Cricket: Clarke vows to keep pressing for victory

Port of Spain: Shane Watson hit a patient half-century as Australia reached 208 for five on the first day of the second Test against West Indies on a slow Queen's Park Oval pitch.

Mike Hussey, on 26, and Matthew Wade, with 11, were unbeaten at the close, putting on a useful 30-run partnership after both men had survived dropped catches.

Watson was Australia's top scorer, making a solid 56 in 219 minutes.

"It was hard to get the pace of the ball because it was very slow. Also the ball was very soft," said Watson.

"The fields that (West Indies skipper) Darren Sammy set meant it was hard to rotate the strike at times. I was trying to do everything I could to keep the scoreboard moving, but on a wicket like this it does make it difficult."

The day was also a mini-triumph for Windies' off-spinner Shane Shillingford who came in for Devendra Bishoo to play his first Test for 18 months after having to undergo remedial work on his action.

He bowled 32 overs, taking two for 56, including opener David Warner in his first over.

"It obviously felt pretty good coming back to Test cricket and getting a wicket in my first over," he said.

Australia, who won the first Test in Barbados by three wickets, decided to play two spinners for the first time in nearly four years, with Michael Beer coming in to partner Nathan Lyon.

Warner (29) and Ed Cowan (28) put on 53 for the first wicket to provide the foundation for Australia, while seamer Kemar Roach was the pick of the West Indies seam attack.

He removed Cowan and later Ricky Ponting (seven) before the tea interval.

Shillingford bowled the first over of spin in the match in the 15th over and had immediate success.

Warner did not quite get to the pitch of his fifth ball but continued through with a drive and the ball came off the outside edge straight to Sammy at slip.

Roach, who had opened the bowling from the Media Centre End, was brought back by Sammy at the Brian Lara Pavilion End for a couple of overs before lunch.

The third ball of his new spell hit Cowan low on the front pad and despite a review, the opener was on his way back to the pavilion as Australia went to lunch on 74 for two.

In the sixth over after the break, Roach took his second wicket.

Ponting was man of the match in his last appearance in a Test at Queen's Park Oval, having scored a double-century in the first innings.

It was not to be this time around. He had scored just seven by the time he was squared up by a delivery outside off-stump that took the edge and flew to wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh at chest height.

Somehow the keeper spilt it but he had got enough glove on the ball that Sammy had time to step across from first slip to grab the rebound.

With the ball not coming off the pitch and with a lush outfield, scoring was always going to be slow.

Skipper Michael Clarke appeared to come to the decision at tea that it would help his side if the scoring rate was increased. He hit the first two balls after the interval to the boundary and hit 17 runs in the first two overs.

He had made 41 when he looked as though he'd be on his way back to the pavilion.

He'd been given out lbw to a Shillingford delivery that came back in and hit him on the back pad. He asked for a review and it proved to be a good move as the ball had hit him just outside the line of the off stump.

Narsingh Deonarine returned to the attack and Clarke's eyes seemed to light up as a long hop came down. He spun and hit it sweetly to deep square leg but somehow found the only man on the boundary.

He stood in disbelief at what he'd done but was gone for 45 having added 84 runs with Watson.

Watson, who had come to the wicket at the fall of Warner, struggled to score after tea and was using his feet to the spinners.

He came down the wicket to a Shillingford off-break and played defensively. The ball came off the inside edge and went sharply to Adrian Barath who took a good reflex catch.

Watson had only added 15 runs in the 16 overs after tea, but his innings could prove to be extremely valuable over the next four days.

