- REUTERS
Dwayne Bravo (right) of the West Indies celebrates with captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul after dismissing Australia's Adam Gilchrist for two runs during the third day of the second Test in Hobart yesterday.
HOBART, Tasmania, CMC:
IT WAS a day that exhibited the best and the worst of contemporary West Indies cricket with Australia poised for another overwhelming victory after three days of the second Test at Bellerive Oval.
More showers restricted play yesterday, but in the time available, the visitors restricted the home team to a first innings total of 406, only to find themselves in early trouble yet again in their second innings at 82 for four, before the heaviest rainfall of the match brought play to an end 24 overs early.
Needing another 175 runs to avoid an innings defeat, the West Indies' only possible saving grace was that Brian Lara was unbeaten on 18 in partnership with Marlon Samuels.
Yet even if he were to produce the monumental innings that even most Australian fans are hoping he is still capable of going into the fourth day, it is unlikely that it would be enough to deny the Australians a series-clinching victory.
As if their predicament in the match was not enough, the fate of Samuels for the rest of the series is a major worry. He was hobbled by a blow on the left knee while batting on the first day on Thursday.
Samuels needed to have Devon Smith as a runner in the second innings, and it is asking a lot of him to survive in his handicapped state for any length of time.
Yesterday morning, however, was one of real encouragement for West Indies, as they immediately pegged Australia back in their quest for a massive first innings total with an admirable combination of incisive fast bowling supported by excellent catching and fielding.
Fidel Edwards led the early assault with the ball, while Dwayne Smith, on the field throughout the innings because of Samuels' injury, underlined the value of top-class out-cricket even with limited resources.
Resuming at 256 for one, Tasmanians streaming into the ground were left standing in their tracks and sighing in disappointment when local hero Ricky Ponting played on to Edwards off the second delivery of the day.
Amid talk of a total in excess of 500, and speculation as to when Ponting would declare, Australia lost their last six wickets for 100 runs, although a first innings lead of 257 represented a match-winning advantage for the hosts anyway.
Edwards almost bowled new batsman Michael Clarke second ball with a searing, full-length delivery that just shaved the off-stump, but the fast bowler got his reward when the batsman, on five, slashed at a short ball and Dwayne Smith snared a superb catch diving to his right at cover-point.
CONSTANT SHINING STAR
Edwards' first spell of the day produced figures of two wickets for 21 runs from six overs, and while he could not maintain the intensity, the substitute fielder was a constant shining star with a series of thrilling efforts that rekindled memories of the days not so long ago when it was the West Indies who set the standards, not only with demonic fast bowling and masterful batsmanship, but also with superb fielding and catching.
Dwayne Bravo matched the accuracy of Edwards' spell and a clever change of pace induced the other overnight batsman, Mike Hussey, into a drive that gave Ramnaresh Sarwan a simple catch a short extra-cover to end the opener's innings at 137 with Australia at 306 for four.
Dwayne Smith then lit up the ground with a dazzling pick-up and throw on the turn from square-leg that ran out Andrew Symonds with a direct hit to the stumps at the non-striker's end.
The athletic Barbadian was again called into action in taking a regulation catch at cover-point, as Adam Gilchrist slashed at Bravo, and when Daren Powell, despite bowling a poor spell, induced Shane Warne to edge a drive to Sarwan at second slip, the home team had lost four wickets for 18 runs at 324 for seven.
It would have been 324 for eight had Smith's throw from cover hit the stumps at the bowler's end with Brett Lee scrambling his first run, but the Aussie fast bowler offered support to the impressive Brad Hodge in frustrating the West Indies' quest to polish off the tail.
Hodge looked every bit a Test batsman on his debut. The compact, 30-year-old batsman played with fluency and authority in speeding to a half-century in 114 minutes off 82 balls with seven fours, his driving either side of the wicket bearing the stamp of a class player.
LEE CAUGHT BEHIND
Energised by the lunch break, Edwards returned to have Lee caught behind in the first over after the interval, and the end seemed near when Hodge was adjudged lbw to Corey Collymore for 60.
But, as invariably happens with the West Indies, they struggled to claim the last wicket, Stuart MacGill and Glenn McGrath added 29 runs with MacGill smashing boundaries off a nonplussed Powell before McGrath was run out leaving the leg-spinner unbeaten on 20.
Any hopes for a sturdy West Indies second innings rearguard evaporated within minutes when Chris Gayle was bowled by McGrath off the fourth ball of the opening over, aiming yet another big drive without any foot movement.
Devon Smith became the veteran seamer's sixth victim of the match in edging to Ponting at second slip in the last over to tea, ushering in Lara with the weight of great expectations on his shoulders yet again at 27 for two.
He and Sarwan added 35 before light rain drove the players off the field.
Immediately upon the resumption, Sarwan, on 32, attempted to cut a Lee thunderbolt and Gilchrist held the straightforward catch.
It was a shot unworthy of the vice-captain and player of such experience, and when skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul edged the same bowler to the wicketkeeper, Australia sensed the chance to press for victory before the close at 76 for four.
The rain however, dashed those hopes, although it seemed only a temporary reprieve for a team once again outclassed by more determined, committed and consistent opponents.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies first innings 149
Australia first innings
(Resumed at 256-1)
M. Hussey c Sarwan b Bravo 137
R. Ponting b Edwards 17
M. Clarke c (sub) D.R. Smith b Edwards 5
B. Hodge lbw Collymore 60
A. Symonds run out (sub D.R. Smith) 1
A. Gilchrist c (sub) D.R. Smith b Bravo 2
S. Warne c Sarwan b Powell 1
B. Lee c Ramdin b Edwards 18
S. MacGill not out 20
G. McGrath run out (Chanderpaul) 14
Extras (lb6, w3, nb12) 21
TOTAL: (all out) 406
Fall: 1-231, 2-257, 3-271, 4-306, 5-315, 6-317, 7-324, 8-362, 9-377.
Bowling: Edwards 27.4-2-116-3 (nb6); Powell 24-2-117-1 (nb3); Collymore 28-11-54-2 (nb2); Bravo 23-2-96-2 (nb1, w3); Gayle 7-0-17-0.
West Indies second innings
G. Gayle b McGrath 4
D.S. Smith c Ponting b McGrath 8
R. Sarwan c Gilchrist b Lee 32
B. Lara not out 18
S. Chanderpaul c Gilchrist b Lee 10
M. Samuels not out 2
Extras (lb6, nb2) 8
TOTAL: (for four wkts) 82
Fall: 1-4, 2-27, 3-62, 4-76.
Bowling: McGrath 7-3-14-2; Lee 11-1-49-2 (nb2); Symonds 1-0-2-0; Warne 5-0-11-0.
