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Day 3: Aussies in control

When the exciting third Test of the Cable and Wireless series ended in Bridgetown yesterday, with the West Indies holding a two-one lead in the four-match contest, a confident Steve Waugh told his army of dejected supporters not to worry, Australia will win in Antigua, draw the series, and retain the Frank Worrell Trophy.

With two days to go, the fourth and final Test is far from over and after their magnificent comeback at Kensington Oval, no one, not even the Aussie supporters themselves, will bet against the West Indies especially with the explosive, in-form Brian Lara in their line-up.

At stumps on the third day at the Antigua Recreation Ground, however, the scoreboard read: Australia 303 and 209 for two; the West Indies 222, and with the tourists boasting a lead of 290 with eight wickets in hand, with Justin Langer and Mark Waugh in an broken third-wicket partnership of 133 off 41 overs and batting well on 84 and 60 respectively, the balance, which titled their way late on the second day, were definitely in their favour.

Resuming on 197 for six, 106 adrift Australia's first innings effort, the West Indies lost their four remaining wickets for 25 runs in 36 minutes and 8.2 overs and with a cushion of 81 runs, with their pride stake, the unofficial world champions, winners of the first Test and losers of the second and third, proceeded to play themselves into a good position to win the match.

If that happens, they would draw the series and to retain the trophy which, after losing it in 1978, they regained in 1995 and retained it in 1996-97.

With Carl Hooper, their number two batsman, resuming on 40 after batting well on the second day and with the respected Nehemiah Perry as his partner, the West Indies entered the day hoping to surpass or at least get close to Australia's total.

In his second over of the morning, fast bowler Glen McGrath ripped out Perry's offstump to make it 205 for seven and in the following over, Curtley Ambrose drove at right-arm legspinner Stuart MacGill and Ricky Pointing took the skier at long-on to make it 206 for eight.

Hooper, going for a second run after sweeping MacGill towards long-leg, was run out for 47 at 213 for nine and that was it.

The runout of Hooper was the result of a splendid bit of fielding by McGrath, who raced in and to his right from backward square-leg, picked up with one hand and sent a lovely, flat throw straight into wicketkeeper Ian Healy's gloves. It was, however, no consolation to the West Indies - nor to Hooper who joined Gary Sobers on 10 and who, now in second place, is fast challenging Allan Border's world record of 12 run outs.

For 53 minutes during which veteran pacers Ambrose and Courtney Walsh bowled with venom and unerring accuracy, the West Indies kept Australia on a tight rein. Minutes before lunch Ambrose trapped Greg Blewett leg before wicket for seven at 15 for one in the 13th over and it appeared that they were ready for another fight-back.

After lunch however, Michael Slater and the left-handed Langer kept them out until - just as he started to dominate by pulling Corey Collymore to the mid-wicket boundary, chipping and driving off-spinner Hooper over long-on for six and hooking Collymore into the bleachers behind backward square-leg - Slater went back defensively to Walsh and was bowled off the inside edge for 44 at 76 for two.

Slater's dismissal failed to inspire the West Indies and Langer surpassed his previous best of 54 against the West Indies at Adelaide in 1992/93.

Day 4: Australia on the verge of victory

The 1999 Cable and Wireless Test series between the West Indies and Australia seems heading for a draw - two for the home team, and two for the tourists.

At stumps yesterday, on the fourth and penultimate day of the fourth and final match at the Antigua Recreation Ground, Australia, one -two down in the series, were on the verge of victory with the scoreboard reading, Australia 303 and 306, the West Indies 222 and 105 for four.

With the home team entering today's last day needing another 283 to win with only six wickets in hand and at least 90 overs to go, the batting is heavily on Australia to win the match, share the series, and retain the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Set a victory target of 388 with a minimum of 135 overs to go in the Test match, the West Indies, needing only a draw to win the series, were going well at 55 without loss before they lost four wickets for 32 runs to end the day on the ropes - their dream of at least drawing the match and winning the series , regaining the trophy, and certainly as far as their fans are concerned, burying the memory of South Africa unlikely to come true.

As bad as it appears, victory for the West Indies is not impossible certainly not as far as those who remember, and continue to remind others of the victory in the third Test at Kensington Oval when the Windies, set 308 to win, entered the final day on 85 for three and were falling at 105 for five.

The differences are that unlike that day when the West Indies needed another 255 to win with seven wickets in hand, this time they need another 283 with six wickets in hand, and unlike that day when Brian Lara was there, this time he won't be.

Lara, like Carl Hooper, is numbered among the departed, and whatever hope the West Indies may still entertain of winning the game, rests with James Adams - not out on 18, Adrian Griffith - not out on 6, and Ridley Jacobs who is still to come.

