WEST INDIES REVIVAL CONTINUES IN EVENLY POISED TEST

After bringing an end to the 156-run opening stand between Matthew Hayden (58) and Michael Slater (83) in the thirty-eighth over, the tourists went on to claim two more batsmen to leave the game evenly poised.

At stumps, Australia is 3/180, with Mark Waugh (10*) and nightwatchman Jason Gillespie (2*) at the crease. The team needs another 211 runs to reach the West Indian first innings total of 391.

After finishing their innings early in the second session, the West Indies watched helplessly as Slater and Hayden piled on the runs. The two scored at well in excess of four runs per over, belting the attack to all parts of the ground.

Slater, in particular, took to the task of overcoming the fairly solid total with gusto, hunting down as opposed to merely chasing the runs. Playing his usual array of exciting shots, the right-hander was at his finest against the often short and wide bowling of Mervyn Dillon, whom he despatched to the fence for four of his eight boundaries.

After a somewhat scratchy beginning where he was beaten a couple of times by Courtney Walsh, Slater soon found his rhythm, bringing up his eighteenth Test half-century in style when a Dillon delivery was crashed through the covers to the fence.

Playing more of a supportive role, Hayden was not to be outdone, also smashing eight boundaries on his way to fifty-eight. The way he brought up Australia's hundred with a powerful sweep through mid wicket looked ominous for the tourists.

The pair notched up their 150 runs in just 159 minutes and it looked like they could bat forever. Windies' captain Jimmy Adams brought himself onto the attack, and tried Test debutant Marlon Samuels' off-breaks in the hope of a breakthrough. But like the others before them, they failed too. None of the six bowlers tried so far ever really looked like breaking the stellar partnership.

In the end, they got the wicket in the only other way possible, by running out Hayden. For the second time in the series, the Queenslander squandered a good start; for the second time, he was run out following a misunderstanding between himself and Slater.

Just four runs later, it was Slater who made his way back to the cool of the dressing rooms, after he cut a a Samuels long hop straight to substitute fielder Ramnaresh Sarwan at point.

Having begun his Test career just a couple of hours earlier batting alongside Brian Lara (182), nineteen-year-old Samuels now had a wicket to complement his composed innings of thirty-five.

Soon, he had more reason to rejoice, snaring the wicket of an out-of-sorts Justin Langer (6) for his third single-figure score of the series. Langer was caught at slip by Lara, attempting to cut a fairly harmless looking delivery.

In between the two wickets, Waugh began his 106th Test innings, with a majestic drive off Samuels presenting the teenager with a little dose of reality. Samuels nonetheless still finished with figures of 2/25 off his 11 overs, easily the best of the tourists' attack.

Earlier, the West Indians were bowled out for 391, not long after Lara's wonderful innings came to a close at 182. The gutsy innings from the beleaguered star, which included twenty-nine fours and one six, was at the heart of the tourists' highest total of the summer.

For Australia, Jason Gillespie (5/89) and Lara's conqueror Colin Miller (5/81) each grabbed a five-wicket haul, while the usually menacing Glenn McGrath was unlucky to finish wicketless.

AUSTRALIA BEGINS RUN CHASE

At tea, the home team is on fifty-eight without loss, 333 runs behind the West Indian first innings total of 391, with Michael Slater (38*) and Matthew Hayden (15*) at the crease.

Coming out to bat with the highest West Indian total of the summer to overcome, Slater and Hayden have begun positively, scoring at a rate of just under four runs per over.

Although beaten a couple of times early by Courtney Walsh, Slater has tried to play his aggressive brand of cricket, striking four boundaries in his fifty-six ball stay. The openers posted their third successive fifty-run Test partnership inside the first twelve overs.

The stand has taken some shine off the West Indies' seemingly imposing total, which was the second highest made by an opposition during Australia's twelve-Test winning streak.

Inspired by star batsman Brian Lara's (182) spectacular return to form, the tourists made their highest score of the series today, falling just short of the four-hundred run mark.

After speedster Jason Gillespie (5/89) took the first five wickets, it was veteran off-spinner Colin Miller (5/81) who came with a rush today, picking up the rest of the touring batsmen, including the prized scalp of Lara.

Miller took three tail-end wickets in the middle session as the West Indies lost their last four for just thirty-seven runs. Having dismissed promising debutant Marlon Samuels (35) just before lunch, Miller claimed Nixon McLean (0), wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs (21), and Courtney Walsh (0) in quick succession to end the tourists' innings.

Miller's five-wicket haul was the second in his fifteen-Test career. He was by far the best of the spinners on a batsman-friendly Adelaide pitch, with leg spinner Stuart MacGill going for 118 runs in his twenty-four overs.

MacGill was punished heavily by Lara, at one stage going for three consecutive boundaries. His return of forty-seven runs from six overs today was a stark contrast to Miller's 13.5 overs, which included seven maidens and came at a cost of only fourteen runs.

Playing in his first Test match in front of a home crowd, Gillespie was the other successful Australian bowler, picking up his fourth five-wicket bag at this level. Glenn McGrath, who bowled with his usual efficiency, was unlucky not to claim a single victim.

LARA FALLS BUT WINDIES CHARGE AHEAD

For the first time this summer, the tourists have shown genuine form and fight in this match, finishing today's first session on 7/376, with wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs (11*) and Nixon McLean (0*) at the crease.

Not surprisingly, it took star batsman Lara to dig the team out of a slump that saw them lose the first two Tests by whopping margins. And didn't he do it in style, notching up his 6000th Test run and posting his fourth highest Test score along the way.

After a scratchy beginning this morning against the pace and consistency of Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath, Lara soon settled in to his groove against the spinners. Having survived the first spell of the day from nemesis McGrath - he survived three confident lbw shouts in the very first over from the paceman - Lara went to work on Colin Miller (2/73) and Stuart MacGill, smashing his third hat-trick of fours from the leg-spinner's second over.

After beginning with a maiden, MacGill soon found himself on the opposite end of some Lara magic, conceding thirty-four runs from his next four overs. Driving, pulling and slogging the spinner to most parts of the ground, Lara went in search of another double ton to add to the books.

At the other end, debutant Samuels was also impressive, using his feet and playing smart cricket. Unperturbed by the significance of the occasion or the might of the opposition, Samuels played with the sort of confidence that has been missing from the tourists' batting for much of this season. The pair added fifty runs in just sixty-seven minutes at one point.

The partnership was broken at seventy-four, when veteran off-spinner Colin Miller had Lara caught in the slips by Mark Waugh. Waugh, who missed a difficult chance off the West Indian yesterday, held on to the ball today, ending Lara's imposing innings of five hours and fifty minutes. Although his hand had ended with a rash shot, the batsman walked to the pavilion to a standing ovation for a job well done.

Samuels followed in the penultimate over before lunch, trapped in front by Miller. The youngster, who only arrived in Australia last week to replace the injured Shivnarine Chanderpaul, lasted just over two hours, striking four boundaries, including a superbly pulled one off Gillespie.

Earlier, South Australian Gillespie provided the first breakthrough of the day when he had nightwatchman Mervyn Dillon (9) caught by Waugh. The wicket presented the paceman with his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 17 Dec2000 - 06:48