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Australia v West Indies (2nd Test)
Rick Eyre in CricInfo365 - 13-17 March 1999

Day 1: West Indies batsmen blow it again

Until shortly after half past four yesterday the West Indies would have felt pleased with themselves on the opening day of the Second Test against Australia. On a good Sabina Park pitch with a lot of runs in it, they restricted Australia to 256 in their first innings, with only two batsmen - both called Waugh - making a decent score. For once, the home side seemed to be in with a chance in this game.

By the time the players left the field just after 6pm, the West Indies' hopes were turning to mush yet again. Four batsmen had come and gone with just 37 runs on the board. The West Indies need twenty more runs to avoid the follow-on. On recent form, there is no guarantee that they will get them.

The day began, Sabina Park's first in Test cricket since the 1998 Test against England was aborted after ten overs, with Steve Waugh winning his second toss of the series and electing to bat. Australia fielded an unchanged eleven, while West Indies replaced Roland Holder and Mervyn Dillon with debutants Lincoln Roberts (24 year-old right hand bat from Tobago) and Nehemiah Perry (30 year-old off-spinner from Jamaica).

Matthew Elliott's stay at the crease was brief, caught at first slip by Lara off Walsh without scoring in the fifth over of the day, his second consecutive duck of the series. Australia were confined to fifteen runs in their first ten overs by the new ball duo with 192 Tests and 759 wickets between them. Justin Langer's poor form in this series continued when he edged a Walsh delivery to keeper Jacobs for 8, the end result of some excellent bowling by Courtney.

Michael Slater became Walsh's third victim. After three bouncers in a row, Walsh pitched one up, Slater getting a faint leg-side edge to Jacobs. Slater made 22 and Australia were 46 for 3. Walsh's opening spell was worth 10-4-19-3.

This brought Waugh Junior and Waugh Senior together at the crease. Their one previous Test partnership on this ground was worth 231. After a dour beginning, Mark played some classical shots, including two sixes, one to mid-wicket off Perry, followed a short while later by one over the offie's head straight down the ground. It was, however, Pedro Collins who took the most flak from the twins. Mark scored 67 of the 112 partnership with his brother before he became Nehemiah Perry's first Test victim, with a ball that barely bounced at all, turning from outside off. A dismissal that Warne and MacGill would have viewed with relish.

Greg Blewett, a likely candidate for opener should Elliott's inability to get off the mark continue, was Walsh's fourth wicket of the day, given lbw for 5 to a ball seaming in from outside off. Ian Healy, unpopular with the crowd from previous visits to Sabina Park, produced just one scoring shot of his innings - a six off Walsh to deep fine leg. He was run out after being sent back by Steve Waugh when taking off for a single. Australia 180 for 6.

With the Australian captain smashing a six off Perry to mid wicket shortly after tea, vice-captain Warne played a bright cameo knocking up 24 from 23 deliveries - as it happened, the third top score of the innings. When he departed, at 227 for 7, Waugh was unbeaten on 80. Gillespie contributed one run before being beaten by Ambrose. MacGill edged Collins to Dave Joseph at first slip for a second-ball duck, his third consecutive blob in Tests, giving him six runs in his last six Test innings.

McGrath came to the crease with his captain on 95, Waugh bringing up his 18th Test century with a single to point off Ambrose. He was out with no further addition to his score in Collins' next over, Australia all out for 256.

Waugh has scored exactly 300 runs in two Test innings at Sabina Park after scoring exactly 200 in the historic 1995 victory. (He missed the 1991 Test at Sabina Park, unable to make the eleven on form!) This was his third Test century against WI, the first also being an even 100, at Sydney in 1993.

Sunday is designated ``Courtney Walsh Day'' at Sabina Park, but he put in a fine performance on Saturday to take 4/55, bringing his career total to 408. Walsh was awarded the Key to the City of Kingston in a civic reception on Thursday.

The West Indies had 16 overs to face before the end of the day. They did not utilise them wisely. Suruj Ragoonath showed yet again that he is probably out of his depth at Test level, playing very uncertainly against Gillespie, although the lbw decision that removed him for a fifth-ball duck looked questionable.

