WOW!!!!!!!! What a game of cricket this was.
Talk about great captaincy that is fantastic work from Michael Clarke, to come back like that and turn things around. I really think our very own Brendon Taylor will take a leaf from this seemingly great Australian leader.
Five years after Australia won the World Cup in a farcical finish in the dark at Kensington Oval, they again celebrated a victory there in fading light as the first Test went to the wire on the fifth day.
Set 192 to win in two sessions, the Australians started their chase slowly and were almost derailed by middle-order wickets, but Michael Hussey's calm and rational approach ensured they narrowly outpaced the setting sun to win by three wickets.
In a tense conclusion, Hussey was bowled by Kemar Roach for 32 from 26 balls with three runs still required, but Ryan Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus saw the Australians home and denied West Indies a satisfactory outcome despite them dominating the first three days.
Hilfenhaus struck the winning run with a single scrambled to the off side and a direct-hit at the bowler's end was sent to the third umpire, who found Hilfenhaus in his ground by a few inches.
All the while, the players were keeping an eye on the umpires, who were keeping an eye on the light and under the new ICC rules have complete authority to determine whether play continues or ceases. By the last few balls the shadows had completely enveloped the ground but there was just enough time for the Australians, who celebrated a victory that was set up by Michael Clarke's gutsy declaration behind on the fourth day.
It was a decision that indicated Australia would attack in the final few sessions and by dismissing West Indies for 148 before lunch on the last day, they gave themselves hope. West Indies were not out of the contest either, and four wickets to Narsingh Deonarine gave them more that a slim chance, as the Australians still needed 52 runs with five wickets in hand when Clarke became the fourth of Deonarine's victims.
But Hussey used the finishing skills that have made him such a valuable ODI player, reverse-sweeping to find gaps and twice clearing the long-on boundary off Deonarine to bring the target within reach. The loss of Matthew Wade, who cut Roach high and was caught at deep point for 18, was a blow, and the departure of Hussey in Roach's next over kept the game alive, but it wasn't enough for West Indies.
They were left to rue a couple of important dropped catches, particularly the captain Darren Sammy's failure to hang on to a chance when Shane Watson had 4. Watson cut Roach viciously to gully and the ball fizzed through Sammy's hands, and while it was a fearsome stroke it was certainly a catch that should have been taken. Ed Cowan was also reprieved when he edged Sammy and the keeper Carlton Baugh, standing up to the stumps, couldn't glove the ball.
Cowan and Watson compiled a 75-run stand after David Warner was caught behind off Sammy for 23, but their partnership was notable for the snail's pace at which it was built in the early stages. Cowan went to tea on 11 from 61 balls and Australia needed another 131 in the final session, and their lack of urgency seemed at odds with Clarke's aggressive declaration.
The tempo lifted after tea and the dropping of Watson proved costly as he started to find the boundary and on one occasion cleared it. He was caught at deep backward square leg for 52 when he top-edged an attempted pull off Deonarine and Cowan followed soon after for an agonising 34 from 100 balls when he pulled Deonarine straight to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at midwicket.
Ricky Ponting was bowled by a ball that stayed low and Clarke chipped a catch back to Deonarine, before Hussey and Wade steadied the chase. Australia had been favourites when they bowled West Indies out in an extended opening session in which the hosts added 77 to their overnight total for the loss of their last five wickets.
The last specialist batsman, Deonarine, added only one run to his score and was the first to depart, lbw to Harris for 21. It was precisely the start the Australians needed if they were to give themselves time to chase down a target, and they had another perfect chance soon afterwards when Sammy skied a chance to long-on.
Nathan Lyon put down a sitter to give Sammy a life on 12, and nobody was happier than Lyon when Sammy played on to Watson for 14, accidentally kicking the ball on to his stumps as he tried to prevent it rolling back. Baugh chipped a catch to mid-on from the bowling of Hilfenhaus (4 for 27) for 23 and West Indies were in trouble at 116 for 8.
