Always going to be a draw but West Indies have better of short D5: T2

Australia 311 & 8/160 dec (61.5 ov, Ponting 41, Roach 5/41)  drew with West Indies 257 & 2/53 (11ov): T2/3 D5/5 at Port of Spain. Australia lead series 1-0 (and retain Frank Worrell Trophy)

Australia struggled against the West Indies attack, to which all the frontline bowlers contributed, with Kemar Roach the standout with 18-5-41-5, which gave him 10 for the match and the Player of the Match award. 


But a word of praise for Fidel Edwards whose one wicket was the prize one, Ricky Ponting, caught at deep square mistiming his trademark pull shot early in the day's play for 41/85b (3x4).

When Michael Clarke was sharply caught and bowled by his opposite number Darren Sammy for 15 Australia were 5/95 and looking a little shaky (and giving me cause to think whether my prediction of a draw was a little rash). But Michael Hussey and Matthew Wade steadied things, adding 50 before a late flurry of wickets preceded a declaration setting West Indies 215 to win from a possible 59 overs.

As it turned out only 11 of those 59 could be bowled, during which Sammy, promoting himself to no 3 played a T20 style cameo of 30*/26 b (1x6, 4x4) which made victory seem at least possible (even though Ben Hilfenhaus had both openers - Kieran Powell  as he'd done in the first innings opting not to review a decision which may have saved - out cheaply).

While Australia looked to be in control for most of the match West Indies kept in there and wouldn't have found some positives about their performance. But as their coach, Ottis Gibson, said (stating the obvious) they are prone to some very poor periods of play, often an hour or so. Australia are far from on top of their game: the bowling has been OK (though both Peter Siddle and James Pattinson are injured and will miss the final Test), but the batting (stating the obvious) lacks the strength it showed in the home series v India.


Scorecard

Another vindication of Test cricket as Australia scrape home T1 D5

Australia 9/406 dec & 7/192 (47 ov, Watson 52, Deonarine 4/53) beat West Indies 9/449 dec & 148 (66.4 ov, Hilfenhaus 4/27, Harris 3/31) by three wickets to lead series 1-0 with two matches to play: T1 D5 at Bridgetown.


 A cracking day's Test cricket. It  kept me me glued to the box for the West Indies innings and intermittently awake for much of Australia's second innings and wide awake for the last few overs.

West Indies, after wilting on D4, regrouped and kept harrying Australia in all departments, though they couldn't do quite enough to pull off a win. Australia's lower order batting and Michael Clarke's declaration kept the match alive and, while the middle and lower order West Indians made some amends for the disastrous opening they didn't do quite enough against Ben Hilfenhaus 17-7-27-4 and Ryan Harris 8.4-2-31-3 to set Australia a really challenging target. Or so it seemed at the time.

Even so the visitors struggled against a mixed bag of an attack: Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach and Darren Sammy bowled well, and often sharply, while  Narsingh Deonarine's 11-1-53-4 reflected both a fifth day wicket assisting spin and the occasional lapses of a part time bowler;  Devendra Bishoo was expensive. (To be fair to Deonarine he did dismiss both Ricky Ponting for 14 and Michael Clarke for 6, something which not too many, if any, other bowlers would have done in such quick succession).

Shane Watson 52/57b (1x6,4x4), Ed Cowan a by many accounts (I dozed off during his dig) scratchy 34/100b (1x4) and Mike Hussey 32/26b (2x6, 2x4) took Australia slowly forward before Harris and Hilfenhaus nervously took Australia in fading light over the line to a deserved and hard fought victory. Yet the West Indies showed that they, even without Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo,  are no easybeats, and the rest of the series will be worth watching (if not live through the wee small hours then and the extended highlights).




Scorecard

Fox Sports report with link to video highlights

Australian players rated by Fox Sports