|
|
|
| November 7, 2005 | Monday | Shawwal 4, 1426 |
Lee, Bracken annihilate West Indies in opening Test
BRISBANE, Nov 6: Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken returned best Test figures to spearhead Australia to one of their biggest victories over the West Indies, winning the first cricket Test by 379 runs with a day to spare at the Gabba on Sunday.
Ricky Ponting’s men wrapped up an emphatic victory before tea on the fourth day when the West Indians collapsed to be all out for 129 in their second innings.
The tourists were set a near-impossible 509 to win when Ponting declared overnight but failed to mount any sort of challenge and were bowled out in just 49 overs.
Express paceman Brett Lee captured five for 30 while left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken grabbed 4-48 including the prize scalp of Brian Lara for 14.
All-rounder Shane Watson also collected a wicket before injuring his shoulder in the field, jeopardising his chances of playing in the second of the three Tests at Hobart on Nov 17.
Chris Gayle top-scored for West Indies with an adventurous 33 that featured two sixes in one Glenn McGrath over while Ramnaresh Sarwan batted almost three hours for a patient 31.
The visitors never had any real hope of winning once the Australians aborted their second innings before the resumption of play with Man-of-the-Match Ponting on 104 and Michael Clarke 14.
Their best chance of salvaging a draw were to survive long enough for the weather to save them, but their resistance crumbled in less than two sessions.
The innings got off to a terrible start when they lost Devon Smith for three then Gayle, both caught by Shane Warne at first slip, to limp to lunch on 78-2 and only got worse in the middle session.
Lara departed shortly after the restart, caught in the gully by Matthew Hayden, triggering a collapse that saw the last eight wickets tumble for just 44 runs.
Bracken was on a hat trick after dismissing Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards in successive balls before Lee polished off the tail to finish with career-best figures.
On Friday, McGrath gave the new generation of West Indies pacemen a lesson in accurate bowling to put Australia in complete control on the second day.
McGrath ripped through the tourists’ batting with a perfect display of line and length, leaving the tourists struggling at 182 for six.
Warne and Lee also captured a wicket each after making identical scores of 47 to help Australia’s lower order lead their side to a daunting total.
The only West Indian batsman to offer real resistance was Smith, who scored a courageous 88 despite being thumped on the helmet by a vicious bouncer from Lee.
The 24-year-old left-hander sank to his knees and was treated by the doctor but recovered to bat for more than four hours and register his second highest Test score.
On Saturday, Ponting and Hayden smashed centuries to give Australia a huge lead. When bad light ended play early on the third day, Australia were were 283 for two.
Ponting followed up his brilliant 149 in the first innings with an unbeaten 104 and Hayden blasted 118 as the Australians rammed home their advantage.
The pair shared a second-wicket partnership of 187 after Test debutant Mike Hussey was dismissed for 29. Hayden threw his wicket away half an hour before stumps in the pursuit of quick runs, allowing Michael Clarke to make a brisk 14 when play was eventually abandoned.
West Indies collapsed to 210 all out as Warne promptly mopped up the tail with a masterful display of leg-spin bowling.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings):
M.L. Hayden lbw b Collymore 37
M.E.K. Hussey c Ramdin b Powell 1
R.T. Ponting c Sarwan b Lawson 149
M.J. Clarke c Ramdin b Collymore 5
S.M. Katich c Gayle b Collymore 0
A.C. Gilchrist lbw b Collymore 44
S.R. Watson lbw b Edwards 16
S.K. Warne c Ramdin b Powell 47
B. Lee c Collymore b Powell 47
N.W. Bracken c Sarwan b Edwards 37
G.D. McGrath not out 6
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-13, W-6, NB-22) 46
TOTAL (all out, 105.3 overs) 435
FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-101, 3-108, 4-111, 5-215, 6-273, 7-294, 8-369, 9-417.
BOWLING: Edwards 21.3-1-94-2 (10nb, 2w); Powell 20-1-100-3 (4nb, 2w); Collymore 26-4-72-4 (1w); Lawson 14-0-73-1 (8nb, 1w); Samuels 4-0-29-0; Gayle 20-3-49-0.
WEST INDIES (1st Innings):
C.H. Gayle c Gilchrist b McGrath 10
D.S. Smith b McGrath 88
R.R. Sarwan c Gilchrist b McGrath 21
B.C. Lara lbw b Lee 30
S. Chanderpaul c Bracken b Warne 2
M.N. Samuels c Gilchrist b McGrath 5
D. Ramdin not out 37
D.B. Powell c Gilchrist b Warne 4
F.H. Edwards b Warne 2
C.D. Collymore c Clarke b Warne 0
J.J.C. Lawson lbw b Warne 0
EXTRAS (LB-7, W-1, NB-3) 11
TOTAL (all out, 77 overs) 210
FALL OF WKTS: 1-20, 2-74, 3-134, 4-149, 5-161, 6-174, 7-187, 8-204, 9-210.
BOWLING: McGrath 22-3-72-4; Lee 15-4-59-1 (3nb, 1w); Bracken 10-4-23-0; Warne 28-9-48-5; Clarke 2-1-1-0.
AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 283-2):
M.E.K. Hussey c Collymore b Gayle 29
M.L. Hayden c Sarwan b Gayle 118
R.T. Ponting not out 104
M.J. Clarke not out 14
EXTRAS (B-6, LB-3, W-1, NB-8) 18
TOTAL (for two wkts decl, 66 overs) 283
FALL OF WKTS: 1-71, 2-258.
BOWLING: Edwards 5-0-27-0; Powell 5-1-24-0; Lawson 6-0-47-0 (7nb, 1w); Collymore 11-0-56-0; Gayle 27-4-74-2; Samuels 12-1-46-0 (1nb).
WEST INDIES (2nd Innings):
C.H. Gayle C Warne b Watson 33
D.S. Smith c Warne b Lee 3
R.R. Sarwan c Gilchrist b Lee 31
B.C. Lara c Hayden b Bracken 14
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Bracken 7
M.N. Samuels not out 17
D. Ramdin c Gilchrist b Lee 6
D.B. Powell lbw b Bracken 0
F.H. Edwards b Bracken 0
C.D. Collymore lbw b Lee 4
J.J.C. Lawson b Lee 1
EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-10) 13
TOTAL (all out, 49 overs) 129
FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-53, 3-85, 4-99, 5-99, 6-105, 7-106, 8-106, 9-114.
BOWLING: McGrath 11-3-22-0 (3nb); Lee 14-4-30-5 (4nb); Watson 6-0-25-1 (3nb); Bracken 16-3-48-4; Warne 2-1-1-0.
RESULT: Australia won by 379 runs.
UMPIRES: I.L. Howell and R.E. Koertzen (both South Africa).
TV UMPIRE: P.D. Parker (Australia).
MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ricky Ponting.
SECOND TEST: Hobart, Nov 17-21.
THIRD TEST: Adelaide, Nov 25-29.—Agencies
|
|
|
|
