Australia thrash West Indies by 352 runs

The victory extended Australia’s record winning streak to 14 and represented another triumph for captain Steve Waugh who returned after injury to score 121 not out in the first innings and win the man-of-the-match award.

“It’s a very good side and we’re playing better every Test,” Waugh said. “It’s going to be hard for the West Indies to pick themselves up. Our challenge is to keep ourselves going and we’ve already talked about that in the dressing room.”

Australia named an unchanged side for the fifth Test in Sydney starting on Tuesday while West Indies captain Jimmy Adams said the tourists would discuss their lineup on Monday.

Adams said taking on the Australians again so soon would be a daunting assignment.

“It’s not going to be easy but it’s something we have have to face and we have to try and deal with it," he said.

The Caribbean new agency CANA said St Vincent fast bowler Cameron Cuffy would replace injured fast bowler Mervyn Dillon in the West Indies’ squad for next month’s triangular one-day series with Australia and Zimbabwe.

Dillon, West Indies’ leading wicket taker with 16 in the series, has been suffering from a nagging ankle injury which ahs forced him to take pain-killing injections.

After play began on Friday, Gillespie removed opener Sherwin Campbell for six and Adams for a golden duck, both caught in slips, from successive balls in his ninth over.

In his next over he had nightwatchman Colin Stuart lbw for four with a slower ball and West Indies were 23 for six before Marlon Samuels, last man out for 46, and wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs (23) added a face-saving 54 off 97 balls for the seventh wicket.

Samuels, a 19-year-old playing in just his second Test, top-scored in both innings with 60 not out and was last man out for 46 in the second innings.

It was a symbolic moment for West Indian cricket as veteran fast bowler Courtney Walsh, who has taken a world record 492 Test wickets but only nine in this series, walked off with Samuels at the end of the match.

Walsh, 38, twice as old as Samuels, was not out on nought after Samuels holed out to deep mid-wicket, caught by Gillespie off the bowling of off-spinner Colin Miller.

The pair had also been together at the end of West Indies’ first innings at stumps on the second day when Walsh, taking strike at 163-9, hit a wild swing over cover for two and was run out by half the pitch in attempting a ridiculous third run.

Walsh had already achieved his first goal of avoiding the follow-on as the West Indies were dismissed for 165, giving Australia a 199-run lead on the first innings.

More importantly for Australian cricket officials, it almost guaranteed the game would extend into a fourth day because it appeared the West Indies would have been bowled out cheaply on the third day if sent back in.

But all hope was lost for the tourists when Brian Lara shouldered arms to Gillespie late on the third day and was bowled without scoring.

— (REUTERS)

Australia (1st Innings): 364.
West Indies (1st Innings): 165.
Australia (2nd Innings): 262 for 5 decl
West Indies (2nd Innings): Ganga lbw Gillespie 0; Campbell c Ponting b Gillespie 6; Hinds c Bichel b Gillespie 4; Lara b Gillespie 0; Stuart lbw Gillespie 4; Adams c M.Waugh b Gillespie 0; Jacobs c Gilchrist B Miller 23; Samuels c Gillespie b Miller 46; McLean run out 1; Dillon b Miller 15; Walsh not out 0; Extras (b-0, lb-1, nb-9, w-0): 10; Total: 109
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-4, 3-7, 4-17, 5-17, 6-23, 7-77, 8-78, 9-108
Bowling: McGrath 12-6-10-0, Gillespie 17-5-40-6, Bichel 6-0-18-0, Miller 14.3-2-40-3.
Result: Australia won by 352 runs.
Man of the match: Steve Waugh (Australia).