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| April 22, 2003 | Tuesday | Safar 19,1424 |
Ganga hits battling century
PORT-OF-SPAIN, April 21: Daren Ganga, playing his first Test in his native Trinidad, celebrated by hitting a century on Monday as West Indies battled to stay alive in the second Test against Australia.
Ganga, who became the first Trinidadian to hit a Test century at the Queen’s Park Oval for 20 years, helped West Indies to 273 for four at lunch on the third day of the second test in reply to Australia’s first innings 576 for four declared.
The 24-year-old, who went through his first 17 Tests without a century, has now scored hundreds in his last two.
He completed his hundred, in which he received 185 balls, by sweeping leg-spinner Stuart MacGill through mid-wicket for his 15th boundary.
Ganga’s hundred partially atoned for the crowd’s disappointment on Sunday when fellow Trinidadian Brian Lara missed out on his first home Test century by nine runs.
The last Trinidadian to make a century in Port-of-Spain was Larry Gomes against India in 1983.
Resuming on 186 for three overnight and still needing 191 to avoid the possibility of a follow-on, Ganga and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan chipped away at the total.
They added 62 to the overnight score before Sarwan, who missed the first Test with a fractured finger, fell victim for 26 to a quick yorker from Brett Lee, one of the best deliveries of the match.
By lunch, Ganga had progressed to 117 while Marlon Samuels was not out on five.
Lara, the West Indies captain, hit a pulsating 91 on Sunday to keep his team alive in the match. He was agonising close to his first Test century in his home country before he was bowled around his legs by Brad Hogg with two overs of the day’s play remaining.
Lara, with Ganga playing an equally sparkling innings at the other end, helped West Indies to 186 for three at the close of the second day.
Lara and Ganga, who both made centuries in last week’s first Test in Guyana, came together after the West Indies lost two quick wickets for 25 runs in the seven overs before tea.
Lara made a cautious start but got into stride after Australia brought on MacGill, hitting him for a four and two sixes in successive balls.
In the next over, Lara hit Andy Bichel for successive boundaries, survived a loud lbw appeal, then completed his half century when he swept through the offside for two.
He faced 63 balls and hit five fours and two sixes.
Ganga was not far behind as he completed his half century, which included eight boundaries off 65 deliveries, two balls later.
Lara then greeted Hogg by hitting him for a six in his first over fast bowler Jason Gillespie returned to slow the scoring and quieten the crowd in the last few overs of the day.
Lara, who appeared to be getting increasingly nervous as he approached what would have been his 20th Test century, could not believe his dismissal, asking for a replay before heading back to the pavilion.
West Indies had been in dire trouble early when Devon Smith, playing his second Test, edged a Gillespie delivery and was caught behind by Gilchrist for a duck in the second over of the innings.
Wavell Hinds was then dismissed on the last ball before the tea interval, having made 20, when he edged Lee to Matthew Hayden at first slip.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 576-4 declared (R.T. Ponting 206, D.S. Lehmann 160, A.C. Gilchrist 101 not out).
WEST INDIES (1st Innings, overnight 186-3):
W.W. Hinds c Hayden b Lee 20
D.S. Smith c G’christ b G’espie 0
D. Ganga not out 117
B.C. Lara b Hogg 91
R.R. Sarwan b Lee 26
M.N. Samuels not out 5
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-2, NB-6) 14
TOTAL (for four wkts, 79 overs) 273
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-25, 3-183, 4-258.
TO BAT: D.E. Bernard, C.S. Baugh, V.C. Drakes, M. Dillon, P.T. Collins.
BOWLING (to-date): Lee 16-3-47-2 (1nb); Gillespie 13-5-25-1; Bichel 7-0-42-0 (2nb); MacGill 19-0-81-0 (1w); Hogg 17-3-56-1 (3nb); Waugh 7-2-16-0 (1w).—Reuters
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