Windies get sniff of sensational win

Mahendra Nagamootoo and Ridley Jacobs gave the maligned West Indies hope of preventing Australia claiming an unprecedented 5-0 series clean sweep with a spirited display in the fifth and final Test Friday.

Nagamootoo, hidden from the previous four Test thrashings as the tourists pursued an all-out pace attack, and wicketkeeper Jacobs cracked half-centuries to leave Australia with a testing 173 runs to chase for victory. The nerves were jangling in the Australian camp when Matthew Hayden was out in the second over, shouldering arms and trapped lbw for five by one that came back from Colin Stuart.

Justin Langer followed him back to the pavilion when Courtney Walsh got him lbw for 10 in the seventh over to take his 494th Test wicket and leave the home side a shaky 38 for two. At the close, Australia, after their 15th straight win, had reduced the ask to 129 runs at 44 for two with Michael Slater not out 18 and Mark Waugh on three.

Nagamootoo cracked 68 off 99 balls in only his second Test, while in-form Jacobs slammed a pugnacious 62 to spark the revival. Nagamootoo was the surprise packet. The spindly 23-year-old Guyanese legspinner topscored and for a time had visions of an unheralded century such was his command of the Australian attack.

But after smashing Colin Miller over the top for four he went for the same shot on the next delivery only to slice to Hayden at deep mid-off to end a fabulous innings and a standing ovation from the appreciative Australian crowd. Jacobs, who was left stranded on 96 in the second Perth Test, put on 78 runs for the seventh wicket with Nagamootoo after adding 85 for the sixth wicket with the rejuvenated Ramnaresh Sarwan.

The muscular Antiguan, one of the few success stories of the Caribbean tourists' wretched campaign down under, crashed nine boundaries in his 128-ball stay before he was lbw to part-time offspinner Mark Waugh playing across the line.

Sarwan, who had scored just three in five previous innings, gave a glimpse of what he was capable of with some fine shot-making until he was beaten by movement off the pitch to edge Glenn McGrath to Adam Gilchrist. His 51 came off 114 balls in 143 minutes with six fours.

It was with some relief for the anxious Australians that their 'blue-rinse' offspinner Miller polished off the West Indies resistance with 3-1 off six balls, with the scalps of Nagamootoo, Nixon McLean (15) and Stuart (4). Miller finished with 4-102 for six wickets in the match.

World record wicket-taker Courtney Walsh, playing in his final Test in Australia, was given an emotional ovation as he came out to bat and be greeted by a respectful guard of honour from his applauding Australian opponents. Walsh, who will be trying to extend his wicket tally in Australia's second innings, remained one not out.

The West Indies' rousing afternoon was in sharp contrast to the morning session. Resuming at 98 for one after trailing by 180 runs on the first innings, the West Indians lost four wickets and were 112 for four after the opening half-hour.

Brian Lara was the prized wicket. In an intriguing personal battle, he clouted legspinner Stuart MacGill for three consecutive fours and went for a fourth boundary only to sky a catch to Miller at deep mid-on. But Miller made a horrendous hash at the two-handed catch spilling the ball with Lara on 26.

Lara became more circumspect after his amazing let-off, yet Miller, mortified by his fielding clanger, redeemed himself soon after. He had the master West Indian batsman caught at the wicket by Gilchrist for 28 off 36 balls. Captain Jimmy Adams' dismal series continued when he was lbw to McGrath for five which triggered a collapse of three wickets in five balls.

Sherwin Campbell, who brought up his 18th Test half-century and second of the match, was out to a magnificent diving catch by Gilchrist off Jason Gillespie for 54. Marlon Samuels was out next ball, leaving his pad in front of the wicket and being trapped lbw for a duck -- the team's 28th of the series. Sarwan saw off Gillespie's hat-trick and flourished with his best innings of the summer.

Scoreboard

West Indies (1st innings): 272 (S.L. Campbell 79, W.W. Hinds 70; S.C.G. MacGill 7-104).

Australia (1st innings): 452 (S.R. Waugh 103, M.J. Slater 96, A.C. Gilchrist 87; M.V. Nagamootoo 3-119, C.E.L. Stuart 2-81).

West Indies (2nd innings): (98 for 1 overnight)
S.L. Campbell c Gilchrist b Gillespie 54
W.W. Hinds b McGrath 46
J.C. Adams lbw b McGrath 5
B.C. Lara c Gilchrist b Miller 28
M.N. Samuels lbw b Gillespie 0
R.R. Sarwan c Gilchrist b McGrath 51
R.D. Jacobs lbw b M. Waugh 62 M.V. Nagamootoo c Hayden b Miller 68
N.A.M. McLean c M. Waugh b Miller 15
C.E.L. Stuart lbw b Miller 4
C.A. Walsh not out 1
Extras (b5, lb10, nb3): 18
Total (all out, 116.5 overs) 352
Fall of wickets: 1-98, 2-112, 3-112. 4-112, 5-154, 6-239, 7-317, 8-347, 9-351
Bowling: McGrath 24-4-80-3 (2nb), Miller 32.5-3-102-4, MacGill 30-7-88-0, Gillespie 21-5-57-2 (1nb), M. Waugh 9-3-10-1.

Australia (2nd innings):
M.J. Slater not out 18
M.L. Hayden lbw b Stuart 5
J.L. Langer lbw b Walsh 10
M.E. Waugh not out 3
Extras (lb4, w1, nb3) 8
Total (2 wkts, 10 overs) 44
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-38
Bowling: Walsh 5-0-20-1 (2nb), Stuart 3-0-18-1 (1w), McLean 2-1-2-0 (1nb)
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (Rsa), Darrell Hair (Aus)

Mail Cricket Editor