West Indies in Australia, Nov 1992-Feb 1993 - Tour Summary



West Indies in Australia, 1992-93.

====> Test Summary

     The Contest For the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy
            The West Indies in Australia
      The Sir Frank Worrell trophy series  was  won  by  the
West Indies in the final test when Curtley Ambrose destroyed
Australia and they won by an  innings.  Although  the  final
test  decided  the  series,  the series was very close until
this game, with  only  the  Sydney  test  not  producing  an
exciting finish.
      Curtley Ambrose was  the  exceptional  bowler  of  the
series with 33 wickets, and he bowled excellently throughout
and was probably  unlucky  not  to  claim  more  than  forty
wickets.  Merv  Hughes and Ian Bishop were the other leading
bowlers. Hughes bowled consistently through out  the  series
taking  3  and  4 wicket bags. Ian Bishop came alive towards
the end of the series when he recaptured the  sort  of  pace
and  skill  that made many think he would be regarded as the
best bowler in the world by now. David Boon was clearly  the
best  batsman  of  the  series  with  490  runs.  He display
consistency through out the series rarely having a  failure.
Brian Lara (466 runs) and Richie Richardson (380 runs)  were
the other top batsman of the series. Brian Lara's was  sheer
excitement when batting, he strode to the middle and started
striking the ball immediately, his crowning  glory  was  his
magnificent  277,  in which he struck the ball hard and with
ease. He pull and swept balls from outside  off  stump  with
such  power  that  if he hadn't pick the gap fieldsman would
have had trouble stopping  it.  He  was  dismissed  when  he
rightly  assumed that a ball was past Damien Martyn at cover
who stopped it and he  was  unable  to  regain  his  ground.
Richie on the other displayed the perfect ability to counter
attack, in the first test with the situation dire at  3  for
3,  when  Bruce  Reid  let  a  bouncer  at  him,  he hook it
beautifully fine for 6. It was  a  strange  policy  for  the
Australians  as  they repeatedly bounced Richardson in spite
of most of them going over the  fence!  They  dismissed  him
twice  in all games with the bouncer, in the Sydney test for
106 and in the second World Series Cup final.
      The new noball rule was never enforced in  the  series
as  the  West Indies use a length aimed at the chest not the
head. In fact it was not until they  started  to  pitch  the
ball  up  that  the  wickets  started falling as they did at
Adelaide and Perth. The  Australians  however  bowl  a  full
length  for  most of the series, although Jo Angel did put a
bouncer through Desmond Haynes in  the  final  test  and  he
retired  to come back the next day. Australia's best bowling
figures were taken by the two spinners Shane Warne  and  Tim
May.   Whilst  both  effort's  showed excellent one can only
wonder as to why the West  Indies  batsman  seemed  to  over
attack, appearing to lose control in the situation.
      The series started with  an  even  test  in  Brisbane,
where the West Indies needed just over 200 runs on the final
day. Given the earlier performance of  Keith  Arthurton  and
the West Indies batting it seemed the West Indies would win,
but enter McDermott after a lack lustre first innings effort
and  the  West Indies had been reduced to 3 for 3, then four
for 9 when Arthurton was bowled for  a  duck  by  McDermott.
Hooper  and  Richardson then took the score to 95 a position
from which the West Indies had a  remote  possibility  of  a
win,  but  Hooper  ruined  that  by  playing a rash pull off
