13 June, 2008
Symonds saves the day

Andrew Symonds has saved Australia on the opening day of the third Test against West Indies on a lively Bridgetown wicket.

Symonds struck a half-century to steady the ship for the tourists after the some accurate pace bowling from the home side reduced Australia to 5-111 midway through the day.

The hard-hitting all-rounder enjoyed a pair of lucky breaks on his way to 52 as his side reached 7-226 when rain halted play early in the final session.

Debutant Beau Casson is unbeaten on six while Brett Lee is still there on seven.

Australia's aggressive approach in the morning saw it lose four wickets before lunch, but Symonds came to the crease to restore some order to the innings with gutsy wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (32) after opener Simon Katich (36) became the fifth wicket to fall.

Where careless shots had cost Australia earlier in the day, Symonds displayed some controlled aggression as he crushed one six and added five other boundaries to reach 50 off 78 balls.

The morning had belonged to Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Bravo, who took advantage of Australia's carefree approach to take two wickets apiece.

Phil Jaques was the first to go. He raced to a score of 31 off 35 balls, smashing four fours and one six, but mistimed a pull shot and was caught by Denesh Ramdin as he raced backwards.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting then became Taylor's second victim. He struck two sixes en route to 18 off 19 balls, but was trapped leg before as Taylor's delivery swung back in.

The tourists appeared on course to make a respectable score by lunch but Bravo then struck twice in the final over of the session to put a different complexion on the scorecard.

First Mike Hussey was caught on the boundary by Daren Powell as he tried to clear the fence. Before Australia could add another run, Michael Clarke was out for a duck as he edged behind to Ramdin.

Symonds' saving stand was, as usual, full of excitement and drama.

On seven, he was dropped by Xavier Marshall at second slip.

The Queenslander was then fortunate to survive a caught behind chance on 14.

West Indies v Australia, Third Test, Day One
Australia (1st innings)
P Jaques c Ramdin b Taylor 31
S Katich c Gayle b Edwards 36
R Ponting lbw b Taylor 18
M Hussey c Powell b Bravo 12
M Clarke c Ramdin b Bravo 0
A Symonds c Chattergoon b Bravo 52
B Haddin lbw b Benn 32
B Casson not out 6
B Lee not out 7
Extras (lb 5, w 20, nb 7) 32
Total (7 wickets; 56.4 overs) 226 (3.98 runs per over)
FoW:1-46 (Jaques, 10.2 ov), 2-75 (Ponting, 16.1 ov), 3-96 (Hussey, 22.3 ov), 4-96 (Clarke, 22.6 ov), 5-111 (Katich, 29.1 ov), 6-198 (Haddin, 48.4 ov), 7-213 (Symonds, 52.3 ov).

Bowling
D Powell 11-5-43-0
F Edwards 11-1-47-1
J Taylor 9-1-44-2
C Gayle 7-2-6-0
D Bravo 12.4-4-48-3
S Benn 6-0-33-1

14 June, 2008

Mitchell Johnson did the damage with the ball as the West Indies collapsed from a strong position to be 216 all out on day two of the third and final Test against Australia.

The paceman took four wickets in the final session as the hosts fell 35 runs short of the Aussies' first-innings score of 251.

Only Shivnarine Chanderpaul offered any resistance with an unbeaten 79, but Johnson and Brett Lee ripped through the rest of the batting line-up to keep Australia's noses in front at the Kensington Oval.

The tourists then began their second innings late in the day and had reached 0-35 at stumps to stretch their advantage to 70 runs.

Phil Jaques and Simon Katich were unbeaten on 13 and 17 respectively as Australia look to claim a 2-0 series win.

Australia had also started the day at the crease hoping to significantly add to its overnight first-innings total of 7-226.

But its final three wickets fell for just 25 runs as it was bowled out in little over half an hour's play.

Lee had signalled his intention to score quick runs when he struck Dwayne Bravo for a six and a four in the same over, but he lost Beau Casson soon after when he was trapped leg before wicket by Fidel Edwards for a stubborn 10 from 44 balls.

Johnson quickly followed Casson back to the pavilion in the next over for a duck, squeezing a short delivery from Jerome Taylor only as far as Sulieman Benn at gully.

Edwards then claimed his third wicket to complete the innings, bowling Stuart Clark (one) and leaving Lee not out on 23.

The West Indian reply was immediately undermined by a fired up Lee who was the subject of a number of short deliveries, especially from Edwards, in the morning session.

Lee had already worked up a head of steam when he removed Sewnarine Chattergoon in just his second over, the Guyanese left-hander feathering a simple catch to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for six.

Lee's next wicket owed much to the acrobatics of Test debutant Casson as they combined to remove West Indies captain Chris Gayle for 14.

