Australia v West Indies (3rd Test) CricInfo365 - 26-30 March 1999 CricInfo report

Day 1: Leading by example - It's Steve Waugh's turn

Rick Eyre

Australia's first innings in the Third Test began in disturbingly familiar fashion at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, yesterday.

Matthew Elliott poked at a ball moving across the face of the bat, edging to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, out for 9. Michael Slater nicked Curtly Ambrose to Brian Lara at first slip, out for 23. Two balls later, Mark Waugh chops an Ambrose ball onto his stumps without scoring. Australia 36 for 3.

And then the Australian captain came to the crease. Steve Waugh batted for the rest of the day, leading by example to score 141 and put Australia into the strong position of 322 for 4 at stumps.

Waugh's 19th Test century - his second in consecutive Tests and his third since Christmas - was among his more aggressive for his country. His 100 came up in 149 deliveries, and his 141 to date in 241 balls with 15 boundaries.

Waugh got Australia's day off to a good start by maintaining Mark Taylor's tradition of winning the toss. Ambrose was forced from the field midway through his fifth over when he required re-booting. Nehemiah Perry had already bowled one over to allow the veteran pacemen Ambrose and Walsh to swap ends, the Jamaican off-spinner's cameo appearance worth one scoring shot by Slater, a shot which saw the ball collide with the roof of the grandstand.

The Windian cobwebs cleared away long enough for the two opening batsmen to depart and for Australia's most elegant contemporary batsman to register a second ball blob. Waugh and Langer took over. On 21 Langer brought up his 1000th Test run in an interrupted six-year international career.

Waugh brought up his half century with a cut shot to for four off Perry, his 50 reached in 80 balls. Langer's 50 was brought up shortly afterwards at an identical strike rate, but he managed just one more run, playing on to Carl Hooper's first ball of the series. The Waugh/Langer partnership was worth 108.

Ricky Ponting, a late replacement for the unfortunate Greg Blewett, joined Waugh at the crease. At tea, Australia were 195 for 4, the Australian captain on the devil's number, 87. Ambrose had not bowled in the mid- afternoon session, despite taking two wickets following his mid-morning reboot.

Waugh's hundredth run came from a poke through the gully area off Ambrose. The century partnership came up with Ponting contributing only 35. When play ended, late due to the slow over rates of the West Indian pace trio, Ponting was 65 in a partnership unbeaten at 176 for the fifth wicket.

Courtney Walsh (1/86) had a long day after taking his 412th career wicket in the morning. Pedro Collins (0/79) did not threaten to any great extent. Most disappointing for the West Indies were the 26 no-balls bowled during the day, 11 each by Ambrose and Walsh and 5 by Collins.

Play will resume at Kensington Oval today at 10am Barbados time.

Day 2: Australia tightening Third Test screws

Rick Eyre

Australia completed another day of complete dominance over the West Indies at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown on Saturday, making it almost certain that the Frank Worrell Trophy will remain in their hands for another two years.

At stumps on the second day's play the West Indies were 80 for 4 in reply to Australia's 490. Steve Waugh made 199 and Ricky Ponting 104. The West Indies would have to win this match to keep alive any hopes of winning the series and taking the Trophy away from Australia. Will Brian Lara back in the pavilion they are still 210 short of avoiding follow-on.

Australia began the second day at 322 for 4, Waugh on 141 and Ponting 65. Waugh brought up his 150 in the fifth over of the day after 343 minutes at the crease. Ponting had a very subdued morning session to go to lunch on 91, and shortly after the break both batsmen were in the nineties, nervous or otherwise - although Waugh had a ``1'' at the start of his 90-something on the scoreboard.

The Tasmanian finally brought up his third Test century off his 285th delivery of the innings. Not for the first time has he celebrated a Test recall with a hundred. A boundary off Perry and then a sweep edged to Hooper, and Ponting was gone for 104, the West Indies' first wicket of the day midway through the afternoon session. The fifth wicket stand of 281 was the highest for that wicket for Australia against WI, breaking a 44 year old record (220 by Keith Miller and Ron Archer at Sabina Park in 1955).

Ian Healy finally came to the crease and quicker than you could say ``Adam Gilchrist'' he was gone again, not offering a shot to Courtney Walsh on the first ball he faced, out lbw.

Waugh was on 199 when he missed a ball from Perry which cannoned into his pads, the appeal for lbw being upheld. His 19th Test hundred fell just one short of his career best. His career aggregate now stands at 7535 runs for Australia to become his country's second highest run scorer, ahead of Mark Taylor.

