Rival captains Michael Clarke and Darren Sammy did nothing to enhance the image of Test cricket as the Australians fell over the line to win the first Test against the Windies by three wickets at Bridgetown.
I’ve never been bored watching a Test in over 60 years. The run chase and the field placings today were boring, boring, boring.
Sammy had four on the ropes from the start, two on each side of the wicket, leaving wide open spaces everywhere the Australians didn’t utilise.
Set 192 to win off 65 overs at only 3.02 runs an over, it should have been a stroll in the park with Australia’s attacking lineup.
If ever a Test match victory from nowhere was set up for David Warner to blaze away, Bridgetown was it.
No way.
For some unfathomable reason, master-blaster Warner went into his shell.
For the second time in the Test, Warner chased Darren Sammy outside off stump and was caught behind. Poor cricket.
Dismissed for 23 off 39 with the score at 1-31, Warner’s out-of-character passive batting was as ridiculous as it was infectious.
Opening partner Ed Cowan was even worse.
When Warner was dismissed, Cowan was only 4 off 24. By tea, Cowan had “raced” to 11 off 61. Pedestrian.
First drop Shane Watson wasn’t much better. He survived two close leg befores and a dropped catch by Sammy in the gully by the time he reached 4.
Watson upped the ante after tea, but pulled a rank long hop from part-timer Narsingh Deonarine straight down the throat of substitute Kieran Powell behind square to head for the shed with 52 off 57. What a waste.
Australia 2-106.
Cowan’s painful innings came to a close on 34 off 100 when he was caught by Shivnarine Chanderpaul off Deonarine. Australia 3-126.
Worse was to come. Ricky Ponting on 12 edged Deonarine onto his stumps. Australia 4-131.
And another with the world’s equal number one ranked batsman Clarke caught and bowled by Deonarine for 6 off 7. Australia 5-140. Every dismissal negative batting.
Matt Wade (3) was given out but survived the leg before decision on appeal off Deonarine, with Australia requiring 40 runs off 23 overs with five wickets in hand – if the light held. Still a romp if the Australians batted normally for the first time.
This was nightmare cricket to watch for Australians. Especially the usually reliable Mike Hussey playing dangerous small percentage reverse sweeps that went so close to the stumps. Brain explosion cricket.
None more so than the unreliable Wade (18), caught at deep cover by Devendra Bishoo off Kemar Roach. Australia 6-177, 15 more required.
Step up to the plate first dig hero Ryan Harris, fresh from a career high 68 not out.
Hussey greeted Harris with a timely and massive six off Deonarine, leaving 9 to get when Hussey became the next victim, bowled neck and crop by Kemar Roach for 32 off 26. Australia 7-189, three short.
Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus saw the Australians safely home at 7-192, Hilfenhaus surving a close runout for the winning run.
Australia won by 3 wickets off 47 overs. But there was nothing satisfying in the way victory was achieved.
Although a win is a win.
Richard Johnson
Guest
West Indies should never have lost this test match. In the 1st innings on a dead pitch they handled themselves well to total a score of almost 450 runs and no side in the world should lose from such a start. But this is the West Indies a far cry away from the great players of yesterday and they lack tenacity to hold the gains. Of course, the short version of the game entertaining though it is, has all but ruined the ability of their players to stick it out in the middle when things are not going their way. This has always been the Achilles heel of West Indian cricket. They have long lost the ability to win even when they are in seemingly strong positions. Therefore it was no surprise to see the Australian captain showing a lot of confidence on being interviewed when his team was behind, voicing confidently that Australia could still win the test match. He clearly knew the West Indies could not hold it together, and he was right. In the 2nd innings they let fatigue, a lapse in concentration and a momentary lack of discipline win the day. However, they fought back pretty well which was surprising but encouraging. Australia almost pulled a West Indies by crumbling. That too was surprising. However, they came thru in the end to draw first blood. West Indies has the potential to rise again like the proverbial Phenix but they must learn to pace themselves for the longer game and not blow up half way thru an innings. They went down fighting and showed competitiveness which is a big leap up from so many other times they just rolled over and played dead. They must now actualize their potential and demonstrate they can be great again.
Rugby Diehard
Guest
Hilarious Brett. I think Mr Lord meant extra ordinary.
