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CRICKET
Third
Test, Barbados (day five): Australia 251 & 439-5 dec bt West
Indies 216 & 387 by 87 runs
Australia secured a 2-0
series victory after an 87-run success against West Indies in the
third Test in Barbados.
The Windies began the final day
with seven wickets left, needing another 240 to reach a 475
target, which would have beaten their own record of 418 in 2003.
For a while the dream was on as
Dwayne Bravo hit four sixes in his 69 to take them within 173 for
no further loss.
But he and Shivnarine Chanderpaul
(50) fell in consecutive overs and 22 overs later the innings
ended on 387.
Left-arm wrist spinner Beau
Casson claimed 3-86 on his debut, while fast bowlers Stuart Clark
(3-58) and Brett Lee (2-109) were equally impressive.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting
reserved special praise for Simon Katich and Phil Jaques, but
praised the hosts for their gritty performance.
"This game has gone pretty much
to plan for us but the West Indies have got a lot of positives out
of the game as well," he said.
"The way they attacked the run
chase in the second innings I thought showed a lot of heart and a
lot of character.
"Simon Katich has been terrific
for us at the top of the order and Phil Jaques bounced back to
form in this game.
"All the guys that have come into
the side can hold their heads up high and say that they've done a
really good job for the team over the last few weeks."
Chanderpaul and Bravo made a
tentative start to the day's play, adding a cautious 33 runs in
the first hour.
Bravo eventually claimed his 50
off 113 balls before his fine innings, which included five fours
and four sixes, came to an end when he was caught at short-leg by
Jaques.
Chanderpaul, who notched a
landmark 8,000 runs for the Windies when he reached 49, was next
to go when the 33-year-old was out lbw off Clark.
It was a vital breakthrough for
the Aussies, and the first time the tourists had dismissed the
left-hander since the first Test.
Denesh Ramdin (8) and Jerome
Taylor (31) added 42 to the total but when Clark claimed Ramdin's
wicket the hosts soon subsided.
Taylor was caught by wicketkeeper
Brad Haddin off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson, Sewnarine
Chattergoon (13) was dismissed by Lee before Suliemann Benn (13)
was caught at cover off Casson's bowling.
Lee then finished off the match
with his 18th wicket of the series as Daren Powell edged to Haddin.
West Indies captain Chris Gayle
admitted that his side would have needed to remain at the crease
all day to have stood a chance of winning.
"We knew it wasn't going to be
easy. Someone would have had to get a big hundred which we didn't
get," said Gayle.
"If we batted out the day we knew
we would have got the runs but that didn't happen." |
