Day 1: Crunch time for Warne as Langer scores ton

One selection issue was settled for Australia's Third Test team yesterday. Justin Langer scored 134 against West Indies ``A'' to end his run of low scores. Matthew Elliott made a duck, but so did the player who could well have replaced him as opener - Greg Blewett. As the WI team bat on Sunday, the spotlight falls on Shane Warne, who will be bowling for his place in the Austtralian eleven.

Carl Hooper, captaining West Indies A in his first match since returning from Adelaide, South Australia, where he had been with his unwell son, won the toss in the four-day match at the Antigua Recreation Ground and sent the Australians into bat. Australia, for this game, rested Mark Waugh, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, while Andy Bichel was yet again a spectator at a time when Queensland is struggling in the Sheffield Shield final back home. All three Australian spinners, Warne, MacGill and Miller, were in the eleven.

Matthew Elliott hit a return catch to Franklyn Rose without scoring. His place in the team for the Third Test beginning at Bridgetown, Barbados next Saturday looks particularly uncertain. Michael Slater made 21 before becoming Rose's second victim. Ricky Ponting scored 43 before becoming Carl Hooper's first victim of the day. Ponting will play in the Third Test, it is just a matter of who he replaces, but it won't be Justin Langer.

After the dismissal of Steve Waugh for 7, Greg Blewett fell for nought, caught by Chris Gayle off the bowling of left-arm spinner Anthony Lake. Blewett's place in the Test side is not in danger, however. Langer and Healy added 92 in 84 minutes before the Australian wicketkeeper fell for 42 to a fine catch by Hooper. Warne, whose batting seems to be improving in direct proportion to his danger of being dropped from the side, scored 33. Warne hit one six out of the ground, forcing the replacement of the ball.

Langer finished with 134, his 28th first-class century, and his first half- century of the tour. While his Third Test spot is safe, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he will be forced to move to Elliott's spot as opener.

With Australia being dismissed for 303, Carl Hooper cleaned up the tail to finish with 5/53. His return to the West Indies side would probably allow the selectors to choose a fourth paceman for the Barbados Test. Rose took 2/41 from his eleven overs yesterday.

West Indies A faced seventeen overs before stumps to end the day at 45 for 2. Chris Gayle (11) and Reynold McLean (0) were both victims of Colin Miller, who shared the new ball with Adam Dale. Miller will be expected to switch from medium pace to off spin at some stage tomorrow. Stuart Williams was unbeaten at the end of the day on 21, with Hooper on 10.

The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Friday night that Brian Lara has been confirmed as captain for the remaining two Tests against Australia and the following seven-match one-day series. Lara has been rested from the Trinidad & Tobago side for this weekend's Busta Cup final against Barbados, but is in no doubt of taking the field in charge of the West Indies side next Friday.

Day 2: More Australian selection questions

Matthew Elliott has probably saved his place in Australia's Third Test side after scoring an unbeaten hundred on the second day of the tour match against West Indies ``A'' at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday. Elliott is on 107 at the close of play with Australia well on top, having declined to enforce the follow-on in order to gain more match practice.

The West Indies ``A'' team collapsed before lunch on Sunday morning. Beginning the day on 45 for 2, they were all gone for just 102. Stuart Williams and Wavell Hinds were equal top scorers with 24, captain Carl Hooper contributing 10. Shane Warne, whose mentor Terry Jenner is on his way from Australia to help his out of his form slump, took three wickets in the middle of the innings to finish with 3/26, while Stuart MacGill cleaned up the tail to take 3/3 from 3.1 overs. Adam Dale took two wickets, with Colin Miller unable to add to the two he took on Saturday.

Despite a lead of 201 there was no thought of a follow-on. Elliott, who scored a first innings duck, batted 255 minutes for his 107, facing 203 balls and hitting eight fours and two sixes, though he spent more than an hour in the nervous nineties. Ricky Ponting, promoted to number three, scored 37 to follow his first-innings 43, but this might not be enough now to earn him a place for the Third Test. Greg Blewett is unbeaten on 32 overnight. The fact that Justin Langer has not batted yet indicates that he has probably done enough to prove his worth in the Test lineup.

Day 3: Australia put through the Hoops

On Monday morning Steve Waugh was looking forward to a long day's batting practice for his Australian team in their tour match against West Indies A. By stumps they had spent most of the day at the Antigua Recreation Ground engaged in some ineffective bowling practice. Carl Hooper put in an outstanding all-round performance with bat and ball to set up his team for the chance of an amazing victory on Tuesday.

West Indies A, set 465 to win, are 249 for 3, needing 216 on a shortened fourth day tomorrow.

Australia began the day on 223 for 3, a lead of 424. Their next five wickets fell for 60 runs before Waugh declared. Matthew Elliott advanced his score to 115, Greg Blewett to 34. Ian Healy (10) failed again, while Justin Langer's 5 was disappointing after his first innings hundred. Carl Hooper claimed four of the wickets to fall yesterday to give him 4/40 to add to his first-innings 5/53.

West Indies A's target for victory was 465 at approximately three an over. After scoring 102 in the first innings it looked a formality for the Australian bowlers. But the West Indian team showed more application while the Australians showed less. Chris Gayle scored 33 at a run-a-ball before becoming the first wicket to fall on 58. Stuart Williams made 50, and with his departure the larger-than-life Hooper came to the crease. Having put on weight since his last competitive game of cricket on February 7, Hooper ended the day on an unbeaten 102. Hooper batted for 212 minutes, faced 190 balls and hit 11 fours and two sixes, both off Warne and both out of the ground.

With Shane Warne claiming the wicket of Reynold McLean for 40, West Indies A finished the day more than halfway to what would be an amazing victory, and an embarrassing loss for Australia following the Second Test thrashing.

Wavell Hinds, 14 not out at stumps, was involved in an unfortunate incident when he accidentally hit wicketkeeper Ian Healy on the back of the head with his bat when taking a swing at a delivery from Stuart MacGill. Healy needed attention from Australian physio Errol Alcott and was able to continue, but Hinds upset the Australian players when he did not offer an apology.

The West Indian team will only have two sessions to score the required runs tomorrow, the match scheduled to end at tea so that the Australian team can catch a flight to Barbados, where the Third Test will begin on Friday. Play has been extended on each of the first three days to make up for the early finish.

Day 4: Uphill task for West Indies A goes down Dale

The West Indies A hopes of scoring 465 in their second innings against Australia evaporated before lunch at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday. Australia won the four-day fixture by 154 runs as WI-A crumbled to 310 all out. Adam Dale was the star bowler with 6/66, but it might not be enough to secure his spot in the Australian team for Friday's Third Test.

Resuming on the overnight total of 249 for 3, Hooper failed to add to his score of 102, and the last six wickets fell for 43 runs. With the match scheduled to end at tea time so that the Australians could catch a flight to Barbados, they ended up having more than two hours to spare.

Despite Dale's outstanding success in the tour matches, Australian captain Steve Waugh is still leaving his options open about playing both leg- spinners, MacGill and Warne, in the Third Test. Colin Miller, whose variety of both medium pace and off-spin may be more valuable in bowling to left- handers Lara, Adams and Chanderpaul, took 2/41 and 1/117 in this match.