Vas Venkatramani
Guest
David, a fifth day pitch should be respected as such. Especially if that same pitch is conducive to 10 West Indian wickets falling for 148 only a day earlier. The fact is that to have close matches, one needs to have players making a mistake or two. Clarke's decision to declare was inspired regardless of the result, for he actually tried to pursue one as opposed to letting the game meander into a meaningless stalemate as has been the norm in many Tests in recent years. But I can't believe the temerity to bag Ed Cowan. We should honestly stop seeing these players as machines to be churning runs on demand and more as humans who have human fallabilities such as feeling pressure and finding mechanisms to cope. If not for Cowan's obdurate 34, I wonder if the wafers that is Australia's defence at times would have paved the way for a West Indian victory? You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. With Cowan, I'm just glad someone had the presence of mind to hold up an end so that quick wickets wouldn't fall. Test cricket needs players who can attack around a sound defensive framework and not the other way around. A great victory for Australia, and a stark reminder of why David Lord needs to stop thinking a sensational angle is all that is needed to generate a good piece of journalism, for this is not...
Rugby Diehard
Guest
Hi David - I don't want to get you riled up any more than you clearly are but you said you were going to "start with me" but you didn't actually refer to anything I wrote in my post!!
AndyMack
Guest
Stop pointing out facts Brett.
AndyMack
Guest
Yep, just bat normally at 6 rpo on day 5 pitch. For best part of 200 runs. Sometimes I wonder if you actually watch and understand cricket David.
LT
Guest
Gonna temporarily hijack the thread, sorry - does anyone know why Khawaja is not included in the AIS squad? I know he's doing a County stint, but Hughes is in the squad despite also playing County season... http://www.cricket.com.au/news-list/2012/4/10/2012-ais-scholars-named
matt
Guest
here here. Sensational test, shocking article. "Roar expert" is not the term i would associate with the writer in question.
geno
Guest
For the benefit of David who obviously fell asleep as the match was on late at night...
geno
Guest
Please ROAR take the stupid article down...
geno
Guest
What a brilliant test, highly entertaining was this guy even watching the same game.....
Rhys
Guest
I only bothered to read this article because the author wrote a fine piece on Chanderpaul the other day. On reflection, I wish I hadn't read this one. What utter nonsense to refer to this Test as boring. The game ebbed and flowed, Australia came back from a seemingly unwinnable position to snatch victory by 3 wickets. If only all Test matches offered as much as this one did (I'd be even more sleep deprived than I am).
The Bush
Roar Guru
I simply cannot agree with anything written here. How can you say that chasing down 190 in two (2) sessions, on the fifth day, on a pitch that is clearly far from a road AND your the away team, is not an achievement? Furthermore, how can a match that comes down to the wire like this not be exciting? Why do they have to score at a run a ball? Because your attention span is getting shorter? Or is it some sort of superiority stance that you simply cannot believe our batsmen would struggle against the West Indies? In fact, why does the run rate matter at all if they win?
Brian
Guest
Australia a much better team. The Test was only close due to the West Indies batting first, rain and bad light. The real villians killing test cricket are the ICC. Gayle, Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Pollard & Narine should all be playing otherwise call it what it is Australia v the West Indies Invitational XI
Ian
Guest
One other thing, as much as I've never been a Michael Clarke fan, he's turning out to be a really good captain.
Ian
Guest
I must confess, I thought his was a great test. Plenty of highs and lows, with some tension towards the end. To my mind, this test is why test cricket is so superior to 20/20 cricket! We also have to realise, that this test team is not of the same quality as the one captained by Steve Waugh, that might have reached the target of less overs. Considering the position they were in going into the third day, before Harris and Hilfenhaus rescued them, I thought the result was outstanding, and showed that good-old fighting characteristics by which Aussies have become renown. As far as I'm concerned, a thoroughly enjoyable test to watch!
Justin Lemmon
Guest
What hyperbolic drivel. Complaint for the sake of complaint and inflammation (which I am obviously silly enough to tip in to). Surely T20 cricket hasn't sucked the joy out of watching a tense chase on a crumbling fifth day wicket? I think David may just be a tad grumpy the Aussies kept him up so long.
DC of nz
Guest
Australia won the game... Good on you hilfy and Harris ..a memorable win for you guys ...Clarke chased the win and got it...all kudos to him...
Brett McKay
Expert
At the risk of highlighting my obvious genius :D I did comment yesterday: "..as is often the case, the first hour tonight (the fifth morning) will be crucial. If Australia can manage a couple of wickets straight up, and have the five out by lunch, then the odds swing well toward their favour. But I still wouldn’t want to be chasing much more than 170-180 in two sessions on that deck…" What's interesting though David, and I'd be curious to know what's changed your view in 24 hours, yesterday you wrote: "This has been an extraordinary Test from the outset."
Brett McKay
Expert
David, I don't think there was ever a chance for 192 to be chased in 32 overs. The fifth day pitch was never going to allow that sort of run rate...