Gayle, who is returning from a groin injury that sidelined him for the opening two Tests, crunched a straight drive only to see Casson dive to his right and pluck the ball from the air at full stretch.

It was a moment to delight the tourists and leave their hosts perilously placed at 2-26.

Despite the early wickets Ramnaresh Sarwan and Xavier Marshall opted for an aggressive approach to the bowling.

They looked to be frustrating the Australian attack, adding 38 in quick time for the third wicket, until Sarwan (20) slashed a drive from Clark to gully where Michael Hussey took a diving catch.

Chanderpaul then strode to the crease and along with Marshall safely took the West Indies to the first break and beyond, until the latter fell midway through the afternoon session when he clipped an Andrew Symonds delivery to Casson at midwicket for 39.

Chanderpaul was just three runs short of his fifty and Bravo unbeaten on 29 with the hosts sitting on 4-167 at tea.

But things went downhill rapidly after the interval as the tourists took a stranglehold with the ball.

Bravo failed to add to his score when he glanced Johnson's delivery to wicket-keeper Haddin.

Chanderpaul notched up his half-century soon after but the wickets continued to tumble at the other end of the crease.

Denesh Ramdin managed just a single before Johnson struck again with Michael Clarke making a stunning catch at gully diving to his left.

And Taylor followed for a duck when he clipped a Clarke delivery to Katich.

Benn (three) was the next wicket to fall as Johnson claimed his third scalp with Haddin again taking the catch behind the stumps.

And Lee also made it three victims with the dismissal of Daren Powell, who edged the ball into the gloves of Haddin for nine.

Edwards added just one run to the West Indies total before edging Johnson to Ricky Ponting at second slip to leave Chanderpaul as the last man standing.

Johnson finished with 4-41 while Lee added 3-64.

West Indies v Australia, Third Test, stumps day two, Bridgetown

Australia 1st innings
Jacques c Ramdin b Taylor 31
Katich c Gayle b Edwards 36
Ponting lbw b Taylor 18
Hussey c Powell b Bravo 12
Clarke c Ramdin b Bravo 0
Symonds c Chattergoon b Bravo 52
Haddin lbw b Benn 32
Casson lbw b Edwards 10
Lee not out 23
Johnson c Benn b Taylor 0
Clark b Edwards 1
Extras 36 (7lb, 21w, 8nb)
Total 251 (all out; 68 overs)

FoW: 1-46 (Jaques, 10.2 ov), 2-75 (Ponting, 16.1 ov), 3-96 (Hussey, 22.3 ov), 4-96 (Clarke, 22.6 ov), 5-111 (Katich, 29.1 ov), 6-198 (Haddin, 48.4 ov), 7-213 (Symonds, 52.3 ov), 8-244 (Casson, 63.1 ov), 9-245 (Johnson, 64.6 ov), 10-251 (Clark, 67.1 ov)

Bowling
Powell 11-5-43-0
Edwards 17-4-55-3 (2nb, 3w)
Taylor 12-2-46-3 (2w)
Gayle 7-2-6-0
Bravo 15-5-61-3 (6nb)
Benn 6-0-33-1

West Indies 1st innings
Gayle c Casson b Lee 14
Chattergoon c Haddin b Lee 6
Sarwan c Hussey b Clark 20
Marshall c Casson b Symonds 39
Chanderpaul not out 79
Bravo c Haddin b Johnson 29
Ramdin c Clarke b Johnson 1
Taylor c Katich b Clarke 0
Benn c Haddin b Johnson 3
Powell c Haddin b Lee 9
Edwards c Ponting b Johnson 1
Extras 15 (7lb, 8nb)
Total 216 (all out; 58.5 overs)

FoW: 1-11 (Chattergoon, 2.5 ov), 2-26 (Gayle, 4.2 ov), 3-64 (Sarwan, 11.1 ov), 4-108 (Marshall, 25.1 ov), 5-168 (Bravo, 44.3 ov), 6-188 (Ramdin, 48.1 ov), 7-189 (Taylor, 49.6 ov), 8-195 (Benn, 52.5 ov), 9-204 (Powell, 53.5 ov), 10-216 (Edwards, 58.5 ov)

Bowling
Lee 15-2-64-3 (5nb)
Clark 15-4-41-1 (1nb)
Johnson 11.5-3-41-4 (2nb)
Symonds 8-4-17-1
Casson 7-1-43-0
Clarke 2-0-3-1

Australia 2nd innings
Jacques not out 13
Katich not out 17
Extras 5 (2b, 1lb, 2nb)
Total 35 (0 wickets; 14 overs)

FoW:

Bowling
Powell 4-3-6-0
Edwards 4-1-13-0 (1nb)
Taylor 3-2-7-0 (1nb)
Gayle 2-1-1-0
Benn 1-0-5-0

15 June, 2008

Simon Katich remained an immovable presence on day three of the third and final Test against the West Indies as he posted consecutive Test centuries to give Australia a firm grip on the game.

