGill, 11 Glenn McGrath.

West Indies (from) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Daren Ganga, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Brian Lara (capt), 6 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Ridley Jacobs (wk), 9 Omari Banks, 10 Vasbert Drakes, 11 Mervyn Dillon, 12 Jermaine Lawson, 13 Tino Best.

Umpires David Shepherd (Eng), Srinivas Venkataraghavan (Ind)

[Donny]

It looks like the Windies will replace Tino Best with Merv Dillon and Carlton Baugh with Ridley Jacobs and leave Marlon Samuels out.

[Donny]

I really don't see it happening but wouldn't this be a good time to give Michael Clarke a run.

Instead of the mooted possible change of Brad Hogg back in for Andy Bichel, Clarke could come in instead of Hogg, bat at 6 or 7 and bowl spin if needed. He's not yet in Hogg's class as a bowler but it does look like a good oportunity to blood him.

The attack of McGrath, Gillespie, Lee and MacGill, backed up by Clarke and Lehmann still looks very strong and flexible.

[Donny]

Ponting is on course for a record to call his own
May 9 2003
Trevor Marshallsea

Ricky Ponting, the form batsman of world cricket, will make history if he can continue his phenomenal run with a century in the fourth Test against the West Indies.

With 117 in the first Test in Guyana, 206 in Trinidad and 113 in Bridgetown, Ponting has a chance to become the first player to make hundreds in every match of a series of four Tests or more.

But even such an achievement would have some rivals when it comes to great batting deeds. West Indian George Headley made four centuries in the four-Test contest at home against England in 1929-30 - his debut series which was drawn 1-1 - but that included two hundreds in the third Test and a moderate 8 and 39 in the second.

West Indian Clyde Walcott is the only man to make five hundreds in a five-match series - the 3-0 home loss to Ian Johnson's Australians in 1954-55 - but they were crammed into three Tests, with two scored in both the second and fifth matches.

Ponting, expected to play despite suffering from a virus, has already achieved the distinction of scoring the most runs by an Australian in a four-Test series, although it is a fairly obscure statistic since Australia has only played nine such series. Bill Brown held the old record, with 512 runs on the 1938 Ashes tour.

Australia's one-day leader has scored 523 runs so far in this series and needs 181 more in this Test to break the world record for a four-match series - the 703 made by Headley in his astounding debut.

Ponting has made hundreds in three straight Tests before - last spring when he ended the series against Pakistan with 150 in Sharjah then made hundreds in the first two Ashes Tests. But he has not made centuries in four successive Tests.

[Donny]

Where are you, Clokey?

Last chance tonight.

I expect to see you in here, talking up the Windies chances. Come on, m8. It won't be the same.

[Donny]

Steve Waugh won the toss and elected to bat. Martin Love will bat at 3 as Ricky Ponting didn't recover in time.

After 4.1 overs, the score is 0/24. Five fours have already been hit. Hayden has 3 of them.

[Donny]

Hayden out !! He made 14 from 14 balls. 1/27

Vaspert Drakes caught him at mid on from Jermaine Lawson's bowling.

[Donny]

Lawson really went on with the job with 7/78 to play a big part in Australia being dismissed for 240, their lowest first innings total for the tour.

Langer made 42, Waugh, 41, Love, 36, Bichel a quick 34 and Gilchrist, 33.

At stumps, the Windies are 2/47 and they, at least, think they're in an excellent position to drive home an advantage. The first hour will be so important to both sides.

McGrath bowled Chris Gayle (0) with his second ball and Bichel removed Darren Ganga for 6.

[Donny]

Lawson grabs seven wickets as Windies rock Australians
Martin Williamson - 9 May 2003

A superb display of sustained fast bowling by Jermaine Lawson put West Indies in control on the first day of the fourth and final Test in Antigua, giving Australia their first taste of old-fashioned Caribbean aggression of the series. Batsmen ducked bouncers, the crowd sang, danced and high-fived, and, briefly, it was like the clock had been turned back a decade and a half. Australia, so dominant with the bat in the previous three matches, were bowled out inside the day for 240.

Lawson was simply superb, and he received good support from Merv Dillon and Omari Banks. Lawson's first spells either side of lunch accounted for Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Darren Lehmann. He returned to polish off the tail with five wickets in 19 balls, finishing with career-best figures of 7 for 78, the best return in a Test at St John's.

The ruthless way that Lawson dissected the Australian tail evoked memories of old. Brett Lee was caught at the wicket by Ridley Jacobs for 9, desperately fending off a vicious bouncer, Stuart MacGill (2) was softened up by two short deliveries which followed him and then scooped the third to Ramnaresh Sarwan at second slip, and finally Jason Gillespie (6) deflected a body-bound bouncer down the legside where Jacobs took a diving, one-handed catch low to his left. The bully boys had been given a bloody nose.

If Lawson created the opening and completed the demolition, Dillon took the two key wickets which really put the skids under the Australian innings. After slumping to 128 for 4 midway through the afternoon, Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist had stopped the rot with a resolute fifth-wicket stand of 53. But in the second over after tea Dillon had Waugh caught by Jacobs for 41 – Waugh was clearly unimpressed with the decision even though there was a clearly audible nick – and then in Dillon's next over Gilchrist tried an over ambitious pull and only skyed the ball to Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 33. The back of the innings was broken, and even a spirited 34 from Andy Bichel couldn't save the day.