Then came the Daft Decision of the Day - putting Lincoln Roberts in to bat before stumps at first drop on his debut. His career first-class average of 22 was reduced even further when he ducked a McGrath short ball which clipped his glove and went to Warne at first-slip. Roberts lasted two more balls than Ragoonath for the same result.

5 for 2 became 17 for 3 when Sherwin Campbell played on while attempting an off-drive off McGrath. Campbell made 12. Dave Joseph looked impressive until he misjudged a McGrath slow ball, hitting to Blewett at cover point.

Nightwatchman Pedro Collins joined captain Lara at the crease, and with play running more than an hour overtime because of the wretched over-rate of the West Indian bowlers, bad light was taken at 6.07 pm ironically when Shane Warne came on to bowl his first over. Collins is on 1 and Lara 7. McGrath has taken 3/28 and Gillespie 1/9.

With the West Indies sitting overnight 219 runs behind, this is a crucial innings for Lara's personal future as much as for his team. Another who is batting for his own future tomorrow is Jimmy Adams. Now seemingly out of the running for the captaincy, Adams - who scored 18 runs in the First Test - seems a long way short of the form that had him rated the world's number one batsman in 1995.

Day 2: The Prince is back

After a horror last hour for the West Indies on Saturday, when four wickets fell for 37 runs, one of the great comebacks took place Sunday in the Second Test against Australia at Sabina Park. Not a single wicket fell yesterday as WI advanced from 37 to 377. Brian Lara is unbeaten on 212, Jimmy Adams 88 - both scoring career-saving knocks at just the right time.

Australia, unofficially world champions where no world championship exists, are on the back foot with the prospect of defeat following from a 312-run victory a real possibility.

The West Indies began Sunday in a dire position at 37 for 4 in reply to Australia's underachieving 256, captain Lara on 7. Nightwatchman Pedro Collins took two boundaries off Jason Gillespie before the South Australian quick hit him amidships. After a delay Collins left the field, having scored 10 runs. He was fit to return to the crease later, but he is yet to be required. With Jimmy Adams coming to the crease at 56 for 4, this was the only change of batsman all day.

Warne and MacGill bowled in tandem for the latter part of the pre-lunch session as the West Indians brought up 100 in the 40th over of the innings. Warne's first seven-over spell gave up just eight runs. Shortly after lunch Lara was dropped when on 44. He edged McGrath wide of second slip, Mark Waugh diving to get one hand to it, but not holding the catch. Lara's 50 came up in 140 balls which included six boundaries.

The West Indian captain started to open up against Warne, who is playing his third Test since his shoulder operation which kept him out of the game for more than six months last year. Lara advanced from 54 to 60 by smashing Warne over long on. A boundary off Gillespie at 78 brought up his 5000th Test run in the 61st match of his eight-year career.

At 99 Lara ran for a quick single after pushing the ball to Langer at short leg. Langer threw down the stumps at the bowler's end, the television umpire ruling that the batsman was home. Lara's eleventh Test hundred was his first since June 23, 1997 (115 against Sri Lanka). The 100 took 195 balls, his second 50 just fifty-five.

Adams, playing for his Test career and an outside chance at the captaincy role, brought up his fifty shortly after tea from 124 deliveries. His role in this partnership was very much the supporting one. When the 200 stand was raised between Lara and Adams (not counting the 22 for the same wicket between Lara and Collins), Adams had contributed sixty of them.

Lara took 62 deliveries to advance from 100 to 150, smashing Stuart MacGill for two consecutive sixes along the way. With the scoring rate accelerating after Steve Waugh took the new ball, McGrath struck Lara in the face grille of the helmet when the batsman was on 179. His immediate response, a cover drive for four.

Lara advanced from 183 to 199 by hitting Greg Blewett for four fours in a row. When he drove Warne to long on he brought up his third Test double century, his second against Australia. The stretch from 150 to 200 took 60 balls for Lara. He failed by one run to complete a hundred runs in the post-tea session, leaving the field on 212 at the end of the day.

