Rain in Port of Spain sends Test down the drain: T2 D4

 Australia 3/73 (30 ov, Roach 3/27) & 311 lead West Indies 257 (104.4 ov) by 127 runs with 7 second innings wickets in hand: T2/3 D4/5 at Port of Spain Trinidad.


The West Indies innings lasted four more balls before Michael Beer ended it with his second wicket of the match (and the third of his Test career).

Australia batted, Ed Cowan was missed at slip off a sitter from Fidel Edwards, but he, David Warner and Shane Watson all succumbed to Kemar Roach either side of a rain interruption. Ricky Ponting started watchfully (and was technically dropped from a sharp chance at short leg from Shane Shillingford's off spin) but grew in confidence to the tune of  32*/ 57b (2x4) before the rain returned, consigning the Test, barring exceptional circumstances, to a draw. Which will please the West Indies.


I'll stay up tonight and see what happens, but I'm not expecting much (though a confidence boosting few more runs to Ponting would make it worthwhile). . 

That's really all I can say.for now.

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West Indies falter with bat after steady bowlers confine Australia to par score: T2 D2

West Indies 3/49 (25.3 ov) trail Australia 311 (135 ov, Hussey 73, Watson 56, Roach 5/105, Shillingford 3/93) by 262 runs with 7 first innings wickets in hand. T2/3 D2/5 at Port of Spain

Another slow day's cricket, this time with a rain interruption, during which I fell asleep and didn't wake up until near the end of the day's play.

Australia,thanks to a 79 run 8th wicket partnership between Mike Hussey 73/207b (1x6, 4x4) and James Pattinson 32/119b (5x4), approached 300.  Then the last four wickets fell cheaply, two of them to Kemar Roach who finished with 27-5-105-5, with one apiece to the persevering spinners Shane Shillingford 49-17-92-3 and Narsingh Deonarine 20-6-32-2, leaving Australia with 311, a total they'd have been satisified, though far from overjoyed, with.

But the West Indies batting faltered in the face of a varied attack. Captain Clarke astutely opened the bowling with spinner Michael Beer and Ben Hilfenhaus, each of whom took a wicket, as did James Pattinson later. At stumps Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were hanging on for dear life (exemplified by the latter's 1 run from 26b).

Australia's 311 now looks a commanding total,though not yet one beyond the reach of the West Indies. But the two incumbents will need to perform well, and be well supported by the lower order if the home team is to take the significant lead which they'll surely need to insure against the pitfalls of batting last on a deteriorating wicket.


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Fox Sports report with link to video highlights

A taste of the subcontinent as Australia graft in Port of Spain T2D1

Australia 5/208 (90ov, Watson 56, Clarke 45) v West Indies: T2/3 D1/5 at Port of Spain, Trinidad.

208 runs in a full day? This was another, like some of those in T1, redolent of 1950s Ashes matches or more recent subcontinental contests.

The team selection reflected each side's expectations of the wicket. Australia omitted Peter Siddle (minor injury) and, surprisingly (and unwisely?) Ryan Harris the T1 player of the match. In came James Pattinson and Michael Beer.  West Indies dropped Devendra Bishoo for Shane Shillingford and replaced the injured Kirk Edwards with Kieran Powell.

Michael Clarke won the toss, Australia batted and began breezily enough, adding 53 for the first wicket while the ball was new and the bowlers quick. But once the spinners came on the ball gripped and the scoring rate dropped. Wickets fell, not as frequently as the West Indies would have wished, thanks to decision reviews (Michael Clarke very fortunate to escape an lbw) and some poor catching.

Shane Watson's patient 56/172b (7x4) underpinned the innings after a slight wobble to 3/84 (including another Ricky Ponting failure). He added 84 for the fourth wicket with Clarke, who seemed to have ridden his luck before being caught pulling a Narsinghe Deonarine long hop for 45/99b (8x4). Watson followed shortly afterwards caught at short leg off Shillingford whose 32-11-56-2 attest to both his accuracy and the demons stirring in the pitch.

5/178 wasn't good but at least Mike Hussey, who was also missed in the field,26*/83b (2x4) and Matt Wade 11*/47b (1x4) hauled the total beyond 200. It doesn't look enough, especially with no Harris (or Siddle) in the lower order, but it's too early to call. Australia will be pleased with 300: West Indies must try to keep plugging away and get over their umpiring disappointments and fielding lapses.
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Fox Sports report with link to video highlights

Further tales of two Tests #5

Test(s) Day 4 x2

At Durban Australia 352 and 5/331 dec defeated South Africa 138 and 370 ( JKallis 93, AB de Villiers 84, P Siddle 3-61, S Katich 3-45) 2nd Test D5.