The left-handed opener provided further vindication of his recall to the Australian Test team as he backed up his century in Antigua by batting through the day to finish unbeaten on 148.

Katich's opening partner Phil Jaques also reached triple figures and the pair put on 223 for the opening wicket as Australia reached stumps at 3-330 - a commanding lead of 365 runs.

The home side was made to toil in the face of Katich's stubborn resistance, taking just three wickets for the day as it saw its hopes of levelling the series evaporate in the Barbados sun.

Katich and Michael Clarke (zero) will resume Australia's innings on the fourth day as the tourists go in search of a 2-0 series victory.

Australia began the day with a 70-run advantage and the quick-scoring pattern of the game looked set to continue when Katich struck two fours from Daren Powell's opening over of the day.

However, the Australian openers set about their task with caution for the majority of the two-and-a-half hour morning session, both passing 50, as they added 128 runs in 39 overs.

Soon after the lunch break the West Indies were dealt a blow when opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon was forced to leave the field on a stretcher after he twisted his ankle while attempting a diving save to stop a boundary.

The Guyanese left-hander was in obvious pain as he was attended to by the West Indies physiotherapist and, following a 10-minute delay, he was taken from the field casting major doubt over whether he will be able to take his place in the West Indies run chase.

Jaques and Katich continued to repel the home bowling in the middle session with the former the first to his hundred, his third in Test cricket, with a cover drive to the boundary off Sulieman Benn.

Jaques fell soon after when he chased a wide delivery from Jerome Taylor, when on 108, feathering a catch to Denesh Ramdin behind the stumps.

Katich, who was recalled for his first tour with the Australian Test team since the 2005 Ashes series in England, then reached his second century in as many games in the next over.

The 32-year-old had taken 216 balls in a patient innings to reach the milestone, although the runs started to flow more freely once he was joined by captain Ricky Ponting.

The pair had added 66 runs when Ponting (39) mis-timed a pull shot to substitute fielder Runako Morton at mid-wicket from the bowling of Powell.

The home side got further reward for its toil when Benn had Michael Hussey caught at leg slip for 18, but by then the game had already slipped beyond their grasp thanks to Katich.

16 June, 2008

Three grassed chances from Australia have given the West Indies hope of an implausible series-levelling victory in the third and final Test in Barbados.

Set a record 475 for victory after Australia declared its second innings on 5-439, the Windies will resume on the final day on 3-235, still requiring a further 240.

The in-form Shivnarine Chanderpaul will again be the major obstacle the Australians have to overcome. He was unbeaten at stumps on 27, with Dwayne Bravo the other not out batsman on 30.

Centurion Simon Katich was again culpable in the field as Australia left the door ajar for the home side.

Xavier Marshall was the chief beneficiary, battling to 85 before falling to debutant Beau Casson, while Ramnaresh Sarwan (43) also contributed. Unfortunately for the Windies, Sewarine Chattergood is unlikely to bat in the second innings due to an ankle injury.

The pattern was set early on in the Windies innings when Katich grassed a simple catch at third slip to deny Brett Lee the wicket of Marshall, opening in place of Chattergoon.

Katich can be grateful to have found form with the bat as this was his third straightforward missed chance of the match.

Later, Casson dropped Chris Gayle, with Lee again the unlucky bowler, while Marshall was given another life when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin failed to cling on when he edged a Stuart Clark delivery.

In between the chances, Gayle was unusually subdued, though there were a handful of authoritative shots from both batsmen.

Lee spurned a run-out opportunity, but the breakthrough finally came when Gayle (26) misjudged a pull shot off Clark, looping the ball for a leaping Lee to hold on.

Katich appeared to have made another howler with the Windies on 1-78 but, luckily for him, replays showed his latest drop reached his slippery hands via Marshall's helmet, not his bat.

The Windies received more good fortune after tea when an edge from Marshall went between Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in the slips, with neither captain nor vice-captain going for it.

But Marshall also produced some fine strokes, one muscular pull off Clarke going all the way for six.

With spin at both ends from Clarke and Casson the runs started to dry up and the pressure told when Sarwan was trapped lbw by the former.

Marshall again had his heart in his mouth when a mistimed drive went fractionally above the reach of the hapless Katich, but he followed that with a pair of sweet boundaries off Casson and Clarke.

Marshall's luck finally ran out when he was on 84 when he was caught at short leg by Phil Jaques off the bowling of Casson.

Then in consecutive overs from Lee, Bravo survived a strong shout for caught behind and an appeal for lbw. He recovered to add insult to injury by flashing successive boundaries off the paceman's next over, which went for 12.

