Spinning Stuart
MacGill has career-best 7-29 as Australia wins
Posted: Monday March 01, 1999 05:44 PM
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MacGill is now 4-0 against Shane Warne. Shaun Botterill/Allsport |
POINTE-A-PIERRE, Trinidad (Reuters) -- Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill seized his career-best of seven for 29 as the Australians crushed the West Indies Board President's XI by an innings and six runs with a day to spare on Monday.
The President's XI, 191 behind on first innings, collapsed from 99 without loss to 185 all out in their second innings on the third day of the four-day match at Guaracara Park.
MacGill upstaged fellow wrist spinner Shane Warne for the fourth time in the four first-class matches they have played together.
Having taken six for 45 in the first innings, MacGill had career-best. His previous best for an innings (7-50) and a match (12-107) was against England in the final Ashes test at Sydney in January.
Warne took three for 82, adding to his one for 49 in the President's XI first innings.
New Australian captain Steve Waugh was delighted with the performance ahead of the first test against West Indies starting in Port of Spain on Friday.
"I think it's really important the way we played," he said. "We had been a little bit undisciplined but then we switched on. I thought the bowling was good the whole way through the game. We got a lot out of it."
MacGill bowled with more zip and turn than Warne, who is clearly not back to his best following his shoulder operation last year which restricted him to the final test of the recent Ashes series.
The flight, turn and bounce of MacGill and Warne baffled the President's side of test hopefuls, which was 33 without loss overnight.
After reaching 99 without loss, four wickets tumbled for three runs shortly before lunch to start a collapse in which all 10 wickets went for 86.
Opener Suruj Ragoonath provided the major resistance, cutting, driving and pulling pacemen Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie on the way to a breezy half-century.
Ragoonath was stumped by Ian Healy off MacGill when he over-balanced trying to drive after making 53 in 97 balls, with eight fours.
Darren Ganga, an exciting young batsman who made his test debut on the recent South African tour, went two runs later for a patient 29. He was well caught by Mark Waugh at slip as he attempted to drive.
Dennis Rampersad failed to score for the second time in the match, cutting a short, wide ball from Warne to Greg Blewett at backward point.
Lincoln Roberts was also out for a duck, over-balancing as he tried to drive and being stumped off MacGill, a fate which was also suffered by Dave Joseph after he made 13.
Captain Keith Arthurton was last out for 38. He hit six fours, mostly off Warne, before he was caught behind attempting to cut a MacGill googly.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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