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| May 6, 2003 | Tuesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1424 |
Australia’s historic Test win against West Indies
BRIDGETOWN, May 5: Australia became the first side to win three successive Tests in the West Indies with a nine-wicket victory in the third Test on Monday.
The triumph not only gave Steve Waugh’s side an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-match series, but moved them back to the top of the world Test rankings.
Waugh had the added satisfaction of equalling former West Indies great Clive Lloyd’s world record of 36 Test victories as captain.
Australia, needing just eight runs to win after bowling West Indies out for 284 in their second innings, lost opening batsman Justin Langer for a first-ball duck leg before wicket to give Jermaine Lawson the rare distinction of a split hat trick.
However Darren Lehman and Matthew Hayden then knocked off the required eight runs for victory in 2.3 overs midway through the afternoon session of the final day.
Earlier, leg-spinner Stuart MacGill took five for 75 as West Indies were bowled out for 284 in their second innings.
Australia had imposed the follow-on on Sunday after bowling the home side out for 328 while chasing their mammoth first innings total of 605 for nine declared.
MacGill, who made a crucial breakthrough on the first ball of the day when he had Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw, struck again shortly after lunch as he found Omari Banks’ outside edge for Matthew Hayden to take the catch at first slip for 32.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 61 with Banks, went four balls later when he lost concentration and edged Jason Gillespie to Gilchrist for 21, leaving the West Indies 256 for seven.
MacGill bowled Vasbert Drakes for a duck with a delivery which embarrassingly went through the batsman’s legs and hit the base of the off-stump. He then removed Tino Best when the Barbadian debutant hit the ball straight to Andy Bichel at mid-wicket.
West Indies avoided an innings defeat when Carlton Baugh was run out for 18.
On Sunday, Lara, who appeared to be suffering from the effects of a fever, and Sarwan thwarted Australia’s push for victory on the fourth day.
Lara, who came in lower down the order than usual, and Sarwan took West Indies to 187 for three at the close, helped by some slack Australian fielding, to give them an outside chance of batting through the final day.
The home team, bowled out for 328 in their first innings in reply to Australia’s 605 for nine declared, had been in deep trouble as they crashed to 31 for two early in their second innings after being asked to follow on by Australia captain Steve Waugh.
Lara made 41 off 122 balls by the close while Sarwan was unbeaten on 58 after surviving a dropped catch and run out attempt as West Indies still trailed by 90 runs.
Opener Chris Gayle also chipped in by making 56, his second half century of the Test after he missed the previous two matches because of confusion over eligibility rules.
Lara, who needed to stay at the crease for as long as possible to give West Indies hope of saving the game, substituted his usual flamboyant hitting with grit and patience.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 605-9 declared (S.R. Waugh 115, R.T. Ponting 113, D.S. Lehmann 96, J.L. Langer 78, A.J. Bichel 71, A.C. Gilchrist 65).
WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 328 (C.H. Gayle 71, D.S. Smith 59; S.C.G. MacGill 4-107).
WEST INDIES (2nd Innings, overnight 187-3):
C.H. Gayle st G’christ b MacGill 56
D.S. Smith lbw b Lee 5
D. Ganga lbw b Lee 6
R.R. Sarwan lbw b MacGill 58
B.C. Lara lbw b Bichel 41
S. Chanderpaul c G’christ b Gillespie 21
O.A.C. Banks c Hayden b MacGill 32
C.S. Baugh run out 18
V.C. Drakes b MacGill 0
T.L. Best c Bichel b MacGill 0
J.J.C. Lawson not out 5
EXTRAS (B-13, LB-25, W-1, NB-2) 41
TOTAL (all out, 116 overs) 284
FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-31, 3-94, 4-187, 5-195, 6-256, 7-256, 8-261, 9-265.
BOWLING: McGrath 18-4-39-0; Gillespie 28-11-37-1; MacGill 36-11-75-5 (1nb, 1w); Lee 15-6-44-2; Bichel 12-2-35-1 (1nb); Ponting 2-0-6-0; Waugh 4-1-6-0; Lehmann 1-0-4-0.
AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings):
J.L. Langer lbw b Lawson 0
M.L. Hayden not out 2
D.S. Lehmann not out 4
EXTRAS (B-2) 2
TOTAL (for one wkt, 2.3 overs) 8
FALL OF WKT: 1-0.
BOWLING: Lawson 1-0-2-1; Banks 1-0-2-0; Gayle 0.3-0-2-0.
RESULT: Australia won by nine wickets.
UMPIRES: D.R. Shepherd (England) and S. Venkataraghavan (India).
TV UMPIRE: E.A. Nicholls (West Indies).
MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Stuart MacGill.
FIRST TEST: Georgetown, Australia won by nine wickets.
SECOND TEST: Port-of-Spain, Australia won by 118 runs.
FOURTH TEST: St John’s, May 9-13.—Reuters
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