Lawson's seven wicket blitz wrecks Aussies
- Young Jamaican becomes first West Indian bowler to claim seven wickets in an innings against Australia in the Caribbean and establishes best bowling record at ARG with 7-78.
By Tony Cozier at the ARG
Stabroek News
May 10, 2003
JERMAINE LAWSON, the strapping, 21-year-old Jamaican with the requisite physique, speed and attitude, revived fading memories of what was once the West Indies' most feared and identifiable strength on the first day of the fourth and final Test here yesterday.
In the last match of a series in which his fire has been drawn by lifeless pitches and a bout of chicken pox, Lawson destroyed previously indestructible Australian batting with hostility rarely seen since the heyday of the feared foursomes of an earlier generation.
At last encountering a surface that offered bounce, if not pace, he claimed seven wickets for 78 from 19.1 overs spread over four spells in which his enthusiasm and velocity seldom waned.
As he dispatched the intimidated lower order to a succession of shots of self-preservation against serious bouncers in his final blast of four for 15 from 3.1 overs, the West Indians in a disappointingly small crowd in which they were outnumbered by touring Australian fans, at last had something to excite them.
They lept and gyrated, slapped backs and high-fived and shouted themselves hoarse. They hadn't had such fun at the opposition's expense - and more especially this opposition's - since the Antiguans Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose and their colleagues were letting it fly in their heyday.
Four days after he completed a split hat-trick in the third Test on the depressing pitch at Kensington Oval on which Australia amassed 605, Lawson presided over their demise for 240.
It represented a sharp decline. Their first innings totals before Kensington has been 489 and 576 for four declared and 605 for nine declared and they had only lost 28 wickets in the series.
On the first surface of the series to encourage the fast bowlers, Australia immediately hit back when Glenn McGrath removed the flat-fotted Chris Gayle's middle stump with the second delivery of the innings and Andy Bichel accounted for Daren Ganga to a careless hook shot in his first over.
At close of the only day they have dominated for the series, the West Indies were 47 for two from 16 overs with left-handed opener Devon Smith and nightwatchman Vasbert Drakes to resume this morning after the first day.
Lawson, who had admirable support especially from the 20-year-old off-spinner Omari Banks and pace partners Merv Dillon and Vasbert Drakes, has now left it up to the batsmen to provide the platform for the victory that would be more that just consolation.
It would avoid the ignominy of the West Indies' first whitewash in a home series and place a hopeful exclamation mark to what has been a one-sided contest.
Only three other West Indian bowlers have taken seven wickets in an innings against Australia, none in the Caribbean.
The medium-pacer Gerry Gomez was the first, at Sydney in 1951-52. Roberts and Ambrose, of more recent vintage, followed in separate series in Perth and were there to witness Lawson's feat.
In spite of the familiar litany of missed catches, four in all, the West Indies worked their way through the Australia order with purposeful bowling.
They restricted the scoring rate to under three and a half runs an over, forcing errors from batsmen accustomed to rattling on at over four.
It was obvious from Dillon's first ball, that rose sharply to take left-handed opener Justin Langer on the gloves, that this was the kind of pitch that would provide the even balance between bat and ball Test cricket deserves but that was previously lacking.
Lawson's two wickets before lunch and one shortly afterwards gave the West Indies the early initiative after Australia batted on winning the toss.
He removed Matthew Hayden, to a miscued hook that lobbed to mid-on for 14 in the sixth over, and Langer, to Banks's sharp, low catch at deep gully for 42, six minutes before the first interval.
Langer's came as a distinct relief. He had happy memories of the ground where he scored 51 and 127 in the Test four years ago and, at 14, had been dropped on a straightforward, two-handed catch at first slip off Dillon.
Lawson's third wicket was another left-hander, Darren Lehman, who snicked one that straightened from round the wicket 10 minutes after lunch to be caught behind.
By now, Banks was into a testing spell, making the ball turn and bounce and repeatedly troubling the ill Ricky Ponting's replacement, Martin Love.
Waugh arrived as his partner and began scratchily, edging Lawson through vacant third slip to the boundary, fending him off just away from short leg and, at 17, turning Banks' off-break round the corner where Shivnarine Chanderpaul let the chance to his right go.
Love might also have been similarly taken off Banks, the ball finding Chanderpaul on the half-volley, but the tall young Anguillian deservedly got his man soon afterwards.
As he did early in the piece, Love's forward block shot spun from bat face towards stumps. In the first instance, he managed to block its path, now it was too quick for him and dislodged the bails.
For the next hour and 20 minutes, on either side of tea, Waugh gradually became more ominous and, with the always dangerous Adam Gilchrist, added 53.
Dillon had been no more animated before tea than in the first two Tests when his indifferent form led to his omission at Kensington.
His mood changed when he found a good ball for Waugh. The Australian captain prodded uncertainly and Jacobs tossed the catch high, confident of umpire Venkatargahavan's confirmation of the edge. It took several seconds coming but the verdict was correct.
Australia were 194 for six and relying on Bichel to shepherd his less adequate lower order colleagues to a more reputable total.
His run-a-ball 71 in Barbados had confirmed his batting prowess and with the benefit of Drakes' leaping miss at mid-on off Banks when he was 25, looked likely to cause mayhem again.
The ball after Drakes' error, Banks put down a difficult, right-handed return off Brett Lee but Lawson guaranteed there was no late flourish.
Bichel took two fours off him as soon as Brian Lara brought him back but, next ball, he thrashed to the tumbling substitute Marlon Samuels at point.
Then the real fun started.
Lawson had the ball whistling past the nose and helmet and batsmen flinching in self-preservation.
Lee and Gillespie were taken by Ridley Jacobs off the glove, Gillespie falling to a spectacular lunge down the legside that completed the innings. MacGill steered a catch to second slip after he smelt the leather as two successive deliveries whizzed past the visor of his helmet.
Suddenly, West Indian faces that had been glum all season came to life. It was good to see.