Memorable day for McGrath; gritty knock by Jacobs

By Malcolm Conn

PERTH, DEC. 1. Of all the joy and success Dennis Lillee generated charging in from Perth's Swan River end, it is doubtful that Western Australia's favourite cricketing son ever matched the pandemonium Glenn McGrath created at the WACA Ground on Friday.

Operating from the same end that Lillee made famous through the '70s and early '80s, McGrath had magical milestones in as many moments as the West Indian top order crumbled again on the opening day of the second Test.

Australia's premier fast bowler took his 300th Test wicket on the way to a hat-trick before the West Indies fought back, scoring 196 thanks to tenacious wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs. Sadly he was left stranded on 96 when the last wicket fell.

A well organised Matthew Hayden (46 batting) has been the mainstay of Australia's 72 for two in reply. He lost Michael Slater for 19, wonderfully caught at second slip by Sherwin Campbell playing defensively, and Justin Langer for five attempting another ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful drive early in his innings. It is becoming a worrying tend which has hindered his start to the season at state and national level.

As McGrath so provocatively scripted before the match, Sherwin Campbell was wicket 299 and Brian Lara 300. Turning the momentous occasion into one of Australian cricket's most unforgettable moments for a record first day WACA crowd of 16,894, West Indian captain Jimmy Adams became McGrath's third victim in as many deliveries.

In the process McGrath was automatically inducted as just the third member of the Australian 300 wicket club behind Shane Warne (366) and Lillee (355). He was the eighth Australian to claim a hat-trick in 123 years of Test cricket.

When the dreadfully out of sorts Ramnaresh Sarwan bunted a ball from Brett Lee straight to Michael Slater at cover, the West Indies had slumped to 22 for five and its second two-day Test this year seemed a distinct possibility.

Only fighting innings from the newly included Wavell Hinds (50) and Jacobs dragged the total into three figures. It doubled the number of West Indian players who have scored first class half- centuries on this tour. The pair added 75 for the second wicket before Hinds was dismissed.

Jacobs, a terrific fighter who showed this awesome Australian side can be blunted, found a willing ally in tailender Mervyn Dillon. Embarrassing almost all his upper order colleagues, Dillon hung on grimly, scraping together 27 in almost an hour. He and Jacobs put on 55 before Dillon was caught by Hayden at third slip, giving Jason Gillespie his first wicket back in Test cricket after missing 15 months with injuries large and small.

An injured and out of sorts Lara dropped down a spot to No. 4 in the hope of getting a little more protection from McGrath with the new ball. No such luck.

The gifted left-hander arrived at the crease during the ninth over with McGrath already having tasted the blood of Campbell, caught by Ricky Ponting at first slip for three. In the back of Steve Waugh's mind was Jamaica last year, when Lara's brilliant double century turned the Test and series and saved his captaincy.

Secretly they feared a wounded lion fighting for his survival but instead Lara proved just another lamb to the slaughter. Once again McGrath produced the perfect ball for a left hander, pitching just short of a length around off stump then darting away off the seam. It took the edge and flew to Stuart MacGill at fourth slip, who allowed the ball to come up for air before clasping it to his chest.

Lara has now faced just 14 balls in his first three innings of the series and played just one scoring shot, a pulled four off McGrath during the second innings in Brisbane.

Jimmy Adams, a gentle man of good humour, continues to have it tried as never before. Already troubled by the collective disintegration of a once proud West Indian unit which has plunged to a new low, his own form has mirrored that of the team.

The left-hander is awkward if not uncomfortable playing a rising ball off his ribs, as he showed again spooning a simple catch to Langer, igniting a celebration on and off the ground.

Enter Sarwan, who received a last minute reprieve when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was ruled out with stress fractures to a toe and shin. So serious is the injury that a replacement batsman may be flown in.

Sarwan had originally been dropped for Hinds after four successive ducks and now stood facing a fifth as McGrath went for four wickets in four balls. Strangely, with seven slips and two short legs, McGrath chose to bowl a bouncer. Sarwan did eventually manage to work a ball through mid-wicket for two before his limp demise.

The damage would have been far worse had Australia caught as well as it bowled. Hinds, an expansive left-hander, had three lives but at least he didn't die wondering, like some of his team mates.

On 16 he was dropped by Ponting at slip off McGrath, on 19 he was well caught by diving substitute Andy Bichel at cover off Gillespie and on 33 wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist dived in front of Ponting, bunting away an edge found by Lee.

After tea there was some comic relief when Jacobs, on 81, skied a ball from McGrath which had Ponting and second slip Mark Waugh waiting under it. They left the catch for each other and the ball landed harmlessly between them. McGrath found nothing to laugh about as he kicked the ground and walked back to his mark.

Next over Jacobs, 82, drove at a full delivery from Gillespie which flew to Ponting at first slip. He fumbled and Mark Waugh was unable to gather the crumbs. It was painful indeed when the slips watched a short time later as Jacobs sliced a short ball from Gillespie over their heads and over third man for six.

It was no surprise when Hinds was sharply caught at slip by Mark Waugh driving ambitiously at a wide ball from Stuart MacGill. The leg-spinner was used extensively into the breeze during the second session so Steve Waugh could unleash his powerful pace trio to maximum advantage.

Lee was frighteningly quick at times during a fiery spell which failed to produce a wicket or a world record for pace. He did however hit fellow fast bowler Nixon McLean a shattering blow in the helmet which forced the left-hander to change his head gear.

MacGill was the major benefactor a short time later when McLean was bowled swinging wildly. Perhaps the unluckiest player was Ganga, fired leg before wicket by English umpire and former Test batsman John Hampshire.

In just the second over of the day Ganga was hit on the pads by a Lee thunderbolt and became yet another West Indian with a duck on tour. However the ball moved sharply off the seam and was sliding well down the leg side.

* * *

Australian hat-trick club

PERTH, DEC. 1. Glenn McGrath became the eighth Australian bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket on the first day of the second cricket Test against the West Indies at the WACA on Friday.

lThe achievers (read as bowler, opponent, Test, series and venue): Fred Spofforth, England, 1st, 1878-79, Melbourne; Hugh Trumble, England, 2nd, 1901-02, Melbourne; Hugh Trumble, England, 5th, 1903-04, Melbourne; Jimmy Matthews, South Africa, 1st, 1912, Old Trafford (two times); Lindsay Kline, South Africa, 2nd, 1957- 58, Cape Town; Merv Hughes, West Indies, 2nd, 1988-89, Perth; Damien Fleming, Pakistan, 2nd, 1994-95, Rawalpindi; Shane Warne, England, 2nd, 1994-95, Melbourne; Glenn McGrath, West Indies, 2nd 2000-01, Perth.

- AP

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Reetinder set to make one-day international debut
Next     : Graham Thorpe props up England's innings