Under an almost cloudless sky on Hero’s Day-a national holiday in Barbados- Austriala completed a comfortable six-wicket victory over the UWI Vice- Chancellor’s X1 yesterday at the beautiful UWI ground- renamed the 3W’s Oval- at Cave Hill Campus.
Set 95 to win, Austriala reached 95-4 after the UWI’s X1 were bowled out for 162 in their second innings at Barbados’ fourth and newest first class venue, equipped with the only indoor nets facility in Barbados.
Scores in the match-Vice-Chancellor’s X1 290 &162, Austriala 358-6 declared & 95-4.
Resuming the final day of the three day game on 32-2, the UWI side were given a solid start by skipper Phillo Wallace and Dary Balgobin, a 20 year-old majoring in Computer Science and Maths at the St. Agustious campus in Trinidad.
The pair, watched by a fair size crowd which included former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams who was honoured by UWI during the lunch break, took the score to 93 before the 72 run third wicket stand was broken 42 minutes into the day’s play.
Balgobin, whoes confidence increased as his innings progressed, hit five fours from 48 balls in his 26 was well taken at deep extra cover by Andy Bichel off leg spinner Stuart McGill to start a slide from the West Indian side.
The powerful Wallace, who got to his fifty with a huge six over mid wicket off McGill, was joined by Ricardo Powell and the pair saw the 100 posted in 108 minutes on the fast and lush green outfield before three wicket tumbled at 113.
Wallace was taken by wicket keeper Jimmy Maher off McGill for 53 with six fours and two sixes while Powell (14) and Jamaican UWI Mona campus student
Maurice Clarke (0) both departed at the same score as the visitors reduced the home team to 113-6.
Matthew Sinclair (1) and Kenya’s world cup star Collins Obuya (0) were quickly sent back by McGill in two balls to leave the score on 126-8.
David Bernard, just off his test debut in Trinidad, failed to make use of the opportunity to get a big score and was caught by McGill at Mid off driving at left arm spinner Brad Hogg for 19 to leave the UWI combination on the ropes on 160-9 as the very poor batting performance continued in ideal conditions for batting despite the presence of a very strong wind.
Andrew Richardson hit some lofty blows in his unbeaten 25 before Corri Collimore was last out for a duck,bowled by Glen McGrath.
McGill followed his five wicket haul in the first innings with 5-45 from 12 overs while Hogg, who
struggled for control, had 2-34 in five overs.
Set 95 to win Austriala opened with skipper Steve Waugh and Andy Bichel and were soon 1-5 as Chris Gayle, bowling pace with the new ball, induced the Australian captain to edge a catch to the keeper after making one run.
Bichel (21) was then removed by Balgobin, also bowling medium pace, at 28-2 while Martin Love (15) fell to Richardson at 72-3 as the Aussies failed to get in some batting practice in thier last game before the third test commence on Thursday.
Mike Clark fell three short of his half-century when he was neatly stumped by Sinclair off leg spinner Obuya at 86-4 before Ashley Noffke (7) Hogg (4) saw their team to victory 18 minutes before the scheduled tea break.