Adams was unbeaten on 88 at the end of the day, the last of his five Test hundreds having been completed on April 28, 1996 (208* against New Zealand). A total of 341 runs were scored on Sunday without a wicket falling, after the loss of fourteen wickets on Saturday.

While all the Australian bowlers toiled all day, the dual leg-spin ploy was fruitless against a pair of left-handed batsmen whose unbeaten stand now totals 321. Warne's day was slightly better than MacGill's. Lara scored 55 runs from 84 balls of Warne, his total off MacGill was 59 from 54 balls. Neither bowler was able to exploit the dead spot outside off stump which assisted Nehemiah Perry to remove Mark Waugh on Saturday.

One downside of an excellent day's play at Sabina Park was the crowd invasions when Lara reached 100 and 200. Chaos reigned on the field when a large number of spectators rushed onto the field while all were waiting for the TV umpire's verdict on Lara's 100th run. He decided that a repeat of the mayhem was not worth the trouble when he reached 200, racing straight off the field to the safety of the dressing room to avoid the boisterous well-wishers.

While Lara's superb innings has justifiably won acclaim, it is to be hoped that the West Indian board remain cautious in deciding their captain for the World Cup - one day does not a resurrection make. Nevertheless, this was a great day for West Indian cricket at a time when it seemed totally bereft of hope.

Day 3: The Big Reversal! West Indies poised for victory

Flashback to March 30, 1994: England humiliated, all out for 46 at Port-of- Spain, crushed by the West Indies by 147 runs. Two weeks later in the next Test at Bridgetown, England bounced back, inspired by Alec Stewart and Angus Fraser, to beat the Windies by 208.

Now, the West Indies are on the other side of a similar reversal of fortune. Devastated last week when bowled out for 51 by Australia, by lunchtime today they will almost certainly have beaten the Aussies to win the Second Test - if not by an innings, then very close to it.

With two days to play, Australia are 157 for 8 in their second innings. Gillespie, McGrath and MacGill have to score eighteen runs between them to force the West Indies to bat again. Fourteen wickets fell on Monday following fourteen on Saturday, and none on Sunday.

The third day's play began high on expectation of Brian Lara building on his brilliant 212 from the day before. He added just one more run before edging McGrath to Healy on his third ball of the day. Lara's 213 - his third Test double hundred - was scored from 344 balls and included 29 fours and 3 sixes.

Jimmy Adams missed a deserved hundred when he edged McGrath to Matthew Elliott at third slip. Adams scored 94, McGrath claiming his third five-for in three consecutive Test innings.

With cracks starting to appear in the third day wicket, the West Indies tail fell almost as quickly as the top of their order on Saturday evening. Ridley Jacobs (25) became Shane Warne's first victim of the series. MacGill removed Ambrose and Walsh with the last two balls of the innings either side of the lunch break, and will be on a hat-trick in the unlikely event that he gets to bowl again in this game.

West Indies, all out for 431, held a first innings of 175 over the tourists.

Matthew Elliott got off the pair when Dave Joseph dropped a chance at second slip on the last ball of the first over of the innings. Slater was out in the next over, bowled by Courtney Walsh for a fourth-ball duck. No second innings ton for Slater this time. Elliott was dismissed for 16 after not offering a shot to a Nehemiah Perry delivery that would have hit off stump. Mark Waugh was dropped by Lara at first slip on the second ball he faced. Australia 36 for 2, 139 needed to make WI bat again.

Langer was the third wicket to fall, getting a nasty bounce from Perry, rebounding off the top of his bat to wicketkeeper Jacobs. Langer made 24. He has scored 61 runs for the series, Elliott making 60. The dilemma for the Australian selectors for the Third Test is to decide which of these two will be replaced by Ricky Ponting.

The Waugh/Waugh partnership lasted just four overs and twelve runs today. Steve got a bottom edge on a mistimed sweep, taken very close to the ground by Jacobs down the leg side. Although the third umpire was consulted, replays showed that Jacobs clearly took the ball well above the ground. The Australian captain was seen to discuss his disappointment with umpire Willey as he left the field.

