The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : 87-run win for Australia

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Tuesday, Jun 17, 2008
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87-run win for Australia

BRIDGETOWN: Australia completed an 87-run victory over the West Indies in the third and final Test on Monday. West Indies, chasing 475 for victory, was dismissed for 387 in its second innings about 25 minutes before tea on the fifth and final day of the Test at the Kensington Oval.

Australia won the three-Test series 2-0. The Aussies had already retained the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Beau Casson and Stuart Clark inched Australia closer to victory, when they shared two vital wickets before lunch. Casson removed Dwayne Bravo for 69 and Clark got Shivnarine Chanderpaul out for 50, as West Indies, chasing 475 runs to win, reached 316 for five in its second innings at the interval.

For just over 90 minutes, Australia had been kept at bay by Chanderpaul and Bravo, after West Indies continued from its bedtime total of 235 for three.

Shaky start

The day started shakily for the Aussies, when Chanderpaul edged the first delivery from Clark through the slip cordon for a boundary.

Unfortunately for the Aussies, Chanderpaul and Bravo took this as a sign, and knuckled down to play circumspectly, and a few milestones fell by the way during this period.

First, Bravo stabbed a delivery from Casson into the square cover region for a single to reach his 50.

Then Chanderpaul reached 8,000 Test runs when he glanced a delivery from Brett Lee to deep fine leg for a single.

Chanderpaul then tugged a full toss from Casson to mid-on for a single in the following over to reach his 50.

The Aussie bowlers would also suffer some punishment along the way, and an intriguing battle surfaced between Casson and Bravo which saw the young left-arm wrist spinner being carted three times over long-off for sixes.

But Australia captain Ricky Ponting persevered with Casson and he was rewarded, when Bravo was caught at silly point to end a fourth-wicket stand of 122.

Ponting then claimed the second new ball after 83.1 overs, and Clark struck with the second delivery, when he had Chanderpaul adjudged leg before about 15 minutes before lunch.

Australia — 1st innings: 251.

West Indies — 1st innings: 216.

Australia — 2nd innings: 439 for five decl.

West Indies — 2nd innings: C. Gayle c Lee b Clark 26, X. Marshall c Jaques b Casson 85, R. Sarwan lbw b Clarke 43, S. Chanderpaul lbw b Clark 50, D. Bravo c Jaques b Casson 69, D. Ramdin lbw b Clark 8, J. Taylor c Haddin b Johnson 31, S. Chattergoon c Haddin b Lee 13, S. Benn c Hussey b Casson 13, D. Powell c Haddin b Lee 6, F. Edwards (not out) 5; Extras (b-10, lb-8, w-8, nb-12): 38; Total (in 105.4 overs) 387.

Fall of wickets: 1-64, 2-159, 3-181, 4-303, 5-303, 6-345, 7-351, 8-375, 9-375.

Australia bowling: Lee 25.4-3-109-2, Clark 24-8-58-3, Johnson 12-0-72-1, Casson 25-3-86-3, Clarke 17-1-38-1, Symonds 2-0-6-0. — Agencies

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