Australia forced to wait another day for series win
Sunday, 20 December 2009
West Indies had Australia shuddering for half the day but by stumps it was the hosts who were one wicket from cracking in their courageous chase, according to website cricinfo.
Australia grabbed four breakthroughs in the last hour to be on the verge of a 2-0 series win, with Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge needing another 51 to reach their unlikely victory target of 359.
The match seemed headed for a quick finish when West Indies were 3 for 68 at lunch - the dangermen Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were gone - but Narsingh Deonarine and Brendan Nash combined in a brave partnership that gave them hope.
By the scheduled end Australia needed three wickets and took the extra half hour, succeeding only in dismissing Sulieman Benn and Ravi Rampaul. Roach and Tonge not only held on, but added 29 in 30 balls to take the score to 9 for 308, extending the game into a fifth day.
On a swinging afternoon West Indies had started to believe in a drawn series during the second session, when the 128-run stand between Deonarine and Nash was taking them closer to what would be the second-highest successful run-chase at the ground.
At tea Australia's bowling had been ineffective, flat and as sick as Mitchell Johnson. By stumps Johnson, who was suffering stomach problems, had bowled through the pain to gain three wickets and Ricky Ponting could relax over his 35th birthday dinner.
There will be no long party for the captain, but with a sunny day predicted for Sunday, most of his fears over the result will have disappeared.
Just as Ponting's men were wondering if they would be giving up two huge chases in a row at the ground - last year South Africa pursued 414 - they broke through twice in two overs. Deonarine and Dwayne Bravo, the last game-changer in the order, departed to return control to Australia and more dismissals came in the final stages.
A maiden wicket went to Clint McKay when he bowled Denesh Ramdin, but the final one stayed out of reach. Benn struck two sixes off Johnson in his 33 before Theo Doropoulos, the substitute fielder, made up for his earlier miss at mid-on, and Rampaul went in the same Johnson over. Then the last pair showed similar determination as Deonarine and Nash to hold out.
Until his 183rd delivery Nash was an immoveable object, but Doug Bollinger took the new ball and delivered an off-cutter that hit off stump without the batsman playing a shot. It was a sad end for such a gutsy display in which Nash was the side's brick wall, deflecting the ball and insults from the fielders during his 65. Deonarine more than doubled his previous best score with 82, his first Test half-century, as the aggressor in the stand that lasted more than three hours.
The combination was slow at the start, but West Indies didn't need to rush and preventing any further damage was key. As the partnership went on the Australians increased their appealing, especially when the spinners were on, and Marcus North could have had an lbw if a not-out decision for Deonarine, on 65, had been referred to the third umpire.
Further resistance came after tea, with Nash becalmed for 70 minutes on 48, as the Australians worked on suffocating the pair. Neither left-hander made a fatal mistake until Deonarine played back to Shane Watson, who was working from around the wicket, and the ball deflected from pad on the stumps.
West Indies 312 & 9 for 308 (Deonarine 82, Nash 65) need 51 runs to beat Australia 7 for 520 dec & 150 (Bravo 4-42).
Australia grabbed four breakthroughs in the last hour to be on the verge of a 2-0 series win, with Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge needing another 51 to reach their unlikely victory target of 359.
The match seemed headed for a quick finish when West Indies were 3 for 68 at lunch - the dangermen Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were gone - but Narsingh Deonarine and Brendan Nash combined in a brave partnership that gave them hope.
By the scheduled end Australia needed three wickets and took the extra half hour, succeeding only in dismissing Sulieman Benn and Ravi Rampaul. Roach and Tonge not only held on, but added 29 in 30 balls to take the score to 9 for 308, extending the game into a fifth day.
On a swinging afternoon West Indies had started to believe in a drawn series during the second session, when the 128-run stand between Deonarine and Nash was taking them closer to what would be the second-highest successful run-chase at the ground.
At tea Australia's bowling had been ineffective, flat and as sick as Mitchell Johnson. By stumps Johnson, who was suffering stomach problems, had bowled through the pain to gain three wickets and Ricky Ponting could relax over his 35th birthday dinner.
There will be no long party for the captain, but with a sunny day predicted for Sunday, most of his fears over the result will have disappeared.
Just as Ponting's men were wondering if they would be giving up two huge chases in a row at the ground - last year South Africa pursued 414 - they broke through twice in two overs. Deonarine and Dwayne Bravo, the last game-changer in the order, departed to return control to Australia and more dismissals came in the final stages.
A maiden wicket went to Clint McKay when he bowled Denesh Ramdin, but the final one stayed out of reach. Benn struck two sixes off Johnson in his 33 before Theo Doropoulos, the substitute fielder, made up for his earlier miss at mid-on, and Rampaul went in the same Johnson over. Then the last pair showed similar determination as Deonarine and Nash to hold out.
Until his 183rd delivery Nash was an immoveable object, but Doug Bollinger took the new ball and delivered an off-cutter that hit off stump without the batsman playing a shot. It was a sad end for such a gutsy display in which Nash was the side's brick wall, deflecting the ball and insults from the fielders during his 65. Deonarine more than doubled his previous best score with 82, his first Test half-century, as the aggressor in the stand that lasted more than three hours.
The combination was slow at the start, but West Indies didn't need to rush and preventing any further damage was key. As the partnership went on the Australians increased their appealing, especially when the spinners were on, and Marcus North could have had an lbw if a not-out decision for Deonarine, on 65, had been referred to the third umpire.
Further resistance came after tea, with Nash becalmed for 70 minutes on 48, as the Australians worked on suffocating the pair. Neither left-hander made a fatal mistake until Deonarine played back to Shane Watson, who was working from around the wicket, and the ball deflected from pad on the stumps.
West Indies 312 & 9 for 308 (Deonarine 82, Nash 65) need 51 runs to beat Australia 7 for 520 dec & 150 (Bravo 4-42).