With Waugh Senior gone, Waugh Junior made 21 before playing a needless hook shot off Ambrose, taken by Walsh at fine leg. Australia 86 for 5. Healy was run out for 10 after attempting an impossible second run.

Shane Warne - who needs to reinvent himself as the New Richie Benaud is he wants to remain in the Australian team - played a Benaud-like innings of 23 before being caught attempting to fend a wicket Courtney Walsh bouncer. Australia's number two leg-spinner faced 28 balls and hit four boundaries, completely outscoring Greg Blewett, who will probably be batting at two or three in the next Test.

Blewett played well for his thirty, including a six off Perry, but in the final over of the day he dabbed a ball from Perry to Lara at slip. Australia finished the day on 157 for 8. Perry has 4/61 in the second innings of his debut Test. Ambrose has one wicket, while Walsh's 2/41 brings his lifetime total to 410.

With Gillespie, McGrath and MacGill remaining in the Australian batting, the chances of avoiding innings defeat are slender. The West Indies' first victory in seven Tests is likely well before lunch on day four.

Day 4: West Indies - The Great Revival, or a false dawn?

One of the great comebacks in modern Test history was completed Tuesday when the West Indies won the Second Test at Sabina Park, Kingston to square the four-Test series against Australia 1-1. The Aussies were at least spared the humiliation of an innings defeat by master batsman Glenn McGrath's run- a-ball 11.

As the Australian tail batted out 6.4 overs on Tuesday morning to pass the 175 target needed to make WI bat again, Stuart MacGill played an uncharacteristic knock - uncharacteristic in that he scored runs, 7 of them in fact. MacGill became Perry's fifth wicket of the innings, putting the Jamaican off-spinner on the elite list of players with taking a five-fer on Test debut - something Upul Chandana also managed for Sri Lanka a few days ago. Courtney Walsh dismissed Gillespie to take his career total to 411.

With Australia dismissed for 177, West Indies needed three runs to complete the formalities. Lara ran to grab a stump in celebration before remembering that his team had not won by an innings and still had to bat again.

The presence of Suruj Ragoonath at the crease must have raised Australian hopes of at least scoring a nine-wicket loss at worst, but Ragoonath's first two runs of the match, coming after a Campbell single, ensured the West Indies' first Test victory in their last seven attempts. Three balls were all they needed to bring the match to its conclusion.

A great occasion for West Indian cricket, after the total despair of the 51 run dismissal last week, and with Hooper, Chanderpaul and Rose all expected to be fit for the Third Test beginning March 26, there is renewed hope among West Indian supporters. Lara has surely made the captaincy role his for the rest of the series, and probably for the World Cup too... but is he really the best man for the job? Can a man who has been the centre of so much criticism over recent months be transformed (again) into a hero on the strength of one innings? Is this the renaissance of West Indian cricket, or a false dawn? We will have a better idea in a fortnight's time.

For Australia, this was the first major setback of the post-Taylor era. In addition to the embarrassment of such a big defeat, the Australian players have been fined $ Aus 1075 each for a slow over-rate in the match. The West Indies, whose over rate on Saturday was reminiscent of the worst days of the Lloyd/Richards era, escaped penalty. Also escaping penalty was captain Waugh himself, no action taken over his post-dismissal conversation with umpire Willey in the second innings on Monday.

It is regroup time now for Australia, the four-day match against West Indies A beginning at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Saturday taking on greater importance. Both Matthew Elliott and Justin Langer are out of form, but only one can be dropped. It seems likely that Greg Blewett will move up the order to replace the batsman discarded, with Ricky Ponting to come into the team at six. The great leg-spinner dilemma must now be resolved, two being too much of a luxury. On form it will be Shane Warne who misses out. The time may be right to include Adam Dale as third seamer.

The West Indies ``A'' team to face Australia in the four-day match beginning Saturday is: Carl Hooper (capt), Chris Gayle, Dwight Mais, Matthew Sinclair, Wavell Hinds, Nixon McLean, Neil McGarrell, Ricardo Powell, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Anthony Lake, Franklyn Rose, Stuart Williams.