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How on Earth...
- Thread starter Richard
- Start date
howardj
International Coach
This was my first Series of cricket watching, and what a Series it was. Australia really dominated this series, but were never good enough to put the Windies away:
But for fierce storms in Brisbane, and the amount of time lost during the game, we would have polished off the Windies.
Australia continued their dominance in the Second Test, which was notable for MWaugh and Border's magnificent partnership, and Shane Warne's emergence.
The pitch beat everyone in the Third Test.
The Fourth Test was there for the taking too, and was absolutely heartbreaking for Allan Border.
The only time the Windies really got on top was in Perth, where I think Ambrose produced a spell of 6 for 1.
Full credit to the Windies - though their crown was slipping, they hung in there and nailed us at Perth.
But for fierce storms in Brisbane, and the amount of time lost during the game, we would have polished off the Windies.
Australia continued their dominance in the Second Test, which was notable for MWaugh and Border's magnificent partnership, and Shane Warne's emergence.
The pitch beat everyone in the Third Test.
The Fourth Test was there for the taking too, and was absolutely heartbreaking for Allan Border.
The only time the Windies really got on top was in Perth, where I think Ambrose produced a spell of 6 for 1.
Full credit to the Windies - though their crown was slipping, they hung in there and nailed us at Perth.
howardj
International Coach
For sure! How good was Lara's placement in Sydney! Didn't matter how many fielders they put on the off-side, he just threaded the needle every time. Anyway, the Melbourne Test saw the invention of a new shot in International cricket. Mark Waugh invented the 'back-away and glide over slips' shot. The notable thing was, such was the length of the Windies' bowlers, the shot was actually pre-meditated.Jono said:I've got the DVD of this series. Definitely in my top 5 favourite cricket series I've ever laid witness too.
archie mac
International Coach
One of the great series, and yet another close lost for Aust, we never seem to win the really close ones?
Aust should have won the first Test, a big blow was also the loss of Bruce Reid who I think would have won Aust this series. (he only played the first Test)
I do remember Steve Waugh being plum in front for 0 in melbourne and going on to score a ton. I think he would have been dropped from the side otherwise.
The Ade. Test I still do not want to talk about
The Perth pitch was a batting nightmare, I think the curator was sacked after this game.
The Windies won the series because of their pace bowling, with Ambrose and Bishop doing the damage. (I think Walsh had a poor return?)
It is the same now bowlers win matches and the Windies had the better bowlers, but only just.
I blame Bruce Reid and his 'Stick Body' for the loss.
Aust should have won the first Test, a big blow was also the loss of Bruce Reid who I think would have won Aust this series. (he only played the first Test)
I do remember Steve Waugh being plum in front for 0 in melbourne and going on to score a ton. I think he would have been dropped from the side otherwise.
The Ade. Test I still do not want to talk about
The Perth pitch was a batting nightmare, I think the curator was sacked after this game.
The Windies won the series because of their pace bowling, with Ambrose and Bishop doing the damage. (I think Walsh had a poor return?)
It is the same now bowlers win matches and the Windies had the better bowlers, but only just.
I blame Bruce Reid and his 'Stick Body' for the loss.
alternative
Cricket Web Content Updater
Lara's Batting was all class, but i loved Ambrose's bowling.. i thought it was one excellent series..
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
What about this one?archie mac said:
Has a series victory so easy ever been thrown away?
And what about this one?
It wasn't quite so bad as the above, but it came pretty close.
Swervy
International Captain
there is a difference between throwing a game away and maybe being outdone by good bowling !!!!! anyway I see what you mean nowRichard said:
How about the first test here....really Australia should have had this series won by 2-0, but for an amazing bit of bowling by Sarfraz in the first test
Top_Cat
Request Your Custom Title Now!
No. You obviously didn't see it live so I don't think you're really in a position to comment. I know *I* didn't see it either because it wasn't televised here. What snippets I've seen over the years have been of poor quality so it's possible that it wasn't fully televised in SL either.
As for the WI vs Aus 1992/93 series, how did Australia fail to win? It's a painful one to remember but I do remember that the WI came to Australia slightly under-done and with a young team batting-wise (Phil Simmons, Brian Lara, Keith Arthurton were all newbies). Arthurton's 157 in the first Test was all-class and when the Aussie replied with over 300, I thought they were in with a chance. Then Craig McDermott ripped through them in the second dig and it looked to be all over, especially when Merv strangled Ritchie down the leg-side. But I do remember Ian Bishop dug in really well. He survived some awfully close LBW's, though.
The second Test, Mark Waugh and AB's partnership did the job for the Aussies, really. The WI were on the back-foot from that point onwards. This Test and previous one showed how valuable Merv was to the team too; I remember he wasn't taking huge bags of wickets but managed to knock over the top-3 (especially Dessie) regularly and put them on the back foot a few times. Notwithstanding Phil Simmons' absolutely brilliant knock, Warnie wrapped it up.