Fidel Edwards defended solidly for a while before he played a surprisingly rash stroke and skied a catch to mid-off for 3 from 17 balls to give Peter Siddle his second wicket, and that brought the No.11 Devendra Bishoo to the crease. Bishoo defended calmly and together with Roach set about eating up time and adding some important runs to the total.
Their 23-run stand pushed the session beyond the scheduled lunch time but eventually ended when Roach was bowled by Harris for 25. That left the Australians with 192 to chase in two sessions and they were good enough to do so - just. West Indies were left to wonder what could have been.
Thursday 12 April 2012
Tuesday 10 April 2012
'JONTY' RETURNS TO THE FIELD OF PLAY
As many Zimbabwean cricket players prepare for the beginning of the English cricket season. Mash Eagles team manager Joseph Madjembwa porpularly known as Jonty has announced his return to the field to try his luck once again.
Madjembwa in an interview with Off The Crease sighted how happy he was to return to the field of play, this time as a player. "Its a liberating feeling to be playing yet again,l am now getting into the thick of things. I been shown the ropes, so I am looking forward to the challenge" he said.
He is among big names like former national team opener Dion Ebrahim, pace bowlers Mluleki Nkala, Travis Friend and Regis Chakabva among many fellow contry men.The action begins in three weeks time where Zimbabwe's sons will take to the field in a bid to make it into better leagues like the County League.
MEANWHILE::::
West Indies remained firmly on top after three days of attritional cricket in Barbados, where Darren Sammy's early strikes and Devendra Bishoo's variations kept Australia's batsmen from making significant progress. At stumps on day three Australia were 248 for 5, with Michael Hussey on 47 and Matthew Wade on 19, and while they had almost passed the follow-on mark they were not yet safe in the match.
The big challenge for West Indies remained finding a way to turn their impressive performance into a victory. Rain again played a part on the third afternoon and their task for the final two days was to run through Australia's lower order quickly, bat again and set the visitors a target, and then skittle them a second time. The way this match has unfolded so far, that looked like it would be easier said than done.
But through Sammy and his colleagues West Indies had at least put themselves in the much stronger position. Last time the two sides met in a Caribbean Test series, the hosts had several days of inspired cricket but were unable to string together enough in one match to take a victory from Australia. This time they had started with two encouraging days, and worked through the third in the same fashion.
Michael Clarke provided Australia with a fighting half-century but threw his wicket away, while Shane Watson and David Warner also failed to capitalise on solid starts. Watson was also accountable for the ugly run-out of Ricky Ponting, a calamitous confusion that left Ponting fuming as he walked off the field.
The pair had come together after Sammy removed both openers in almost identical fashion, pitching the ball on off stump and nipping it away from the left-handers Warner and Ed Cowan. Cowan was on 14 when his thin edge found the wicketkeeper and Warner had made a promising start and had 42 when he edged to second slip, and Sammy's accuracy and persistence was impressive.
Those strikes were followed by the run-out of Ponting for 4 when Watson turned the ball behind square leg and took a single, and then called for the second, hesitated, and called Ponting through again. The throw from the deep to the wicketkeeper's end found a confused Ponting out of his ground as Watson loitered halfway down the pitch and Ponting's frustration was evident.
Watson was nearly involved in another run-out later when Clarke was saved only by a wayward throw. That, together with poor use of the review system, were the only real blemishes that could be attached to the West Indies fielding effort. Twice Watson survived lbw appeals that could easily have gone against him, once when he offered no shot to a prodigious inswinger from Sammy, who asked for a review and saw the replays show a perilously close prediction that had the ball hitting off stump, but only in the "umpire's call" zone.
In the next over, Kemar Roach appealed for lbw against Watson and also received a not-out verdict. This time Sammy decided against asking for a review but replays showed the ball would have struck enough of leg stump to have the decision overturned. West Indies wasted their second review after lunch when Sammy was off the ground and the vice-captain Kirk Edwards asked for the third umpire to check another Roach lbw appeal that was clearly sliding down leg.
