Banks and Drakes became the toast of the Caribbean when they guided the West Indies to an amazing victory target of 418 runs, 45 minutes before lunch on the final day of the fourth Cable and Wireless Test.

Banks, a lanky 20-year-old Angullan in just his second Test, made a mature unbeaten 47, showing intense concentration and composure in a magnificent three-hour display of batsmanship while Drakes made a crucial 27 not out to steer the West Indies to the highest ever winning total of 418 for seven.

Whereas Steve Waugh’s Australians lost the match and with it, the elusive feat of becoming the first visiting team to make a series clean sweep in the Caribbean, they will take back home the Frank Worrell Trophy.

The Aussies 3-1 series triumph also enabled them to regain their rightful No.1 position in the ICC Test rankings.

It was a Test match to remember with both teams making the identical first innings scores of 240 on a bouncy ARG pitch.

Australia rebounded with a second innings total of 417, leaving the Windies to get a target no one team has achieved in Test cricket’s 125-year history.

But the youthful West Indian outfit, starting the day on 371 for six, needing to score another 47 runs to achieve the unbelievable, duly gathered the remaining runs while losing just one wicket to finish on 418 for seven off 128.5 overs.

Drakes, with three fours and a six in his 47-ball knock and Banks, who faced 114 balls and struck six fours, featured in an entertaining unbroken eighth-wicket partnership of 46 runs as the West Indies scored the most runs ever to win a Test match.

The West Indies suffered an immediate setback when man-of-the-match Shivnarine Chanderpaul was out for 104 with the first ball of the fourth day.

Chanderpaul added just one run to his overnight score before he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist off the fiery Australian pace bowler Brett Lee, who finished with the best figures of four for 64 in 23 overs.

The dismissal of the frail Guyanese left-hander after his 230-minute innings of 104 off 157 balls, was a major blow for the West Indies as he had ignited the West Indies’ victory bid in two critical partnerships.

First, Chanderpaul had featured in a fifth-wicket stand of 123 with compatriot Ramnaresh Sarwan, who also played a major role in the triumph, with a sparkling knock of 105 and secondly, he and Banks added a further 84 runs for the seventh wicket.

But Banks, the first cricketer from the tiny neighbouring island of Anguilla to play for the West Indies and Drakes, one of several Test selectees from the traditionally-strong Barbados, joined forces at 372 for seven.

Against the unrelenting Australian pace duo of Lee and Jason Gillespie, who had been entrusted with the job of finishing off the West Indies innings, Drakes and Banks admirably mixed dogged defence with audacious attacking stroke-play in their hour-long undefeated partnership which lasted 12 overs.

Only two teams, India against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago in 1976 when they made 406 for four and Australia against England at Headingley in 1948 with 404 for three, have scored over 400 runs to win a Test but none has scored as many as 418.

Drakes, with four first-class hundreds to his name, got off the mark by driving Lee through extra cover for two but caused several hearts around the ground to miss a few beats when he attempted a couple of injudicious advised hook shots off both Lee and Gillespie.

On four, he inexcusably tried to hook a high bouncer from Gillespie and the ill-advised attempt landed luckily in no-man’s land on the leg-side for a single.

At the other end, Drakes flicked Lee off his legs for a four to the long leg boundary, splitting the fielders at long leg and deep backward square leg.

Banks took 35 minutes and 14 balls to score his first run of the day but was soon square-driving Gillespie to the backward point boundary with the gusto and aplomb, which belied his age.

Australia brought on leg-spinner Stuart MacGill at 391-7 with 27 more runs required but Banks cut his third ball just out of the reach of Matthew Hayden at second slip and down to the third man boundary for four, reducing the margin to 23 runs.

After a speculative leg-before-wicket appeal by MacGill was turned down, Drakes swung the next ball for a huge six onto the top level of the Andy Roberts Stand at wide long-on.

The shot carried the West Indies past the 400-mark and left them with just 16 more runs for victory.

In the next over, Drakes got a lucky four when he cut at a short delivery from Gillespie and the ball took the inside edge of the bat, and sped past wicketkeeper Gilchrist to the fine leg boundary for four.

That ‘French Cut’ left the West Indies needing a mere 11 runs more for victory.

In the next over, Drakes on 23 and the total on 408, survived a confident leg-before-wicket appeal off MacGill, which was turned down by umpire David Shepherd.

Waugh, recognising that the game was swiftly slipping away from his team, brought on the experienced Glenn McGrath from the southern end, replacing Gillespie but it was to no avail.

Banks got a single, steering a delivery to third man while Drakes defended the remaining deliveries in the over.

Off the first ball of the next over, Banks delicately steered a full toss from MacGill to the fine leg boundary for four to make the score 413-7 and then hit another full toss to wide long on for a single.

This left the West Indies with only four runs for victory and eased the tension around the ground as the die-hard spectators in the stands, who cheered every run, began their victory celebrations.

Drakes formalised the result by square-cutting the fifth ball from MacGill for point to the backward point boundary, triggering off massive celebrations by the crowd and West Indian players.

The celebrations continued for a few hours after, as a few West Indies players and hundreds of spectators joined resident Dee Jay Chickie in the West Indies Oil Company Stand, turning the ARG into a carnival-like atmosphere.

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 240
West Indies 1st innings 240
Australia 2nd innings 417
West Indies 2nd innings (o/n 371-6)
C.Gayle c Waugh b Lee 19
D.Smith c wkp. Gilchrist b Gillespie 23
D.Ganga lbw b McGrath 8
B.Lara b MacGill 60
R.Sarwan c & b Lee 105
S.Chanderpaul c wkp. Gilchrist b Lee 104
R.Jacobs c wkp. Gilchrist b Lee 0
O.Banks not out 47
V.Drakes not out 27
Extras; (b-9, lb-9, nb-6, w-1) 25
Total: (7 wickets, 128.5 overs) 418