Gayle flies high
Published: Friday | December 18, 2009
West Indies captain Chris Gayle salutes his teammates after scoring a 70-balll century in the third Test against Australia in Perth yesterday. - Digicel photo
PERTH, Australia (CMC):
Chris Gayle blasted the fifth fastest Test century of all time en route to his 13th Test hundred, shocking Australia's bowlers and engineering a frenetic West Indies reply on the second day of the third and final Test at the WACA yesterday.
The left-handed Gayle belted a breathtaking 102 from a mere 70 balls as West Indies raced to 214 for two at the close, an impressive response to an imposing Australian total of 520 for seven declared.
He clobbered nine fours and six sixes in a whirlwind innings that narrowly surpassed Roy Fredericks' 71-ball feat 34 years ago at the same ground, and which was just short of Shivnarine Chanderpaul's 69-ball knock in Guyana, also against the Aussies, back in 2003.
Dropped when 81, Gayle carried on like a man possessed, reeling off stroke after stroke to post his second successive century following his fantastic, unbeaten 165 in Adelaide almost two weeks ago.
He dominated a 136-run opening stand with Travis Dowlin who fashioned an attractive 55, his third half-century in five Test innings. Such was Gayle's onslaught, Dowlin was reduced to virtual obscurity, but he was content to play the sheet anchor role as his captain ploughed into the ragged Aussie bowling.
A solid start
Gayle raised his first 50 of just 34 balls with eight fours and a six, and his second came in 36 balls, including five sixes and a four, before he was dismissed two balls after reaching three figures.
Ramnaresh Sarwan was unbeaten at the close on a classy 42 from 54 balls and was involved in a 39-run, third wicket stand with Narsingh Deonarine on 10 not out, with West Indies still trailing by 306 runs.
With the Windies needing a solid start, Gayle settled into his natural, attacking game to quickly tame the wicket-hungry Aussie bowlers. Two punishing boundaries through point off Johnson in the second over of the innings got him away nicely, and he again smacked the unfortunate bowler for successive fours off the first two balls of his next over to hint at the fireworks to come.
He greeted fast bowler Clint McKay's first ball in Test cricket with a ferocious cover-driven boundary, and though he was beaten twice in the over, he smashed the final delivery over mid-wicket for another four.
Gayle raised his half-century spectacularly, hoisting left-arm seamer Doug Bollinger over mid-wicket for six as he raced to 52 not out at tea, propelling the Windies to 69 without loss off just 12 overs.
Gayle carried on in similar vein after the break, smashing successive sixes off off-spinner Nathan Hauritz in the second over before continuing his assault on the hapless McKay, dumping the 26-year-old right-armer over long on for six with an effortless swing in the bowler's fourth over.
Mammoth straight six
At 109 without loss, he survived a chance to Michael Clarke at first slip as he heaved at Hauritz, but unperturbed by the reprieve, carted the bowler for a mammoth straight six in his next over, the ball landing on the roof of the Lillee Marsh Stand.
Clearly fancying Hauritz's facile off-spin, Gayle launched the bowler straight down the ground for his sixth six to reach his century in style, only his second against the Aussies.
He would perish two balls later, however, steering a straightforward catch to Shane Watson at point after being cramped for room by Bollinger.
SCOREBOARD
Australia 1st innings
(Overnight 339-3)
| M. Hussey c wk Ramdin b Rampaul | 82 |
| M. Clarke c Gayle b Deonarine | 11 |
| M. North c & b Deonarine | 68 |
| +B. Haddin c wk Ramdin b Roach | 88 |
| M. Johnson c Benn b Bravo | 35 |
| N. Hauritz not out | 2 |
| Extras (b4, lb2, w1, nb16) | 23 |
| TOTAL (7 wkts decl, 130.4 overs) | 520 |
Did not bat: D Bollinger, C McKay. Fall of wickets: 1-132 (Watson, 35.2 overs), 1-175(Ponting, ret. hurt, 43), 2-260 (Katich, 67.2), 3-277 (Clarke, 72.3), 4-355 (Hussey, 95.5), 5-444 (North, 112.4), 6-510 (Haddin, 125.4), 7-520 (Johnson, 130.4) Bowling: Roach 22-2-104-2 (nb6), Rampaul 22-6-85-1 (w1, nb1), Tonge 18-1-85-0 (nb9), Bravo 17.4-1-79-1, Benn 28-4-87-1, Deonarine 23-4-74-2. West Indies 1st innings C. Gayle c Watson b Bollinger | 102 |
| T. Dowlin c Hussey b Johnson | 55 |
| R. Sarwan not out | 42 |
| N. Deonarine not out | 10 |
| Extras (lb1, nb4) | 5 |
| TOTAL (2 wkts, 46 overs) | 214 |
To bat: B. Nash, D. Bravo, +D. Ramdin, S. Benn, R. Rampaul, G. Tonge, K. Roach. Fall of wickets: 1-136 (Gayle, 24.1 overs), 2-175 (Dowlin, 33.5) Bowling: Bollinger 11-2-41-1 (nb2), Johnson 11-1-68-1, McKay 8-1-31-0 (nb2), Hauritz 10-1-49-0, Watson 6-0-24-0. Position: West Indies trail by 306 runs. Toss: Australia. Umpires: Billy Bowden, Ian Gould TV: Assad Rauf.
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