If by some miracle, the Windies survive or win today, their remaining batsmen will deserve high praise, and no doubt will be serenaded. The toast, however, should then go to veteran fast bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, and to Hooper who, with Lara playing his part with some astute captaincy, handed them the opportunity.

At the end of the third day, Australia, boasting a lead of 290 with eight wickets in hand, with Justin Langer on 84, Mark Waugh on 60, and both batting well, were in a commanding position and appeared set to power their way into an impregnable position from which, with victory beyond the reach of the West Indies, they could then throw everything at them in a bid for victory.

Yesterday, however, Ambrose not only tied the Kangaroos down with 10 magnificent overs during which he conceded only nine runs, but he also rocked them with two early wickets, and with Hooper pocketing three and Walsh three, the West Indies made a bid for victory as Australia, 209 for two overnight, lost eight wickets for 97 runs off 42 overs, including five for 32 in 9.4 overs after lunch.

Day 5: Aussies clinch trophy

ST. JOHN'S - The exciting Cable and Wireless Test series ended in a deadheat at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday with Australia defeating the West Indies by 176 runs midway through the fourth and final match.

The end came 45 minutes before tea when Glenn McGrath, one of the world's most feared fast bowlers, stormed Corey Collymore with a screaming bouncer, and with the number 10 batsman attempting to protect himself, the ball flew off his gloves to a jubilant Stuart MacGill at gully to leave the final score reading, Australia 303 and 306, the West Indies 222 and 211.

With the count 2-1 in favour of the West Indies at the start of the match, Australia's victory left the series tied at two-two and denied the Windies their 10th lien on the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy - symbol of supremacy between the two teams - which they won in 1965 again in 1977-78 and which, with seven victories and one draw, they held until 1995.

Yesterday's result also made it 11 victories each from 38 matches in the Caribbean and with Australia winning nine and the West Indies eight, left the honours even for only the second time in the 19 series between the two teams.

Going into the match down after winning the first Test by 312 runs, losing the second by 10 wickets and the third by one-wicket, Australia desperately needed to win the match in order to share the series and to retain the trophy, and although the odds were on a draw, although they appeared in trouble at 242 for eight on the second morning and again later that day when Brian Lara put them to the sword in a blistering performance during which he scored 100 runs off 82 deliveries, they ended up cruising to a comfortable victory and one which sent their army of supporters streaming across the field.

``You were good, but we were just as good,'' said a flag-waving Australian to a beer-drinking West Indian as they stood side by side during the presentation ceremony.

Entering yesterday's final day with the West Indies on 105 for four and in deep trouble with everything depending on not out batsman James Adams and Adrian Griffith plus Ridley Jacobs, Australia struck early, took care of Adams and despite a gritty, never-say-die performance by Griffith who prolonged the inevitable with a career-best 56 in 279 minutes off 218 deliveries, despite a few delightful strokes by Jacobs and Nehemiah Perry, swept to victory as they picked off the six remaining wickets for 106 runs in 195 minutes and 55.5 overs.

After starting with two maiden overs, one from Colin Miller, bowling offspin, and one from pacer McGrath who finished with three for 50 off 35.5 overs to end the series with 30 wickets - four more than Courtney Walsh, Australia made the first step towards victory when Miller, bowling round the wicket and slanting the ball into the left-handed Adams, got one to drift across the batsman who, in going forward and attempting to play the ball behind square-leg, was stumped by Ian Healy for his overnight 18 at 105 for five.

Although, with Griffith and Jacobs defending stubbornly, the Australians had to wait a while for wicket number two, when it came, 22 minutes before lunch with Jacobs going leg before wicket to medium-pacer Greg Blewett for 16 at 145 for six, the West Indies only hope was rain - and plenty of it.

The gods, however, were not in the mood for favours, and although there were dark clouds around for a while, for the first time in many years, there was not a drop of rain in a Test match at the ARG.

Probably recognising that the odds were against him surviving for so long, or probably deciding that attack was the best form of defense, Perry drove Blewett to the midwicket boundary, drove MacGill straight, and won some cheers from the fans before, first delivery after captain Steve Waugh had moved Michael Slater from extra-cover to short mid-wicket, he drove the right-arm legspinner out of his pads, but straight to Slater, shook his head, and departed for 26 at 184 for seven in the 39th over.

Curtly Ambrose drove the first delivery he received straight for four before, in the next over from MacGill, he swung wildly and was bowled for four at 190 for eight.

The writing, big and bold, was on the wall when Griffith shouldered arms against MacGill was hit on the backfoot, and was ruled out leg before wicket at 209 for nine with a little under half the day to go and not a sign of rain in the sky.

The man of the match award went to Australia's Justin Langer, who scored 51 and 127 and the man of the series award to Brian Lara who scored 546 runs in seven innings - including one of 213, one of 153 not out, and one of 100 in 101 minutes off 84 deliveries with three sixes and 15 fours.