Warne (13), Gillespie (23*) and, believe it or not, MacGill (17) rubbed salt into the wounds as Australia eventually made 490. Glenn McGrath (3) failed to live up to his career average. For the West Indies, Courtney Walsh (2/93) was the best of an attack in which three bowlers brought up their hundred runs conceded. Pedro Collins (0/110) may find his Test career going on hold very soon.

The West Indian innings began in disastrous fashion, Adrian Griffith being brilliantly run out Ricky Ponting before he had gotten off the mark. Dave Joseph (26) played well before being trapped lbw by Glenn McGrath, and then the hapless Pedro Collins' stint as nightwatchman ended on the next delivery in the same fashion. The prize wicket, however, was Brian Lara. He had scored eight when he became Ian Healy's 383rd victim behind the stumps, Jason Gillespie the bowler. At the close of play Sherwin Campbell was unbeaten on 23 and Carl Hooper on 13. Together with Jimmy Adams still to bat, these three have a lot of work ahead of them to keep WI in this match.

Day 3: Campbell lifts WI out of the soup

Rick Eyre

West Indies avoided the follow-on on the third day of the Third Test against Australia at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown yesterday. Sherwin Campbell scored his third Test century and, with the support of the tail, saw West Indies through to 329 all out, a deficit of 161. At stumps Australia were 18 for 2 in their second innings.

West Indies began play on Sunday at 80 for 4, still needing 210 runs to avoid the follow-on. After Campbell was dropped by Elliott at wide third slip when 27, Hooper was dismissed for 25 when he edged McGrath to Shane Warne at first slip. Hooper's wicket represented a loss of concentration after a bright innings which included five boundaries, and was Glenn McGrath's 18th wicket of the series.

There was no further addition to the score when Jimmy Adams flashed outside the off stump at a McGrath delivery angled across the face of the bat, edged to Mark Waugh at second slip. Adams' seven-ball duck left the West Indies at 89 for 6, still 201 short of the follow-on mark. The prospect of two days off was growing.

While McGrath was taking the wickets, Jason Gillespie bowled superbly at the other end for a spell of 7-6-4-0. Ridley Jacobs, perhaps the most consistent batsman for WI in the South African debacle, joined Campbell at the crease. Despite some attractive shot-making, Warne and MacGill contained the batsmen for the most part before lunch, and the first session saw 71 runs scored for the loss of two wickets.

Campbell brought up his half-century shortly after the lunch break with a pull to mid-wicket off Warne, the 161st delivery faced in the innings. Warne was expensive after the lunch break, however it is not known what he ate at the interval. Jacobs' 50 came up from 88 balls including seven boundaries.

With fours dominating the strokeplay of Jacobs and Campbell, Australian captain Steve Waugh turned to notorious partnership-breaker Ricky Ponting to take the ball. The Tasmanian century-maker gave up 8 runs from his first two balls, but settled down sufficiently to take the wicket of Jacobs in his fourth over. The West Indian attempted to glide the ball to third man, but succeeded it edging it to Mark Waugh at second slip. Jacobs' 68 was scored off 126 balls, the seventh wicket stand with Campbell worth 153. Shortly earlier, Campbell reached his hundred from 240 deliveries. For once there was no pitch invasion to mar the occasion.

Campbell's innings came to an end shortly after tea when he played a cut shot to Steve Waugh at gully, Jason Gillespie taking his first wicket of the innings. Nehemiah Perry and Curtly Ambrose averted a follow-on that a tired Australian team probably would not have enforced in the circumstances, Perry making 24, and Ambrose a swashbuckling 28 not out. If Curtly's innings was typical Errol Flynn, Courtney Walsh's batting was more like Charlie Chaplin. After smashing the hapless Shane Warne to the boundary, the Australian legspinner took his revenge, Walsh caught by Slater inside the long off boundary for 12.

Warne's second wicket of the series brought the West Indian innings to a close after the last four wickets added 231 runs. McGrath (4/128) fell one short of his third five-fer for the series. Gillespie's 3/48 came from just 28 overs. Warne (1/70) and MacGill (0/47) have probably put paid to the Australian selectors two-leg-spinner policy for the remainder of this series.

Matthew Elliott and Michael Slater came to the crease for Australia's second innings needing to bat out eight overs till stumps. Elliott, however, was gone in two balls, meekly edging Walsh to Ridley Jacobs. Elliott has averaged 11.50 in the series to date, and must surely give way to Greg Blewett (if fit) for the Fourth Test. Justin Langer was unimpressive before Ambrose trapped him lbw after scoring 1. Langer, with a series average of 18.83, must be seeing his chances of being retained for the Sri Lankan tour in September go ``Boof!''