But those errors of judgment didn't prove too costly. Watson threw his wicket away in the first over after lunch when he flashed impetuously at Roach and was caught behind for 39. It was hardly the innings Australia needed from Watson in his first Test batting at No.3. Clarke and Michael Hussey led a fightback with an 82-run partnership and they had to work hard against Bishoo, whose variations kept them from scoring freely.
Clarke used his feet against the legspinner and lofted him straight down the ground for six, but otherwise the Australians typically waited for poor balls from Bishoo and did the best they could to keep the good ones out. Clarke brought up his half-century from his 121st delivery with a fine cover-driven boundary from the part-time offspin of Narsingh Deonarine, and he was fortunate to have got there after a contentious review when he was on 27.
Clarke was adjudged caught behind off a Bishoo ball that stayed low and he immediately challenged the out decision from the umpire Tony Hill. Replays did not clearly show that he hit the ball but nor did there seem to be overwhelming evidence to overturn the call, but that was what happened and it was a serious let-off for Clarke.
Eventually, Bishoo had his reward when Clarke tried to clear long-off but succeeded only in skying a catch, and it was an unwise shot selection at a time when Clarke and Hussey needed to continue building their partnership. Hussey was more watchful and by stumps was approaching a half-century, and Wade struggled against Bishoo with a packed close-in field, but he was good enough to put away the bad balls when they came.
Bishoo's challenge on the fourth day will be to run through the tail, although with the new ball due Sammy will first turn to his fast men to do that job. And if they can manage it, victory will be a possibility, although a draw remains the more likely outcome
Madjembwa in an interview with Off The Crease sighted how happy he was to return to the field of play, this time as a player. "Its a liberating feeling to be playing yet again,l am now getting into the thick of things. I been shown the ropes, so I am looking forward to the challenge" he said.
He is among big names like former national team opener Dion Ebrahim, pace bowlers Mluleki Nkala, Travis Friend and Regis Chakabva among many fellow contry men.The action begins in three weeks time where Zimbabwe's sons will take to the field in a bid to make it into better leagues like the County League.
MEANWHILE::::
West Indies remained firmly on top after three days of attritional cricket in Barbados, where Darren Sammy's early strikes and Devendra Bishoo's variations kept Australia's batsmen from making significant progress. At stumps on day three Australia were 248 for 5, with Michael Hussey on 47 and Matthew Wade on 19, and while they had almost passed the follow-on mark they were not yet safe in the match.
The big challenge for West Indies remained finding a way to turn their impressive performance into a victory. Rain again played a part on the third afternoon and their task for the final two days was to run through Australia's lower order quickly, bat again and set the visitors a target, and then skittle them a second time. The way this match has unfolded so far, that looked like it would be easier said than done.
But through Sammy and his colleagues West Indies had at least put themselves in the much stronger position. Last time the two sides met in a Caribbean Test series, the hosts had several days of inspired cricket but were unable to string together enough in one match to take a victory from Australia. This time they had started with two encouraging days, and worked through the third in the same fashion.
Michael Clarke provided Australia with a fighting half-century but threw his wicket away, while Shane Watson and David Warner also failed to capitalise on solid starts. Watson was also accountable for the ugly run-out of Ricky Ponting, a calamitous confusion that left Ponting fuming as he walked off the field.
The pair had come together after Sammy removed both openers in almost identical fashion, pitching the ball on off stump and nipping it away from the left-handers Warner and Ed Cowan. Cowan was on 14 when his thin edge found the wicketkeeper and Warner had made a promising start and had 42 when he edged to second slip, and Sammy's accuracy and persistence was impressive.