Port of Spain, Apr 15 (ANI): Australia's skipper Michael Clarke has urged his teammates to work hard in the Caribbean, as the runs have not flowed freely off their bats this tour.
An early afternoon downpour robbed Australia's batsmen the chance to acclimatise with a hit in the nets.
Ricky Ponting is the only Australian in this tour party to play a Test at Queen's Park Oval with Clarke the other player with international experience at the venue.
The second Test presents the Australians with the chance to dispel notions they struggle in spin-friendly conditions, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
"I think that we've improved out of sight against spin bowling. I tell you what we do very well, we find ways to still win. I think that if you look at our record in the subcontinent that it's very good and we've faced a lot of spin bowling there," said Clarke, who is expecting the Windies to play two spinners. (ANI)

PORT OF SPAIN, April 19, 2012 (AFP) - West Indies seamer Kemar Roach dedicated his eight wickets in the second Test against Australia to legendary fast bowler Malcolm Marshall, who would have been 54 on Wednesday.

Roach has been the standout bowler for the home side in the match which appeared destined for a draw after torrential rain restricted action on the fourth day at Queen's Park Oval to just 30.4 overs.

Australia finished the day on 73 for three in their second innings, a lead of 127 runs after Roach had taken all the wickets to fall to add to his five-wicket haul in the first innings.

"Today would have been Malcolm Marshall's 54th birthday, it's a special day, I looked up to him as a bowler," said Roach of his fellow Barbados quick who died from cancer in 1999.

"I've watched a lot of clips of him and he was just such a great, great bowler. He was the best in the world at the time.

"I can't really explain it, it's a good feeling to know that I got some wickets on his birthday and it makes me feel warm as a West Indian to know I can go out there and perform for the West Indies like he did."

Roach sent back openers David Warner and Ed Cowan before clean-bowling Shane Watson for nought as West Indies saw a chance to keep the Australian lead in check.

But that was before the rain made a draw the likely result, an outcome which would allow Australia, who won the first Test of the three-match series, to maintain their two-decade grip on the Frank Worrell Trophy.

"I had my plans, it's a matter of executing," said 23-year-old Roach, playing in his 15th Test.

"I know where I have a better chance of getting them out now so I'll be working hard in the nets to keep being accurate and consistent. Hopefully I'll keep blasting through the top order."

He also said he enjoyed seeing Watson's off-stump cartwheel down the pitch. "It was a good sight," he added. "I really enjoyed that one. Shane Watson's a great batsman, I rate him a lot and to get him on that wicket, is a good achievement."

Marshall was born on April 18, 1958, and died on November 4, 1999, in his native Barbados.

A master of pace and swing, he took a then West Indies record 376 wickets in 81 Test matches at the impressive average of 20.94 apiece.

Roach, who has 3 for 27 in the second innings, has had to work for his wickets on a Trinidad pitch which is so low that both teams have opted to throw the new ball to a spinner.

In the West Indies' case, Roach was first change on Wednesday once off-spinner Shane Shillingford had been given an early opportunity. "The lower the bounce in the pitch, you obviously want to challenge the stumps a bit more, keep your pace up, be as accurate as possible and challenge the batsmen's technique. That's what got me wickets," he said.

Roach is now in line to become the first West Indies bowler to take 10 wickets in a match against Australia since Curtly Ambrose performed the feat back in 1993. "It would be great to get 10 wickets in this match and help the team to a winning position," he said.

"I am in the hunt for it and when we come back (on Thursday), I will adopt the same approach - bowling straight and attacking the stumps and look for more wickets."

"Looking ahead, we'll devise a plan and come out looking to be competitive. We look to win every game, that's our mentality. We're going to come out and do whatever we have to do. We're going to do it in a positive way."