Gillespie provided the rare example of a nightwatchman actually surviving till stumps while Michael Slater will begin the fourth day on 14. Ambrose and Walsh provided a fine spell of bowling before stumps and have the chance to do it again in the morning. Australia, however, must still be favourites to win this match, carrying a lead of 179. The West Indies' chances of victory here are remote, but a draw will keep the prospect of a series win alive.

Before the start of the fourth day, the approximate odds on the outcome of this Test were Australia 10-7 on, Draw 13-10, West Indies 11-1. (Averaged from quotes by three internet bookmaker sites)

Day 4: Third Test still swinging

Rick Eyre

A Test match that has been swinging from one side to the other, is leaning slightly in Australia's favour after the fourth day at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown. But only slightly.

With one day to play, the West Indies are 85 for 3. They need another 223 runs to win with seven wickets in hand. And Brian Lara is just warming up.

Eleven wickets fell on Monday, as Australia, whose fallibility is more evident since Mark Taylor retired, fell from 18 for 2 to 146 all out.

A direct hit by Sherwin Campbell saw Michael Slater (26) run out, and then Jason Gillespie's (16) stint as nightwatchman came to end after he had faced 43 deliveries against Walsh and Ambrose. Mark Waugh went for a languid 3, senior brother Steve clubbed Perry over mid-wicket for six before playing on to Pedro Collins. The Australian captain scored 12 and his team were 73 for 6.

Ian Healy, not fully fit, seemed dreadfully out-of-sorts in his innings of three. Healy has scored 31 runs at 5.16 so far in this series - only Stuart MacGill in the Australian camp has fared worse.

Shane Warne came to the crease at 81 for 7, and showed yet again that his batting in improving in inverse proportion to the standard of his bowling/ His 32 from 48 deliveries was the top score of the Australian innings.

Courtney Walsh polished off the innings with the wickets of MacGill (1) and Ponting (22). If youth elixir is a prohibited substance then Walsh should be drug tested immediately. The 36 year-old veteran took 5/39, his 17th career five-fer, pushing his career total to 418. Richard Hadlee is 13 wickets away now, Kapil Dev 16. Number eleven batsman Glenn McGrath yet again run out of partners, stranded on 8. Soon his career batting average will be up to six.

With a day and a half to play, the West Indies needed 308 for victory. An unlikely target, but plenty of time available if they could hold on. The best opening partnership of the series for WI saw 72 runs added before Campbell (33) was trapped plumb lbw by Glenn McGrath. Dave Joseph (1) struggled with the leg-spin of Stuart MacGill before the New South Welshman beat him with a wrong'un and had him lbw.

For the second time in the match Pedro Collins was sent in as nightwatchman. For the second time he failed to stay long enough to watch the night. For the second time in the match he scored nothing. The third lbw of the innings, he was McGrath's 223rd Test victim.

The man who should have saved Pedro all that humiliation, Mr Brian Charles Lara, came to the crease and played it safe till the close, unbeaten on 2. Opening batsman Adrian Griffith is on 35.

An exciting final day to the Third Test beckons in what most people thought was going to be a dreadfully one-sided series. By conventional thinking Australia should win from here, but the unpredictability of Brian Lara and Carl Hooper, coupled with the unbalanced Australian attack featuring two leg-spinners, means that this match, and the outcome of the Frank Worrell Trophy, are still very much alive.

Injury news

Durable Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy is in doubt for the Fourth Test at St Johns, Antigua, beginning on Saturday. Healy has calf muscle injuries in both legs. Adam Gilchrist, who will be joining the squad for the one-day international series following the Tests, will be flying to the Caribbean tonight to be on standby in case Healy is not able to play on Saturday. Gilchrist is yet to make his Test debut, but has been on standby for Healy three times in the past. Healy has missed just one Test since September 1988, that being in 1994 in Pakistan when Phil Emery took over the gloves.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is out of the Fourth Test, having been sent to New York for treatment on his shoulder. He has missed the entire series against Australia because of the injury, first suffered in South Africa earlier in the year.

Day 5: One-wicket Thriller! West Indies take the lead

Rick Eyre

It was twenty-two days since the greatest humiliation of all for the West Indies, all out for 51 to lose the First Test to Australia by 312 runs. Since then, they drew level with the Aussies by winning the Second Test by ten wickets.

Yesterday, they achieved one of their most remarkable Test victories of all time, coming from a forlorn situation more than once in the match to claim victory with just one wicket in hand.

The West Indies have taken a 2-1 lead over Australia in the four Test series. Australia must win the Fourth Test in Antigua, or the Frank Worrell Trophy will return to the Caribbean for the first time in four years. The prime hero for the West Indies is the man who was the most despised, the most criticised in Caribbean cricket just three weeks ago, the captain, Brian Lara - scorer yesterday of an unbeaten 153.

