1st Test: West Indies v Australia at Georgetown, 10-14 Apr 2003 Martin Williamson |
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Australia 2nd innings:
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With the sixth ball of the day Gillespie jagged one back into Vasbert Drakes, keeping low and trapping him on the backfoot - for once the lbw decision was straightforward. Drakes had not added to his overnight 14 (382 for 6).
With the third ball of his next over to Merv Dillon, Gillespie again got one to cut back in, again the bounce was low, and again the verdict was leg-before. Dillon had made 0, and a hobbling Ridley Jacobs limped out to join a similarly restricted Shivnarine Chanderpaul (384 for 7).
Much depended on this pair, and briefly they threatened to reprise their first-innings heroics. Then Chanderpaul’s limited movement cost him dear as he nicked Gillespie to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for 31 and the end was near (391 for 8).
Jacobs (11) opted to try and hit his way out of trouble, lofting Stuart MacGill over long-on for six, but the next ball an inside edge flew to short leg where Darren Lehmann held the catch (397 for 9).
Gillespie ended the proceedings with his third leg-before of the morning, Jermaine Lawson (0) was creasebound to a ball slanting back in at him. Gillespie had his five-for, and in 41 minutes the West Indian dream had been dashed.
In the 70 minutes before lunch Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden made slow and far from confident progress, but their rustiness was not probed as once again the West Indies bowlers lacked any real bite. As the batsmen made their way off they cast a few anxious glances at the darkening sky. The weather is now the only thing that will deprive Australia of victory.
© Wisden CricInfo
Date-stamped : 14 Apr2003 - 01:04