Now, here's where I reckon it went wrong for the Aussies; the WI piled on a decent score in Sydney on the back of Brian's 277 (incredible knock; most of his boundaries were along the carpet all the way) and momentum swung a bit. Next thing, WI on the back of Curtly won the ODI series and it looked as if he'd finally gotten fed-up with maybe being in the first WI side to lose a series in many years.
Then Adelaide rolled around and THE closest Test I've seen (it had a weird tension all the way through that even the close one's in Ashes 2005 didn't quite have). The scorecards will tell you that it was close all the way through but as soon as Ambi took 6-fer in Australia's first-dig, they must have had flash-backs to the WI of old because it was seriously nasty bowling. He'd finally lost his temper, I guess. As you can see, only three guys passed 50 for the match and that tells you how tight the game was, punctuated by when Boonie had to retired hurt in the first-innings from an Ambi bumper which kept lower than he thought and slammed into his arm. Not to mention Justin Langer's 4th ball bumper from Bishop which belted him in the helmet. The bowling was really nasty; reminiscent of the previous series in the Carribean although that had it through the whole series. Tim May taking 5/9 was pretty special I must admit and that kept the Aussies in with a shout.
Unfortunately, Ambi hit his straps again and tore through the top-order. The bowling was so good, even AB was out fending a ball to short-leg. Langer hung around but when Tim May came out, I'm sure he was thinking it might be over. Incidentally, I've never seen such a tough first Test for anyone as Langer got. He got hit so many times, Inside Edge did a two page article showing on a picture of him where he'd been hit. I reckon it was at least 40 times on his helmet, shoulders, chest, torso and legs. Langer eventually went caught-behind trying to hook one yet somehow Billy and Tim May (on his 30th birthday if I recall correctly; was definitely his birthday, though) kept the Aussies in it. The WI came so close to outs on so many occasions it was getting funny. Catches just falling short, etc. they were all there.
But yeah then it came down to 2 to win and McDermott got a rough decision by Darrel Hair caught behind where he turned his back on a bumper and the ball apparently just clipped his gloves on the way through. On viewing the replay many times, it's hard to tell which makes me question the rationale Hair had for giving it. Still, the reality is that the WI had a bunch of LBW shouts against May and McDermott turned down in that last hour, a couple of which looked stone dead. The WI probably deserved to win that match a little more. Still, the greatest Test I've ever seen.
And then there's Perth and one word comes immediately to mind; Ambrose. He took 7-25 in the first dig but all 7 came from his second spell of 7-1 which was just un-freakin' believeable. Quick, nasty and accurate, a tough combination to counter. To this day I don't know how he got the ball to Mark Waugh to bounce so much. It was painful to watch this innings. The WI batted pretty well in their innings (despite Joe Angel decking Dessie) then Bishop blew the Aussies away in their second dig.
So yeah, what lost the Aussies the series was an inability to take opportunities presented to them and that the WI, after a slow start, lifted their game by tightening it up and getting cheesed-off.
SquidAU
First Class Debutant
He copped some stick for that shot though, IIRC. Media were pouncing on him saying he was "scared" of the Windies bowlers because he backed away.howardj said:Anyway, the Melbourne Test saw the invention of a new shot in International cricket. Mark Waugh invented the 'back-away and glide over slips' shot. The notable thing was, such was the length of the Windies' bowlers, the shot was actually pre-meditated.
But hey, all the runs still count....
What I wanna know is, why all the close Test matches end with a dubious decision?
McDermott never gloved that ball.
Salamuddin
International Debutant
Top_Cat said:
You forgot to mentioning Ian Healy cheating Brian Lara in the first test. Oh yes, very convenient that you left that out
Salamuddin
International Debutant
He most certainly did...and I watched that test live.SquidAU said:McDermott never gloved that ball.
What I especially loved was Allan Border wrecking the dressing room after Mcdermott was given out.
Top_Cat
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Grow up. There's no way Healy even knew where that ball was even going. From what I've read and seen on the replay, Healy said to the umpires "I hit the stumps with my glove but I've no idea if the ball hit them too." He, in no way, made a case for him having hit the stumps with the ball because he didn't know whether he did. In reality, based on that evidence alone, the umpires should have given Lara the benefit and given him not out. You wanna blame someone, blame them. It was a shocking umpiring decision, not Healy cheating because the decision whether to give him out was entirely theirs.
I watched it live (I was there) and have watched the various replays many times; there's no way you can be sure whether he gloved it or not. About the best you can say about the replays were that they were inconclusive. As I said, though, it shouldn't have even gotten as far int he match as it did because Craig McDermott was out LBW at least twice beforehand.
Salamuddin
International Debutant
Well from what Iv'e read from West Indian accounts, Healy maintained that he had broken the stumps with the ball.Top_Cat said:
Why do you think the WEst Indians have always hated Healy since that incident ?