Australia must have considered themselves favourites to win when the fifth day began yesterday morning, the West Indies 85 for 3 chasing a fourth- innings target of 308 to win. Lara was 2 and Adrian Griffith 35. Griffith was trapped lbw by Gillespie without addition to his overnight score, and Hooper nicked a ball from Gillespie to the keeper having scored 6. West Indies 105 for 5 and the seemed the end was nigh.

But not yet. Jimmy Adams joined Lara at the crease. After a tight first hour with McGrath and Gillespie restricting the opposition to twenty runs, the introduction of Stuart MacGill to the attack immediately broke the ice. Lara smashed 14 runs from the first over of MacGill's spell.

Jason Gillespie was forced from the field for a period for treatment to his back. With no quality pace bowler to provide support for McGrath and Gillespie, Steve Waugh repeatedly turned to a dual leg-spin attack, despite the presence of two left-handed batsmen at the crease.

Adams, after a shaky start, found the leg spin to his liking. For Lara, right-arm leg-spin has never been anything but. After lunch he raised his 50 with a pull shot off Warne which landed on the roof of the Greenidge- Haynes stand. With the new ball due before Gillespie was permitted to bowl again, captain Waugh himself shared the attack with McGrath, to no avail. The century partnership for the sixth wicket was raised with Adams contributing only 27.

Lara's dominance of a tiring and somewhat inappropriate Australian attack continued, as he picked on Shane Warne to provide his next milestone of the innings, lofting to the mid-on fence for four to bring up his hundred. Lara took 169 deliveries to bring up his twelfth Test hundred. He raced from 50 to 100 in 51 balls.

As the partnership grew so did the frustrations for the Australians. McGrath and Lara had a heated exchange after the batsman was struck by a short delivery. Lara gestured to umpire Nicholls to point out something McGrath had said, as the players brushed against each other and then had to be kept apart by team mates. McGrath has a suspended suspension hanging over his head following a sledging incident in the series against England.

The sixth-wicket stand of 133 came to an end when Adams was bowled by a beautiful delivery from McGrath. Though he contributed only 38 from 125 balls, the partnership turned the match back in the West Indies' favour, victory now 70 runs away.

And then the pendulum swung again. The usually reliable Ridley Jacobs scored five before being adjudged lbw for McGrath's fourth wicket of the innings - perhaps a marginal decision from umpire Nicholls. There was no dispute about the next ball, Nehemiah Perry trapped plumb in front for the sixth lbw decision of the innings, and yet another five-fer for McGrath. Ambrose avoided the hat-trick. Sixty runs to win, two wickets in hand.

Ambrose ably played the support role to Lara as McGrath and Gillespie were switched in and out of the attack, MacGill not being effective and Warne no longer being risked. The partnership was worth 54 when Ambrose edged Gillespie to Matthew Elliott in slips. Ambrose's invaluable 12 brought WI to within six of victory with the last man, world record duckster Courtney Walsh, to the crease.

Lara protected Walsh for a couple of overs, as the score nudged closer to the target. He then levelled the scores with a single from a mistimed hook shot off McGrath, leaving Walsh to fend the last ball of the over. Walsh did it with aplomb in his now trademark jokey style. Off the first ball of the next over from Gillespie, with the field drawn in, Lara flogged a cover drive to the boundary to secure the win.

Lara's revitalisation after returning from the brink of complete disgrace has been quite extraordinary this month, and he was a deserved man of the match. No less deserving, however, was Courtney Walsh, whose 5/39 broke the Australian batting in the second innings. For the second match running a brilliant Steve Waugh hundred will go almost totally forgotten. He has scored three centuries in his last five Tests. Those three Tests in which he scored the hundreds have all been lost by Australia - indeed the only three Tests they have lost in the past twelve months.

If the West Indies make any changes for the Fourth Test in Antigua beginning Saturday, it might be to bring in another quick to replace Pedro Collins. Shivnarine Chanderpaul's shoulder will not be ready in time.

Australia have much deeper problems. Ian Healy, so resilient in battling injury in the past, may be beaten by his current calf muscle problems. He has had a poor series to date behind the stumps and with the bat, conceding a large number of runs and dropping two vital chances late in the day yesterday. Adam Gilchrist, currently on a plane headed for the Caribbean, seems certain to make his Test debut on Saturday. Shane Warne is also likely to sit out the final Test, and it would not surprise if Stuart MacGill does too. The left-handers in the WI batting lineup have the measure of the Australian leggies. Adam Dale should play as change bowler, with Colin Miller to provide off-spin. Matthew Elliott's number should also be up, Greg Blewett to return to the side as Michael Slater's opening partner. One problem they will have more trouble resolving is filling Mark Taylor's spot at first slip.