At Port of Spain England 6/546 dec and 6/237 dec (38.4 ov, K Pietersen 102, M Prior 61 ) drew with West Indies 544 and 8/114 (65.5 ov, G Swann 21-13-13-3 , J Anderson 16-7-24-3) 5th Test D5

After their stout resistance on D4 South Africa disappointed. By losing 7/126 (Graeme Smith did not bat) to an Australian attack whose key members - Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus -motivated themselves for one more hard day's persistence, they threw in the towel.

The lowest score from the Smithless top 6 was JP Duminy's 17. Yes, the Durban pitch did play a few more tricks and the quick bowlers were well supported by occasional spinners Simon Katich and Marcus North, who took a combined 4/81 from 31.2 overs, but the Proteas, as in T1 at Jo'burg, disappointed.

Australia are now deservedly 2-0 up, something at the start of the series I wouldn't have thought possible

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At Port of Spain two quickfire innings,Kevin Pietersen's 102/92b (9x4, 1x6) and Matt Prior's 61/49b (8x4) propelled England to 6/237 before Andrew Strauss declared (IMO too late). This didn't leave England quite enough time to take 10 West Indies second innings wickets, well as James Anderson 16-7-24-3, Graeme Swann 21-13-13-3 and Monty Panesar 19.5-9-34-2 bowled on a pitch which turned many good length deliveries into grubbers;

Matt Prior was given the player of the match award, He certainly batted well in each innings but conceding 52 byes, not to mention some missed catches, during the match should have counted against him. Or is the modern wicketkeeper a batter first and a keeper second (or third...)?

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Lawrence Booth in The Guardian has a report card on the England team performances in the series.

Further tales of two Tests#4

At Durban Australia 352 and 5/331 dec (94.4 ov ov, P Hughes 160, R Ponting 81) v South Africa 138 and 2/244 (80 ov, J Kallis 84*, AB de Villiers 68*) Test #2 D4

At Port of Spain England 6/546 dec and 3/80 (15 ov) v West Indies 544 (178.4 ov, S Chanderpaul 147*, B Nash 109 ,C Gayle 102 , S Broad 3/67, G Swann 3/131) Test #5 D4

South Africa need another 302 runs with 8 wickets in hand to bring off an unlikely victory at Durban. The likelihood of them doing so, or at least holding out for a draw, has increased since they began to chase 546.

Australia batted on for a short time today, during which Phillip Hughes advanced to 160/323b (15x4, 3x6) before being dismissed.

Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla provided a reasonable foundation for the South African chase, but the really impressive work was done by Jacques Kallis 84*/161b (11x4) and AB deVilliers 68*/166b (7x4). The Australian frontline pace bowlers are tiring, Andrew McDonald has looked ordinary, and while Marcus North has bowled economically he hasn't looked like taking a wicket. Some of Simon Katich's left arm wrist spinners were more hittable but others looked threatening on the increasingly benign pitch.

Durban has a tradition of pitches holding up over a long time: it is now 70 years to the day(s) of the 1939 South Africa - England test which was left drawn on the ninth scheduled (eighth actual playing) day so that the England team could catch their ship home.

Australia may regret dropping Kallis at slip from the first ball he faced, and it won't be a surprise to see Graeme Smith come to the crease if he feels that circumstances warrant.


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At Port of Spain a draw looks likely after the West Indies took their first innings total to within two of England's.

Brendan Nash's 109/257b (17x4 - most of them on the off side) was his maiden Test century. He agonised on 99 for what must have been more than half an hour. Shivnarine Chanderpaul accelerated today to compile an impressive 147*/361b (13x4,1x6). Stuart Broad bowled well in the later stages but the others found the pitch didn't give them the fourth day assistance they'd wished for.

England are only 78 ahead: it's hard to see ten Windies wickets falling on day 5, even if England rocket ahead in the first session before declaring.

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Further tales of two Tests#3

At Durban Australia 352 and 3/292 (87 ov, P Hughes 136*, R Ponting 81)v South Africa 138 (57.3 ov, J P Duminy 73*, M Johnson 3/37, A McDonald 3/25). Test #2 Day 3

At Port of Spain England 6/546 dec (158.5 ov, A Strauss 142, P Collingwood 161, M Prior 131*) v West Indies 4/349 (109 ov, C Gayle 100 ret hurt, B Nash 70*, S Chanderpaul 52*) Test # 5 Day 3

Australia in the person of Peter Siddle bowled three balls to South Africa at the start of the day's play at Durban. These were sufficient to take the last two wickets (Graeme Smith remained retired hurt ) without addition to the total.

