All-rounder Shane Warne saves Australia Rick Eyre - 18 April 1999 CricInfo report

There has been plenty of evidence on the West Indian tour that Shane Warne has been working on improving his batting, perhaps in an effort to reinvent himself as an all-rounder and prolong his career as an Australian representative. It was Shane Warne's ability with both bat and ball that was the key factor in Australia's exciting twenty-run victory in a low- scoring one-day international at Queen's Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

Australia successfully defended a score of 189 for 9, dismissing the home side in front of another capacity crowd. Warne's 29 runs and 3/35 from ten overs won him the man-of-the-match award, the day after his forgettable 9-0- 59-0.

Australia batted first after Steve Waugh won the toss yet again. There was no repeat of Saturday's sluggish opening to the Australian innings, Gilchrist scoring 25 at a run a ball before Courtney Walsh nabbed him lbw with a ball that kept low. Ponting (7) stayed briefly, and the dismissal of Mark Waugh (18) triggered a collapse that saw six wickets fall for 38 runs.

When Brendon Julian edged Mervyn Dillon to the keeper from the first legitimate ball he faced, Australia were 104 for 8 from 29 overs. Dillon's first three overs were maidens in which he removed Steve Waugh (16, his highest score of the series to date) and Shane Lee (1). With Julian's dismissal his figures were 5-3-2-4.

Then entered Shane Warne to partner Michael Bevan. For twenty-one overs the two were impossible to dislodge as they added 77 runs for the ninth wicket. Warne had scored 29 when he was run out on the third last delivery of the innings. Bevan, as he often does, commandeered the latter overs of the Australian innings, to finish unbeaten on 59 - though his innings did occupy 103 deliveries. Bevan has scored 161 runs so far in this series for once out.

Australia's total of 189 for 9 was a big improvement on what might have been. Dillon finished his ten overs with the excellent figures of 4/20.

A target of 190 should have been simple for the West Indians. The Australian task of defending the indefensible began when Sherwin Campbell failed for the first time in the series, trapped lbw by Damien Fleming for 13. Ridley Jacobs was a surprise choice as opener, but he had scored 29 from 42 deliveries when he was run out in an awful mixup with partner Jimmy Adams. West Indies were seven runs in front at the end of the 15-over field restriction, on 68 for 2.

Adams (27) himself was the next to fall, run out after a smart Ricky Ponting return to the keeper while taking an impossible single. Enter Brian Lara. Six runs later, Exit Brian Lara. Hampered by his wrist injury, Lara was bowled by Shane Warne after completely missing a sweep shot.

Hooper (23) became the third runout victim when caught out of his ground by a Ponting direct hit, after Stuart Williams (0 from 11 balls) had been bowled around his legs by a Warne leg-break. West Indies 116 for 6, and the match was wide open.

It was left to Phil Simmons, on the occasion of his 36th birthday, to play a Bevanesque innings for WI, but there was no Shane Warne batting at the other end. Warne in fact added Curtly Ambrose to his list of scalps for the match, with Fleming chipping in to remove Dillon. Simmons (42) fell to a brilliant diving catch by Adam Gilchrist, and when Lee disturbed Walsh's furniture, it was all over. West Indies were gone for 169, and the series was all square at 2-2.

Warne, with 3/35, showed that Saturday's performance was a hiccup in an otherwise outstanding ODI series for the leg-spinner. Shane Lee's contribution of 2/26 among the eight Australian bowlers should not be ignored. Brendon Julian did nothing to justify his recall to the eleven - out first ball and conceding 21 runs from three overs bowled.

The Australians' only visit to the South American continent on this tour takes place this Wednesday with game five of the series at Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana. X-rays on Glenn McGrath's ankle, hurt in Saturday's game, reveal no serious injury and he could be available for the last two matches next weekend.

Tailpiece: The stump, complete with $ US 3000 stumpcam, which was stolen from umpire Steve Bucknor's grasp at the end of Saturday's game, was returned to ground authorities before the start of play yesterday, the camera intact.