Third Test: Australia v West Indies
Windsor Park, Dominica
Australia 328 and 259
defeated
West Indies
228 and 294
Despite some late order hitting by West Indian captain Darren Sammy, Australia has defeated the West Indies by 65 runs, winning the series 2 Tests to nil.
The unlikely bowling hero in the final Test was Michael Clarke, who claimed his second 5 wicket haul in Tests. On a turning surface, Nathan Lyon was the other chief wicket taker, with 3 victims to go with his 4 in the first innings.
With Shivnarine Chanderpaul dismissed just prior to stumps on the penultimate day, the West Indian cause appeared defeated. However, the ever-underestimated Darren Sammy had other ideas. Sammy smashed 3 sixes and 4 fours, in 51 ball innings of 61. Despite his heroics, he couldn’t get his team over the line, in what would have been a remarkable victory.
The Australians bowled with discipline, and with the victory have leapfrogged India in the Test rankings. The West Indian team will be heartened by continued good performances, however they will be keen to start turning honourable losses into victories.
Chanderpaul claimed the man of the series award with a stunning batting performance for the series, in which he averaged 86; head and shoulders above any batsman from either side. Kemar Roach and Shane Shillingford both claimed 10 wickets in a match, with Roach taking the bowling honours with 19 wickets for the series.
The Australians had no standout performer with either bat or ball. Ben Hilfenhaus had another excellent series, while Ryan Harris excelled in the matches he participated in. The series was won with consistently good performances – when a wicket was required, someone chipped in. When a partnership was needed, the two batsmen at the wicket grafted tough runs. This is a good sign for an emerging team.
Australian Cricket News 