Aussies hammer final nail in Windies coffin, wrap series 2-0

Australia snared the one wicket needed to win the third Test against the West Indies in Perth today after a bizarre decision to end the match.

The West Indies, resuming at 9-308, added 15 to their overnight total before being bowled out for 323, handing Australia a 35-run win. But the last wicket fell in controversial circumstances.

Kemar Roach (17) was given out by umpire Billy Bowden, who deemed the batsman had edged Doug Bollinger (3-71) behind.
Roach appealed the decision and even though replays showed no evidence of an edge, TV umpire Asad Rauf gave him out.
Australia’s win secured a 2-0 triumph in the series.

The Windies resumed play perilously placed, needing 51 more runs with just one wicket in hand. And Gavin Tonge (23 not out off 22 balls) threw caution to the wind, slashing away in a bid to whittle off the runs quickly. But the victory target of 359 proved too much, with Roach dismissed in the fourth over of the morning.

Had the West Indies reeled in the total, it would have been the eighth highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Test history.
But it wasn’t to be, despite yesterday’s best efforts of 26-year-old Narsingh Deonarine (82) and Brendan Nash (65), plus some late hitting from Sulieman Benn (33 off 28 balls).

Deonarine and Nash combined for a gutsy 128-run, 293-ball stand, taking the West Indies from 3-68 to 3-196. But Shane Watson’s dismissal of Deonarine sparked the Windies’ downfall as the visitors lost wickets regularly.

Australia’s win erased some of the demons of last summer, when South Africa cruised to 4-414 to snatch a remarkable victory in Perth. Victorian Clint McKay, making his Test debut, returned figures of 0-45 and 1-56 and will be replaced by Ben Hilfenhaus for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan if the Tasmanian proves he has overcome a knee injury.

Mitchell Johnson, battling gastro, snared 3-67 while Bollinger finished with 3-71. Gayle said Australia played the better cricket and deserved to win.

“I was proud of players like Adrian Barath and Kemar Roach,” Gayle said. “I was proud of my own form but disappointed at the same time.”

Ever the prankster, Gayle was judged man of the match and series and asked “can I get this cash?” when he received a giant cheque.