Matthews that went straight to Boon. Williams  made  a  duck
and  the West Indies looked like losing at 6 for 96, but Ian
Bishop played straight and helped Richardson, who  had  been
rock  solid before being given out to an iffy catch down leg
side, to hold out for a draw.
      The second test at Melbourne was also very even, after
Allan  Border's  second  hundred in 3 tests and Mark Waugh's
second against the West Indies saw  Australia  to  395,  the
West  Indies  replied  with 295. On a pitch that was keeping
low Australia was dismissed for 196 with Damien Martyn's  67
not  out  and the tail helping it from 5 for 90. This was to
prove crucial as the West Indies 1 for 32 at  the  start  of
the  fifth  day,  cruised  in  the first season to 1 for 143
chasing 359. When Warne got a flipper that kept low  through
Richardson,  the West Indies collapse against Warne who took
7 for 52 to be all out for 219. The West Indians  seemed  to
lose control after Richardson's dismissal.
      The third test on a superb batting  track  both  sides
past  500, and it was only Brian Lara superb innings off 277
that livened it up. The fourth test couldn't have been  more
different,an  absolute  thriller.   Batting  first  on  what
looked like a good track the West Indies made a  good  start
as  Simmons  and  Haynes put on 84 for the first wicket. But
apart from Lara and Junior Murray the batting was  poor  and
they were dismissed for 252. In reply Australia struggled as
Ambrose bowled well, Boon was forced to  retire  hurt  by  a
blow  on  the  elbow from Bishop and Langer also took blows.
Steven Waugh and  Merv  Hughes  the  only  players  to  look
comfortable.  Again the West Indies batting collapsed in the
second innings, to be recovered by  Richardson  and  Hooper,
but like in the first test Hooper was out to an idiotic shot
to the spinner May.  With only Richardson's seventy stopping
May  who  took the astonishing figures of 5 for 9, Australia
only  needed  185  to  win  with  2  days  to  go.   However
Australia's  top  order  was destroyed by the quicks and all
seemed lost when the score reached 8 for 102,  but  debutant
Langer  showed grit in making 54 and with May took the score
to 144 before he was out to a pull.  It  appeared  all  over
given  McDermott's  batting  record against the West Indies,
but he put his body behind the line and the score  edged  up
until  with  2 runs needed he drove a delivery away that was
brilliantly  stopped  by  Haynes,  that  would  have   given
Australia  victory,  finally  McDermott tried to sway out of
the way of a Walsh delivery,the ball appeared to strike  his
helmet  and  he was given out caught behind. The West Indies
had won by a single run.
      The fifth test was disappointing  as  Curtley  Ambrose
destroyed Australia in the first innings with only Boon with
44 passing 13. In one 32 ball spell Ambrose took 7 for 1  as
Australia  went  from  2  for 85 to all out 119. In reply Jo
Angel  struck  Haynes  with  a  bouncer  and   then   Richie
Richardson  appeared  intent  on being ahead by stumps as he
raced to 47  off  40  balls  including  more  hooked  sixes.
Australia  was  able to restrict the West Indies to only 322
with Arthurton and Simmons both making fifties.  Ian  Bishop
was  the  man  who  went  through  Australia  this  time  as
Australia slumped to 6 for 95. Martyn, Hughesand Healy added
respectability  to  the  score but the West Indies won by an
innings.
             M  Won Lost  Drwn Tied
First Class  9   3   1     5     -
One-Day     13   8   4     1     -
Total       22  11   5     6     -

