Date-stamped : 09 Mar95 - 14:34 West Indies v Australia, ODI 1 Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, 8 March 1995 ====> Prematch Captains Take Contrasting Views of One-day Cricket Series - Craig Cozier, Associated Press Writer The captains of the Austrlaian and West indies cricket teams gave contrasting opinions Tuesday about the relevance of the series of five one-day cricket internationals that start Wednes- day. Captain Mark Taylor of Australia said the four five-day Tests that follow the one-day internationals are the important matches. Richie Richardson of the West Indies said it was important to win every match. ``I wouldn`t say they were must-win games,`` Taylor said. we win the Tests can we say we`ve won the series and that`s our real aim.`` Richardson, however, said, ``It`s very, very important for us to do well. We must win every single match we play as we`re look- ing to restore our dominance in one-day cricket. `` ``I think we can start by beating Australia and that should help demoralize them for the Test series,`` he added. But Taylor pointed out that Australia won the one-day series 4-1 the last time they toured the West Indies but lost the Test series 2-1. ``Nobody really remembers we won the one-day stuff then,`` he said. ``What they remember is that the West Indies won the Test series.`` ``We`ve gone pretty well in the one-day internationals and I`m satisfied how we`ve played,`` Taylor said. ``But it`s a funny sort of game and, on any given day, anyone can win.`` Australia, with a win-loss record of 11-3 in the past year and triumphs in their last three multi-team tournaments in Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand, are currently rated the best team in the world in the short game. The West Indies` record has deteriorated in recent years. The team recently went down 6-2 to India in a series of one-day internationals in India, but Richardson and key fast bowler Curt- ly Ambrose were both absent. Richardson, the 33-year-old bats- man, returns as captain after missing the tours of India and New Zealand in the past six months on doctors` orders because of ``acute fatigue syndrome.`` His most pressing problem seems to be how to send his batting order. Three opening batsmen, Stuart Williams, Sherwin Campbell and Phil Simmons, have been included in the West Indies` 13 from whom the final eleven will be chosen, in addition to left-hander Brian Lara and Richardson, both of whom have opened before. Australia, who won their opening warm-up match against Barba- dos on Sunday by 52 runs, are expected to include key leg-spinner Shane Warne in their eleven for the first time on tour. Preparing to counter Warne`s threat, the West Indies, who do include a leg- spinner in their squad, called on three local leg-spinners to bowl at them at net practice. The second and third one-day internationals are in Port-of- Spain March 11 and 12, the fourth is in St. Vincent March 15 and the fifth in Georgetown March 18. The first of the four Tests starts here March 31. Teams: West Indies (from): Richie Richardson (captain), Courtney Walsh (vice-captain), Stuart Williams, Sherwin Campbell, Phil Simmons, Brian Lara, Jimmy Adams, Carl Hooper, Keith Arthurton, Junior Murray, Winston Benjamin, Vaspert Drakes, Curtly Ambrose. Australia (from): Mark Taylor (captain), Ian Healy (vice- captain), Michael Slater, Mark Waugh, David Boon, Greg Blewett, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Steve Waugh, Paul Reiffel, Damien Fleming, Craig McDermott, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Tim May. Source :: AP Worldstream Contributed by Ram.Krishnan (rkrishna@garnet.acns.fsu.edu) ====> Match Report It is the nature of the rogue beast called limited-over cricket that the man-of-the-match in the West Indies` six-run defeat of Australia, Carl Hooper, almost cost them victory at Kensington Oval yesterday. Hooper made an expansive run-a-ball 84 with eight boundaries and a six but then conceded 46 runs from five overs of generous off- spin, enabling Australia to claw their way back from oblivion when, 10 overs out, they needed a remote, unrealistic 79 for the win. The teams now fly to steamy Port-of-Spain for a double-header be- fore packed houses at the weekend. To a raucous celebration throughout the afternoon by the Bridge- town public orchestra, with an ensemble of horns, drums and cowbells, the best of limited-over cricket was on show with ex- travagant driving, a sprited revival and a sizzling, deserved home-town success. Australian captain Mark Taylor took consolation from the close- ness of the scores - 257 to 6-251 - but, despite praise for his batsmen, they might well have won the day with more level- headedness in the maelstrom. Significantly, Taylor (41) and Michael Slater (21) rendered the West Indies` new-ball men of Curtly Ambrose (1-43) and Courtney Walsh (2-52) virtually harmless with their footwork and punishing array of shots in a 50-run opening stand. If Australia are to win the Test series, it will be this pair who pave the way rather than any new or old-ball bowling combinations. Just when the openers had the West Indies at bayonet length, Slater cracked a catch forward of square leg from the talented but head-strong all-rounder Winston Benjamin (1-24), who left the field for x-rays after jarring his neck. All six Australian batsmen gained good starts but only David Boon (85 from 85 balls) and No 6 Greg Blewett (33 from 36 balls) did full justice to themselves, the pair putting on 79 in 11 overs. The West Indies always seemed to have their noses in front, due mainly to the more explosive nature of their batting, begun by Phil Simmons (40 from 37 balls), with sixes struck by Hooper, wicketkeeper Junior Murray (12) and Benjamin (22). >From a first-Test viewpoint, the Australians were quietly ecstatic at the turn and bounce of leg-spinner Shane Warne (1- 56), but Taylor said: ``I was fairly disappointed with Warney. He bowled very well early but he may have got a bit excited and tried too much. He`s got to be more patient. He bowled too many `four` balls. He bowled better than 1-56. He spun the ball quite sharply in the first couple of overs. ``He got Phil Simmons with a beauty. It turned and bounced quick- ly. He probably should have continued bowling leg-spin. If he`d done that he would have been very hard to get away. Hope- fully, our spinners will bowl better in a month`s time.`` Gaining encouragement from the match, the buoyant Warne said: ``It was very interesting the way their batsmen played some of my deliveries. The last time I was here the wickets were glassy. Now they are sandy and crusty.`` New-ball bowler Craig McDermott (3-25) bowled cleverly and Paul Reiffel (1-50) made Brian Lara (55 from 72 balls) miss outside off stump no fewer than five times, another heartening sign. Before the toss, the Australian selectors voted for off-spinner Tim May ahead of paceman Glenn McGrath, and though the ball spun, the fast outfield and short boundaries told against May (0-36). McGrath must play in Trinidad. Lara and Hooper added 68 in 11 overs, and each time the Australi- ans claimed a wicket Hooper raised the tempo again with judicious drives and pull shots. From the West Indies` viewpoint, the medium-fast bowling of Vas- bert Drakes, a 25-year-old Barbadian, was pleasing, moving the ball and keeping a tight rein on the Australians in finishing with 1-39, while Ambrose was accurate without being near his best. ``He`s not at his peak yet,`` Richie Richardson said. ``He looked better than before at the nets. When the Tests start I think we`ll see the real Curtly Ambrose.`` Thanks :: Phil Wilkins, Sydney Morning Herald. Contributed by David.Mar (mar@physics.usyd.edu.au)