Australia then batted for 87 overs and lost three wickets for 292. :Phil Hughes scored his second century of the match and became the youngest Test cricketer to do so: he knuckled down and looked even more resolute than he'd done in the first innings. Ricky Ponting played at almost his best for 81/189b (12x4) - almost because he was caught in the deep off his trademark pull shot.

Australia's lead is almost insurmountable, even for a team like the Proteas who have recent form in chasing down large fourth innings totals. The rest of the game looks like becoming something between an attritional battle and a one sided collapse.

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At Port of Spain England wrested back some of the initiative when they had the West Indies 4 (probably 5 because Chris Gayle had retired hurt) for 203. Then the left handers Shivnarine Chanderpaul 52*/163b (3x4) and Brendan Nash 70*/167b (12x4) kept their side in the game with an unbroken partnership of 146 for the fifth wicket. The England attack bowled steadily, with Monty Panesar producing more variety than he's done for some time and without a lot of good fortune. Yet they didn't look running through their opponents, despite claiming Ramnaresh Sarwan's wicket cheaply for the first time in the series.

The Windies have only to draw to win the series 1-0. They will therefore be more than happy with a draw. England, despite some professions of optimism eg by Stuart Broad in a post play interview on TV, will need to lift a couple of notches to obtain the result which eluded them in Antigua.

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Further tales of two Tests#2

At Durban Australia 352 ( 107.4 ov, P Hughes 115 ,S Katich 108, M Hussey 50, D Steyn 3/83) v South Africa 7/138 (57 ov, J P Duminy 73*, M Johnson 3/37, A McDonald 3/25) Test #2 Day 2

At Port of Spain England 6/546 dec (158.5 ov, A Strauss 142, P Collingwood 161, M Prior 131*) v West Indies 1/92 (19 ov) Test #5 Day 2

An extraordinary day of fluctuating fortunes in Durban saw South Africa regroup and dismiss Australia, who reached 329 before the fifth wicket fell, for 352. When the Proteas batted Mitchell Johnson took two wickets - Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla - in his first over, and removed Graeme Smith with a broken finger in his second. Ben Hilfenhaus had A B de Villiers lbw in his third over, leaving the opposition in tatters at 3/6 (effectively 4/6 as Smith will play no further part in the match). Across both innings 9 wickets, by no means all tailenders, went down for 29 runs.

Jacques Kallis retired hurt at 56, shortly before Johnson bowled Boucher neck and crop. J P Duminy played a classy lone hand while Andrew McDonald's accuracy accounted for another three, including Kallis who was clearly out of sorts when he returned.

At the end of the day South Africa on 7/138 must have been bitterly disappointed with their batting. Yes the bowling, especially Johnson's, was very good (how long before Australia will field a spinner again?) and it's a cruel blow for any team to lose two of its top six batters injured, yet only Duminy of the fit four pulled his weight.

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In Port of Spain England added 258 against a generally moderate West Indies attack. After Fidel Edwards, again the exception who proves the rule (or my opinion), removed Andrew Strauss, who barely added to his overnight score, for 142/271b (11x4), Paul Collingwood 161/288b (12x4) and new father Matt Prior 131*/198b (12 x 4) led the way as their team trotted to 6/546.

The West Indies collapse which England supporters must have hoped for did not eventuate. It took the fifth bowler used - Monty Panesar - to take the only wicket, with what looked to my early morning bleary eyes like a straight one which Devon Smith misread. But, as the South African bowlers showed, tomorrow is another day.

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Further tales of two Tests: RSA v Aus, WI v Eng D1

At Durban Australia 4/303 ( 89 ov, P Hughes 115 ,S Katich 108) v South Africa: Test #2 D1

At Port of Spain England 2/258 (90 ov, A Strauss 139*, P Collingwood 54*) v West Indies: Test #5 D1

Test cricket resumed in the shadow of the Lahore attack, which is still attracting media comment and analysis eg Peter Roebuck in today's Age .

In both matches the batting side is on top. Australia might feel that they've relinquished some of the advantage they'd gained with an opening partnership of 184. Phillip Hughes's 115/151b (19x4, 2 x 6) and Simon Katich's 108/190b (6x4) were outstanding innings, with few false strokes and many brilliant ones, none more so than the two sixes hit by Hughes from consecutive balls in Paul Harris's ninth over, which took him from 93 to 105.

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England would have been pleased with their efforts, and delighted with Andrew Strauss's 139/261b (11x4). Their selection of five front line bowlers (versus the West Indies' three) shows that the real contest is yet to begin.

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