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