The initial exchanges had hardly hinted at what was to follow, even though Hayden fell early on after briefly threatening to cut loose, his run-a-ball 14 ended when, like Gilchrist, he tried to pull a ball that just wasn't there for the shot (27 for 1). Langer and Martin Love (playing for the unwell Ricky Ponting) cruised through to the brink of lunch, although Langer was a trifle fortunate to be reprieved when Chris Gayle spilt a straightforward catch at second slip off Dillon. The miss was not too expensive, Langer uncharacteristically slashing Lawson to Banks at gully for 42 in the penultimate over of the session (83 for 2).

Lawson's third came two overs after the re-start when he produced a ball which left Darren Lehmann (7) late enough to force him to follow it, and Jacobs held the easiest of catches (90 for 3).

While the fast bowlers were puffing away, Banks was bowling some excellent offspin, getting prodigious turn and bounce and troubling all the batsmen. He got only one wicket for his troubles – Love's lazy defensive prod spinning back off the pitch with interest and flicking his leg stump when he had made 36 – but had both Love and Waugh dropped at backward short leg by Chanderpaul in successive overs. For once the misses weren't too expensive.

There was still time on this pulsating day for Australia to send a chilling reminder to the jubilant crowd that they are at their most dangerous when wounded. With the second ball of the West Indies reply Glenn McGrath uprooted Gayle's middle stump (1 for 1), and then Daren Ganga gloved a leg-side long-hop from Bichel straight to Gilchrist for 6 (30 for 2). The drama lasted right through to the conclusion, Drakes, the nightwatchman, surviving two good shouts for leg-before by MacGill off the final two balls.

It was still West Indies' – and Lawson's – day, but the game remains very much in the balance. That in itself is progress for this young West Indies side after three one-sided contests.

[Donny]

Brett Lee took two wickets this morning as the Windies progress to 4/120. Lara is 30

[Donny]

Sarwan made 24 before he was snapped up by Andy Bichel, a return catch. Bic has 2/29 from 7 overs.

Lara is on 40 with 34 in boundaries. The Windies are 5/137 from 36 overs.

[Donny]

After the first innings were completed, it's back to square one as both teams registered 240.

Lara made 68 before the redoubtable Andy bichel claimed his wicket for the fourth time, this series. Bic took 3/53, Lee, 3/71 and McGrath, 2/44.

At stumps, Hayden and Langer are reminding cricket followers just what a potent force they are with an anfinished 171 partnership. Langer is 80 and Haden, 79. They each have 12 fours and a six.

At one stage, they targeted the usually economical Vaspert Drakes, hitting him out of the attack. His 6 overs went for 39 runs.

With no wickets down, Australia can assume the position of a 171 first innings lead and start afresh tomorrow. Their run rate of 4.38 showed they mean business.

[Fradam]

Brian Lara gets sucked in too easy. He was lucky to be given not out caught behind and he wasted his chance and got out in a soft fashion.

[Donny]

Hayden and Langer put Australia in control
Freddie Auld - 10 May 2003

Yet another big partnership between Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden put Australia in the driving seat at the end of an absorbing and ill-tempered second day of the fourth Test in Antigua.

West Indies, largely thanks to a spirited 68 from Brian Lara, had battled their way to match Australia's 240, but then Langer and Hayden undid all their hard work with a flying and match-turning stand of 171. And with the wicket slightly deteriorating, Australia ended the day firmly in control of the match.

On a day of anger, aggression and temper, Lara showed his frustration late in the day after he dropped Hayden at slip when the stand was worth 122, and he could do little to stem the flow of runs as Hayden and Langer's imperious driving and cutting.

Relations between the two sides throughout the day were hostile, triggered first thing when David Shepherd turned down what Australia thought was an edge from Lara through to Adam Gilchrist off Jason Gillespie.

The normally cool Steve Waugh showed what he thought with a curt and frank exchange of views with Lara, and that was followed by a barrage of verbal taunts from Australia's bowlers. But Lara remained aloof and let his bat do the talking as he passed 8000 Test runs.

He hit a first-ball six off Brett Lee over third man, and then while Ramnaresh Sarwan was with him at the crease, he continued to play only the way he can. The expansive back-lift, the shuffle in to line, and the execution of another drive or square cut. It was thrilling to watch. And Sarwan too took his captain's lead and enjoyed some dashing cover-drives – and some exchanges with the Australian fast bowlers.

But, as so often, it was Andy Bichel who did the job for Australia just when it mattered. He only picked up two wickets during the day, but they were those of Lara and Sarwan. Sarwan went first in the morning, Bichel superbly clinging on to a sharp caught and bowled chance.

But the celebrations really got underway when Bichel got Lara midway through the afternoon. In one enthralling over, Lara crashed three fours with identical pull shots, but Bichel had the last laugh when Lara got too carried away and mistimed a cover-drive straight to Langer at mid-off for 68. Bichel was delirious, Lara was fuming.

Once Lara, Sarwan and the hapless Ridley Jacobs – who needlessly ran himself out – had gone, Omari Banks continued his impressive allround display with a crucial 16 not out, and with the help of a cameo 14 from Jermaine Lawson, West Indies, for the only time in the series, were on an even keel with the mighty Aussies. But, thanks to Langer and Hayden - that didn't last long.

[Donny]

Langer and Hayden have scored their 5th. double century opening partnership which takes them past the great Greenidge/Haynes combo.

Hayden got to his hundred first and when Langer joined him, they equalled the Simpson/Lawry record of 4 times each getting a century in the same innings.

The Aussies are 0/219.