Lara back to blazing best

By Malcolm Conn

HOBART, DEC. 11. Brian Lara could not have done more for the credibility of his career and this series than his amazing 231 against Australia `A' in Hobart on Monday. It was his fourth- highest score in more than a decade of first class cricket.

Almost limp-free after appearing near-crippled on Sunday, the talented and complicated left-hander blazed and blazed, suggesting he might at last be ready for something special in the third Test, beginning in Adelaide on Friday. After just 21 runs in his first four Test innings this summer, Lara certainly needs it. His first class average on tour has rocketed from 8.33 to 40.15.

While it is unlikely he will encounter such good batting conditions for many a match, Lara slaughtered the Australia `A' attack like few other men in history would have been able.

Taking the brunt of the attack was Andy Bichel attempting to avoid 12th man duties in Adelaide. In his first over after lunch Lara hit all six deliveries to the boundary covering almost every part of the compass.

Just what produced this remarkable turnaround in form and fitness remains a mystery. He declined to talk about it after play. In a written statement West Indian physiotherapist Ronald Rogers said Lara incurred a mild strain to his left shoulder attempting a hook after lunch. ``With treatment during the remainder of the week, Brian should be fine to take his place in Friday's Test,'' said Rogers.

He also claimed that Lara's baffling hamstring problem was not hampered during his innings but would continue to be monitored.

Australian `A' captain Damien Martyn, who has been recalled to the Australian side for the third Test along with veteran off- spinner Colin Miller, said the fielding plan was to throw at Lara's end to make him run.

``There's definitely something wrong but it didn't seem to worry his batting,'' Martyn said of Lara's injury. ``He's one of those batsman who is great to watch if you're not the fielding captain.''

The frustration with this enigmatic talent is at its greatest when his mind and the conditions merge to produce something unique. Why has he played so poorly so often lately and why is it that he walked away from West Indian cricket then failed to prepare properly when he returned?

Never has Caribbean cricket needed a star and role model more than it does at the moment. Lara may be one but he has done little to suggest he can be credited with both titles.

When he was out on Monday moments before tea, caught at slip cutting the unlikely off-spin of Brad Hodge, Lara had scored 231 in 342 minutes from 265 balls with 40 fours and two sixes. Including overthrows which went to the fence, he was forced to run just 54 of his runs.

After coming in at number seven on Sunday because of his ailments, Lara and Ridley Jacobs took the score from 5-80 to 6- 445. They set a new first class, sixth wicket record in Australia of 365, easily breaking the previous mark of 346 set by Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton 64 years ago in a Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Jacobs, the batting heart and soul of this struggling side on tour despite being its wicket-keeper, was out shortly after Lara for 131, scored in a a little over six hours with 15 fours and a six.

On the way to swinging his bat with gay abandon to just about anything this Australian second side severed up to him on a typically docile Bellerive Oval wicket, Lara's mystery hamstring strain was overtaken by a left shoulder strain.

At the end of four successive overs approaching his double century Lara called out physiotherapist Rogers for treatment then a pain-killing tablet and had acting 12th man Courtney Walsh, of all people, on the ground twice in search of a drink. Resuming on 62 with the West Indies 172 for five, still needing 117 to avoid the follow on, a newly mobile Lara made it abundantly clear what his intentions were from the moment a hapless any Bichel bowled the first ball of the day. It went past point to the boundary. So did the second ball, and another before the end of the over.

On 85 Lara pulled an ever so slightly short delivery from Victorian left armer Mathew Innes over mid-wicket and over the grandstand. Children went to fetch the ball while the game was delayed.

Lara's hundred came up off Inness with something between a fine glide and thick edge between slip and gully for his 16th boundary. It took just 123 balls.

Inness took the second new ball and things only became more frustrating, as Lara hit an inside edge, a square drive and a pull over slips all to the fence.

So annoyed was Inness that when the last ball of the over was pushed back to him, the young man hurled the ball back, knocking the leg stump out of the ground. It was the only time Inness was destined to hit Lara's stumps.

More was to follow. Having hit Inness for a pair of boundaries in the first over after lunch Lara unleashed a brutal onslaught against Bichel at the other end. A cover drive and on- drive to the fence brought up Lara's 150. The last 50 included eight fours, a two and a one. The ball three went to the mid- wicket fence and the adrenalin was really running. An off drive, top- edged pull and drag forward of square leg later and Lara had taken 24 from the over.

What then would Bichel and the other front-line bowlers have thought when they looked at the scoreboard after stumps to find Hodge had four for 17 from 11 overs.

Martyn is resigned to the fact that when Steve Waugh is fit again the West Australian will be the obvious one to move aside for the Australian captain to return.

``If I play well and I do my job right then hopefully down the track there will be another opportunity,'' he said. ``There's the India tour coming up as well. I can't do any more.''

Neither Martyn nor Miller have played a Test since the tour of New Zealand early this year, when Martyn topped the batting averages as a replacement for the injured Ricky Ponting.

Miller, who began his Test career at about the same age as most players consider retirement, was delighted at his recall. ``I thought I was a good chance but it's nice to have it confirmed,'' Miller said before teeing off in an Australian Cricketers' Association golf day at New South Wales Golf Club.

He is particularly happy returning to the Adelaide Oval, where he spent four years of his Sheffield Shield career a decade or so ago. ``Having played there for a few years with South Australia I know the conditions and I've done pretty well there with off-spin over the last few years,'' said Miller.

At least four of the West Indian top seven will be left handers, a bonus for Miller turning the ball away from them. ``It depends what team they go with but the middle order is going to be all left handers, which is pretty tasty for an off- spinner.''

Miller began the season with injury problems, missing a short one-day tour of Kenya with a calf strain. However, he has done a lot of bowling for Victoria over the past month. ``I'm really happy. The last two games they've come out pretty well and I feel like I'm back to full match fitness,'' he said. ``Hopefully they're looking at playing me as the third seamer come off- spinner.''

The Australian team: Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Stuart MacGill, Colin Miller, Glenn McGrath. Likely 12th man Andy Bichel.

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