Australia captain Michael Clarke vowed to keep making ambitious declarations even if it meant risking seeing his plans come back to haunt him.
Clarke set the West Indies a 215-run target off 61 overs in the second Test on Thursday, after declaring on 160 for eight early in the afternoon, only for torrential rain to wash away any chance of a result.
His decision to tempt the West Indies to force a result had paid dividends in the first Test in Barbados, which his team won by three wickets, despite declaring his team's first innings 43 runs behind.
Thursday was also set for an intriguing finish when West Indies reached 53 for two off 11 overs before rain returned to end the weather-battered contest.
"My goal my whole career has been to help the Australian team win as many games as possible and I guess now that I am captain I have the opportunity to show that," said Clarke.
"At times with my declaration, when there is a chance for winning, you've got to have a go at it.
"There's going to be times that it might backfire and we might lose every now and then. But I enjoy the brand of cricket that we're playing at the moment.
"I know the guys are really focused on the team having success and trying to win as many games as we can. And I think it's bringing the best out of the team."
The draw meant that Australia retained their two-decade grip on the Frank Worrell Trophy with just the final Test to play starting in Dominica on Monday.
In an effort to win on Thursday, West Indies captain Darren Sammy switched his batting order, moving Kieran Powell to open and placing himself at number three.
But Australian seamer Ben Hilfenhaus soon had the West Indies rocking, trapping Powell lbw for just four in his second over which allowed Sammy, himself, to come to the crease.
Hilfenhaus had both openers back in the dressing room just two overs later when he produced a beautiful outswinger that took the edge of Adrian Barath's bat and the catch was taken by Clarke at first slip.
That left West Indies on 13 for two.

West Indies Darren Sammy
Sammy, though, still had his sights firmly set on an unlikely win and launched into an attack on Hilfenhaus, striking him for two boundaries and a six over long-off.
He reached 30 not out from 26 balls with his team still needing another 162 runs to win when the weather brought an end to the contest.
"Sixty overs was enough. We thought we could get the runs. Our plan was to see how far we could get by tea and then reassess after that," said Sammy, who believes his team are still capable of levelling the series.
"The guys believe now that we can not only compete but we can win matches against top opposition and we go into every game thinking we can."
Sammy's optimism was boosted by seeing fast bowler Kemar Roach bag another five wickets to become first West Indian sincde 2005 to take 10 wickets in a match.
"It was difficult. The wicket wasn't assisting fast bowlers much. You had to be accurate," said man-of-the-match Roach.
"I am very proud of the way we fought. Now we will practise hard for Dominica and on Monday we will be ready and raring to go."
Australia have injury worries ahead of the third Test after fast bowlers Peter Siddle and James Pattinson were forced to return home with back injuries.
But they do have two cover in the squad -- Ryan Harris, who played in the first Test, and left-armer Mitchell Starc, who last played in the Perth Test against India in January.

Pattinson n Siddle injured !
Sad news !

Apurba please ad pics with the articles please

ok...

Raminder wrote:Pattinson n Siddle injured !
Sad news !

They have strong bench

Deepak Nayak wrote:

Raminder wrote:Pattinson n Siddle injured !
Sad news !

They have strong bench

Starc might play !..and Harris is always there !

Raminder wrote:

Deepak Nayak wrote:

Raminder wrote:Pattinson n Siddle injured !
Sad news !

They have strong bench

Starc might play !..and Harris is always there !

yaah.with Hilfy

Port of Spain, Apr 20(ANI): Australian opener Ed Cowan may lose his berth if selectors choose a team on the basis of scores, but is optimistic about his own game.
"I feel like my game is in good order. There's a big difference between being out of runs and out of form and I feel a little bit out of runs," The Sydney Morning Herlad quoted Cowan, as saying.
"I don't feel like I'm going out there as a walking wicket and that I'm going to get knocked over, so that's good. I feel like I'm not only good enough to be playing at this level but contributing. And dominating on my good days, it hasn't quite worked out yet," he added.
He feels that he has improved for the experience "in such foreign conditions".
"For example, playing against off-spin, I feel like I've found a way that can now work here and in the subcontinent, and you don't have to do that back home because there aren't that many wickets that turn," he added.

His statement came after Cowan has scored 96 runs at an average of 24 in the current series against the West Indies.
"It's frustrating to get through what's the hardest time of batting and then to get out when the ball is getting softer.I think in these conditions to ground out 40 or 50 is a bloody good day. To grind out 20 doesn't look good but it still feels like you've given some contribution to the team, not just taken the shine off the ball for the other blokes," Cowan said.
"And if your worst days are 20s and 30s and you start turning them into really good days, you start turning into a really good player," he added.