Those strikes were followed by the run-out of Ponting for 4 when Watson turned the ball behind square leg and took a single, and then called for the second, hesitated, and called Ponting through again. The throw from the deep to the wicketkeeper's end found a confused Ponting out of his ground as Watson loitered halfway down the pitch and Ponting's frustration was evident.
Watson was nearly involved in another run-out later when Clarke was saved only by a wayward throw. That, together with poor use of the review system, were the only real blemishes that could be attached to the West Indies fielding effort. Twice Watson survived lbw appeals that could easily have gone against him, once when he offered no shot to a prodigious inswinger from Sammy, who asked for a review and saw the replays show a perilously close prediction that had the ball hitting off stump, but only in the "umpire's call" zone.
In the next over, Kemar Roach appealed for lbw against Watson and also received a not-out verdict. This time Sammy decided against asking for a review but replays showed the ball would have struck enough of leg stump to have the decision overturned. West Indies wasted their second review after lunch when Sammy was off the ground and the vice-captain Kirk Edwards asked for the third umpire to check another Roach lbw appeal that was clearly sliding down leg.
But those errors of judgment didn't prove too costly. Watson threw his wicket away in the first over after lunch when he flashed impetuously at Roach and was caught behind for 39. It was hardly the innings Australia needed from Watson in his first Test batting at No.3. Clarke and Michael Hussey led a fightback with an 82-run partnership and they had to work hard against Bishoo, whose variations kept them from scoring freely.
Clarke used his feet against the legspinner and lofted him straight down the ground for six, but otherwise the Australians typically waited for poor balls from Bishoo and did the best they could to keep the good ones out. Clarke brought up his half-century from his 121st delivery with a fine cover-driven boundary from the part-time offspin of Narsingh Deonarine, and he was fortunate to have got there after a contentious review when he was on 27.
Clarke was adjudged caught behind off a Bishoo ball that stayed low and he immediately challenged the out decision from the umpire Tony Hill. Replays did not clearly show that he hit the ball but nor did there seem to be overwhelming evidence to overturn the call, but that was what happened and it was a serious let-off for Clarke.
Eventually, Bishoo had his reward when Clarke tried to clear long-off but succeeded only in skying a catch, and it was an unwise shot selection at a time when Clarke and Hussey needed to continue building their partnership. Hussey was more watchful and by stumps was approaching a half-century, and Wade struggled against Bishoo with a packed close-in field, but he was good enough to put away the bad balls when they came.
Bishoo's challenge on the fourth day will be to run through the tail, although with the new ball due Sammy will first turn to his fast men to do that job. And if they can manage it, victory will be a possibility, although a draw remains the more likely outcome
Wednesday 4 April 2012
WEST INDIES GOING STRONG WITHOUT GAYLE
The West Indies have named their squad for the first of three Tests against Australia, with batsman Narsingh Deonarine and seamer Ravi Rampaul included in the 13-man fold.
The 28-year-old Deonarine has not played for the Windies since June 2010, when he fell from favour during the series against South Africa, but returns to the team on the back of a solid run of form for Guyana.
Rampaul, meanwhile, has recovered from the bout of dengue fever that ruled him out of last month's five ODIs and two T20Is against the touring Australians.
Kirk Edwards has been named vice-captain, while Devendra Bishoo is the lone specialist spinner in the squad.
The series opener gets underway in Bridgetown, Barbados on Sunday.
Squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Kirk Edwards (vice-captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wicketkeeper), Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Kieran Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach
The 28-year-old Deonarine has not played for the Windies since June 2010, when he fell from favour during the series against South Africa, but returns to the team on the back of a solid run of form for Guyana.
Rampaul, meanwhile, has recovered from the bout of dengue fever that ruled him out of last month's five ODIs and two T20Is against the touring Australians.
Kirk Edwards has been named vice-captain, while Devendra Bishoo is the lone specialist spinner in the squad.
The series opener gets underway in Bridgetown, Barbados on Sunday.
Squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Kirk Edwards (vice-captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wicketkeeper), Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Kieran Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach
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