Earlier, Australia lost the wickets of Katich for 157 and Andrew Symonds for two after resuming on 3-330.

An unbroken 79-run stand between Clarke (48) and Haddin (45) before Ponting called his men in.

17 June, 2008

A brave West Indies fell 88 runs short of what would have been a record run chase in the third Test as Australia wrapped up the series 2-0 in Bridgetown.

Set a massive 475 for victory, the home side amassed 387, the highest fourth-innings total on the ground in surpassing England's 313 in 1954.

But the target proved too great thanks to Stuart Clark claiming three final-day wickets.

The home side had dared to dream of an unlikely victory during the morning session when overnight pair Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo repelled the Australian attack for the opening hour and a half and reduced the deficit to 172 runs with seven wickets in hand.

But when both batsmen fell in consecutive overs 20 minutes before the lunch break, the Windies' hopes were effectively ended.

With their brittle tail exposed the Australians sensed their chance and duly delivered taking the last seven wickets for the addition of 87 runs to ensure they would take the Frank Worrell trophy home with a fourth consecutive series victory against the Windies.

The home side began the day requiring a further 240 runs to claim victory and they were made to toil in the initial stages as the Australians looked to deny them the early initiative.

The metronomic Clark opened the bowling with slow left-armer Michael Clarke and together they formed a stingy combination, allowing just 20 runs in an absorbing opening 50 minutes of play.

When Brett Lee was introduced into the attack it took him just three balls to induce a false stroke from Bravo, who flashed at a ball that left him marginally.

Lee quickly built up a head of steam, hitting Bravo in the ribs and then the gloves in successive balls, but the 24-year-old steadfastly refused to buckle, bringing up his 50 from 133 balls in the next over from Beau Casson.

Bravo then lifted the wrist spinner over the cover boundary from consecutive balls, while Chanderpaul passed 8,000 Test runs - just the fourth West Indies man to do so.

But just as the home side looked to be gaining the upper hand it lost Bravo and Chanderpaul in successive overs.

Casson was first to strike, when Bravo pushed a straightforward catch to Phil Jaques at silly mid-off, bringing to an end a superb 122-run stand.

In the next over Clark, who had just been handed the new ball, had Chanderpaul trapped in front for 50.

It was a key moment in the chase and the first time the Australians had managed to dismiss the Guyanese left-hander since the opening Test in Jamaica. Chanderpaul finished the series with 442 runs at an average of 142.3.

After the lunch break the wickets fell at regular intervals as the home side's resistance weakened.

Clark had Denesh Ramdin leg before wicket for eight, which brought the injured Sewnarine Chattergoon to the crease in a last desperate attempt for victory.

But clearly inhibited by the ankle injury he suffered while attempting a diving stop on the third day, the left-hander could add just 13 before he was caught behind off Lee, just moments after Jerome Taylor (31) snicked one behind off Mitchell Johnson.

Debutant Casson then claimed his third wicket of the innings removing Sulieman Benn (13), before Lee wrapped up the series when Daren Powell (six) nicked a short-pitched ball to Haddin.

17 June, 2008

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has paid tribute to West Indies after an exciting finish to the series in Bridgetown.

Australia retained the Frank Worrell Trophy before the final Test began but doubled the scoreline with a victory that wasn't as straightforward as expected.

The Windies made a decent fist of their chase before finally bowled out in the afternoon session on the final day for 387 - 88 shy of the world-record target.

The home side had dared to dream of an unlikely victory during the morning session when overnight pair Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo repelled the Australian attack for the opening hour and a half and reduced the deficit to 172 runs with seven wickets in hand.

But when both batsmen fell in consecutive overs the Windies' hopes were effectively ended.

Ponting praised the manner in which the home side applied themselves to the chase, but was content with the manner in which his side set up victory.

"There has been some great Test cricket played right through the last three Test matches," he said.

"Obviously here it has gone pretty much to plan for us but the West Indies have got a lot of positives to come out of the series as well."

"The way they attacked the run chase in the second innings showed a lot of heart and a lot of courage. Luckily for us we batted well enough in the second innings to set up a really big lead."

Vanquished skipper Chris Gayle admitted the lack of a century-maker in the second dig cost his side.

"Someone had to get a big hundred which we didn't get. Partnerships are key in this game but in the end we could not get there," Gayle said.

Despite losing the series 2-0, the home side defied their status as the No.8 ranked team in Test cricket.

"The guys are really enjoying their cricket and they're becoming more mature, so hopefully we can continue in the same vein," Gayle added.

"We played good cricket right throughout the series but unfortunately we came out the losing side."

"I can't fault the guys for the effort they've put in, to put on 380 runs is pretty good but unfortunately we lost."