The Hindu : Aussies eyeing 20th consecutive win

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Aussies eyeing 20th consecutive win

Castries (St. Lucia) May 20. Australia may be leading the West Indies 2-0 and is zooming in on its 20th consecutive one-day international victory but the perfectionist World Cup champion is fretting over its deteriorating fielding.

Ricky Ponting's Australians beat the West Indians in the weekend double-header in Jamaica and will take a throttle-hold on the seven-game series should they come away with another victory in the third match here tomorrow.

The Australians hammered Brian Lara's team by eight wickets in Sunday's second match at Kingston's Sabina Park, but such are their lofty standards that they were dismayed at putting down three catches in skittling the West Indies for 163.

``It was certainly a lot better performance than Saturday's two-run win, although we put down some catches which is becoming a bit of worry,'' Ponting said after Sunday's triumph.

Australian team coach John Buchanan said: ``Obviously, we are dropping a lot of catches at the moment, principally because there is no time to put into our fielding work.

``That was sliding as we were in the Test matches as well. Just because there were not the facilities, and if you put time into your fielding, physically that takes away from the rest of your game, so we have sacrificed that at the moment.

``At some stage, that will hurt us. Whether it hurts us enough to lose a game, we are yet to see.''

Batsman Darren Lehmann (calf) and all-rounder Ian Harvey (stomach) were unlikely to play tomorrow, and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was expected to rest from the game.

If that's the case then Jimmy Maher will take over the gloves while young batsman Michael Clarke may play his second one-day international.

Gilchrist had been expected to rest last Sunday but the injury to Lehmann prompted selectors to play the vice-captain.

The Australians remain unbeaten in one-day internationals since losing to Sri Lanka by 79 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 9 this year.

Since then Australians' dominance has taken in the World Cup in southern Africa when they beat all comers, culminating in their 125-run demolition of India in the final in Johannesburg on March 23.

``I would like to think it's something that will be unbeaten for a long time,'' Ponting said of the streak.

``What we have been able to achieve I think is outstanding.''

The West Indies has more problems with express bowler Jermaine Lawson joining batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul (broken finger) on the sidelines for the series.

Lawson to miss one-dayers

The West Indies fast bowler Jermaine Lawson will miss the remainder of the one-day international series against Australia because of a back injury.

He might also miss the one-day international series against Sri Lanka in June because of bulging discs in the lower back, the West Indies Cricket Board chief executive Roger Brathwaite said on Monday.

Lawson's bowling action is under review by the International Cricket Council after he was reported by umpires David Shepherd and Srinivas Venkatraghavan during the fourth Test against Australia.

The teams (from):

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara (captain), Ricardo Powell, Carlton Baugh, Omari Banks, Vasbert Drakes, Mervyn Dillon, Corey Collymore, David Bernard.

Australia: Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting (captain), Jimmy Maher, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Bevan, Brad Hogg, Andrew Bichel, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Nathan Hauritz.

AFP

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