Windies flop in the field

The West Indies, less than two weeks away from their first Test against Australia, revealed another major flaw in Perth -- woeful catching.

The day after the tourists' batsmen surrendered meekly to Western Australia, ousted for 132, the Windies squandered no fewer than five chances as the State team took control of the four-day match at the Western Australia Cricket Association ground.

Thanks to the let-offs, Western Australia made a first innings total of 358 to lead by 226.

In their second innings, the West Indies went to stumps with 31-1, still trailing by 195 runs and facing the prospect of being beaten inside three days.

Daren Ganga, a promising 21-year-old fighting to establish himself in Test ranks, failed for the second time in the match when he was ousted just before stumps for eight.

It was a controversial dismissal, with umpire Bruce Bennett ruling he tickled a ball from paceman Brendon Julian down the leg-side, where Test wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist pouched it.

Test opener Sherwin Campbell (19 not out) survived for 58 minutes to stumps, helped in the last 14 minutes by night-watchman Marlon Black, yet to score.

In the sequence of missed chances earlier in the day, night-watchman Matthew Nicholson was put down at four, seven and 27 on his way to 54, only the second half-century of his four-year first-class career.

State captain Tom Moody had lives at 13 and 25 while making 36.

The slapdash fielding partially negated encouraging workouts by pace trio Black (4-100), Colin Stuart (3-84) and Mervyn Dillon (1-91).

Dillon had two chances missed, and Stuart and Black, as well as left-arm spinner Jimmy Adams, each saw one catch go begging.

Black, a tall, strongly built 25-year-old from Trinidad and Tobago, staked a strong claim for a Test debut in the first match of the five-Test series, starting in Brisbane (Queensland) November 23. He maintained good pace over his 31.2 overs, and may have done enough to have earned the right to share the new ball with champion veteran speedster Courtney Walsh at the 'Gabba in 13 days.

After Western Australia had resumed with 110-2, the West Indies did well to peg back the State side to 191-5 by lunch.

Test number three Justin Langer was run out for 45, middle-order Test batsman Damien Martyn fell to Stuart for a duck and Nicholson was trapped by Stuart from the last ball of the first session.

But Test aspirant Simon Katich (73 from 127 balls, with 12 boundaries) and Moody walloped 85 for the sixth wicket, before Brendon Julian (32 from 29 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and Brad Hogg (35 not out) smashed 45 for the eighth.

Mail Cricket Editor