 Contributed by Phil Shead (drinnen@deakin.edu.au)

====> Tour Summary

                The West Indies in Australia
      Apart from the 5 test series the West Indies played  4
other  first class games. The fact that they only won one is
an indication of the generally relaxed  way  in  which  they
play  these  games,  in  contrast  to tests. The first match
against the shield champions at Perth could be  regarded  in
hindsight as the example of what could be expected at Perth.
Batting first without any  standout  performance  they  made
280,  both  Julian  and Angel took 5 wickets. West Australia
made 7 declared for 239 with similar even batting. The  West
Indies  scored  a  run  a  minute in there second innings as
Hooper (60) and Arthurton (104*) made  good  starts  to  the
first class season. In response Western Australia was bowled
by a West Indies second string bowling line up for 131  with
only  Zoehrer  (31) and Martyn (40) offering any resistance.
The surprise was that off-spinner Carl Hooper took 7 wickets
for the West Indies.
      The match against the Australian XI was  played  on  a
relatively easy pitch. Again the West Indies played a second
string bowling attack, the Australian XI made 341 with Waugh
(96)  leading the scoring.  Hooper was again the pick of the
bowlers with 5 for 72. Simmons' 106 along  with  Arthurton's
76  guided the West Indies to a small lead with Warne taking
4-104. Waugh, Martyn and Lehmann took the Australian XI to a
fair  lead  against  a  disinterested West Indies attack and
left the West Indies 253 to get. The West Indies chased  for
a while but the match ended tamely.
      The West Indies bowled poorly against New South Wales,
appearing  to  lose  interest  after  struggling for wickets
early. Taylor with 101 and Mark Waugh's 200 not out gave New
South  Wales  a very quickly scored 5 for 473. In reply only
Hooper with  80  not  out  keep  the  West  Indies  from  an
embarrassing  total as they fell for 183. Batting again most
of the West Indian batsman scored runs with Phil Simmons and
Carl  Hooper  continuing there pre-test form with centuries.
The match ended in a draw.
      The four day match against Victoria  in  Ballarat  was
washed  out.  The West Indies defeated the ACB Chairman's XI
at Lilac Hill, and Western Australia at Perth in two one-day
matches. A third against the Prime Minister's XI at Canberra
was washed out.
      Generally on this tour the West Indies play  the  non-
international  matches  with  a  more  relaxed  attitude and
usually a with a non-front line  bowling  attack.  The  tour
itself  was  very  successful after the slow start, with the
West Indies winning the test series easily in the decider at
Perth and reclaiming the world series cup after losing there
domination of the tournament last year. The important things
that  came  out  of  the  tour  for the West Indies were the
return to form of Ian Bishop and the  strengthening  of  the
batting  with  the  emergence  of  Lara  and  grit  shown by
Arthurton. The West Indies  still  appear  to  lack  quality
openers  with  Haynes  declining  and Simmons not up to job.
Jimmy Adams may be able to fill one slot. Both wicketkeepers
were  poor  behind the stumps although Murray finished quite
well. The West Indies will hoping for great improvement from
Murray  or  they  will  have  to  find  a better keeper from
somewhere.
Lilac Hill  ACB President's XI 9-209 (marsh 72 Martyn 32 
            Lavender 31 Hooper 3-42)
2.11.92     West Indies 3-210(44.2) (Lara 106* 
            Richardson 53 D.K.Lille 2-18!!)
Perth       West Indies 199 (49.0) (Haynes 44 Arthurton 44 
            Angel 4-38)
4.11.92     Western Australia 171 (45.5) (Martyn 52 
            Bishop 3-21 Hooper 3-25)
Perth       West Indies 280 (Adams 52 Lara 55 Haynes 52 
            Julian 5-72 Angel 5-59)
6.11.92     4-326 (Haynes 66 Hooper 60 Arthurton 104*)
            Western Australia 7-239 (Langer 40 Veletta 51 
            Hooper 4-61)
            131 (Martyn 40 Zoehrer 31 Hooper 3-45 
            Benjamin 3-27)
Canberra    Prime Ministers XI 7-233 (Jones 76 Bevan 58 
            Arthurton 2-22)
12.11.92    West Indies 9-230 (Williams 57 Haynes 35 
            Reiffel 4-44)
Hobart      Australian XI 341 (S Waugh 96* Hayden 46 
            Phillips 40 Hooper 5-72)
14.11.92    4-293 (Waugh 100* Hayden 53 Lehmann 45*)
            West Indies 382 (Simmons 106 Arhurton  76 
            Warne 4-104)
            5-213 (Haynes 79 Arthurton 46 Hooper 38*)
Sydney      New South Wales 5-473 (Taylor 101 
            M Waugh 200* Bevan 40) and 1-34
20.11.92    West Indies 183 (Hooper 81* Simmons 30  
            Freedman 3-26)
            9-507 (Simmons 109 Hooper 124 Logie 99 
            Richardson 75)
14    Ballarat    v  Victoria (match abandoned with no play)

 Contributed by Phil Shead (drinnen@deakin.edu.au)