Lara’s ton holds up Aussie charge

April 5: Master batsman Brian Lara lashed the third-fastest century in West Indies Test history. He left Australia gasping on the second ...

April 5: Master batsman Brian Lara lashed the third-fastest century in West Indies Test history. He left Australia gasping on the second day of the fourth and final Test on Sunday with an 82-ball 100, beaten only by Viv Richards and Roy Fredericks.

The gifted West Indies captain had arrived at the crease in all too familiar circumstances — his team struggling on 20 for two in reply to Australia’s first innings of 303.

By the time he had finished, West Indies were 136 for three, a total extended to 197 for six at close, 106 behind. Carl Hooper was unbeaten on 40.

Lara, dropped by Colin Miller on 14 and then almost run out, rode his luck and smashed three sixes and 15 fours in another demonstration of devastating batting.

His first 50 came in 61 balls with eight fours and a six. The second 50 was from just 21 balls with another seven fours and two sixes.

It was his 13th hundred in 63 Tests and the second time he had made three centuries in successive Tests.

The century took only 96 minutes, but his concentration suddenly deserted him after he reached the mark and wicketkeeper Ian Healy took a one-handed catch on the leg-side off paceman Glenn McGrath.

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But while Lara was at the crease, the scoreboard rocketed. The man who cracked 213 in Jamaica and followed up with his superlative unbeaten 153 in Barbados to turn the West Indies from a team of also-rans into 2-1 series leaders, hit precisely 100 of the 116 scored.

Miller, able to deliver both medium pace and off-spin, and replacement for leg-spinner Shane Warne, blotted his copybook by dropping Lara at mid-on.

Batting at number 10, Miller had cracked a run-a-minute 43 in a 53-run ninth wicket partnership with his captain Steve Waugh. Miller’s innings included two pulled sixes off paceman Curtly Ambrose, pick of the West Indies bowling with five for 94. Ambrose took his wickets haul to 366 in 88 five-day games and moved above Pakistan’s Imran Khan as the seventh best test wicket-taker.

Skipper Waugh contributed 72 not out as he led from the front in Australia’s battle to save the series. Once again, he was his country’s top scorer.

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Miller, playing his first game of the series, removed West Indies openers Adrian Griffith (9) and Sherwin Campbell (8) in a splendid opening spell of medium place that was rewarded with figures of 4-1-5-2.

Scoreboard

Australia (1st innings): 303

West Indies (1st innings): Sherwin Campbell c M Waugh b Miller 8, Adrian Griffith c Healy b Miller 9, Dave Joseph lbw Dale 28, Brian Lara c Healy b McGrath 100; Carl Hooper batting 40; Jimmy Adams c Healy b Dale 0, Ridley Jacobs lbw MacGill 4, Nehemiah Perry batting 2;

Extras (nb6): 6.

Total (for 6 wkts): 197.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-20, 3-136, 4-176, 5-178, 6-192.

Bowling: McGrath 23-8-48-1, Dale 18-7-67-2, Miller 17-5-39-2, MacGill 10-3-43-1.