Australia beat West Indies by an innings and 65 runs
Australia beat West Indies by an innings and 65 runs within three days in the first Test in Brisbane on November 28. Needing 252 to make Australia bat again, the visitors were dismissed for 187 in their second innings.
For West Indies, the only silver lining in the cloud was 19-year old Adrian Barath’s excellent century on debut. He scored 104, a knock full of sparkling shots all around the wicket. No other batsman could offer even a semblance of resistance to the Australian bowlers. Ben Hilfenhaus destroyed the top order claiming 3 for 20 while Nathan Hauritz and Shane Watson took two wickets apiece for 40 and 44 respectively.
Earlier, in reply to Australia’s 480 for 8 declared, the visitors were all out for 228 in which the main contributors were Travis Dowlin (62) and Denesh Ramdin (54). Hauritz and Mitchell Johnson bagged three wickets each for 17 and 75 respectively. Hilfenhaus bagged 2 for 50.
In the Australian first innings, all the top order batsmen except for Watson were among the runs. Simon Katich (92), Marcus North (79), Mike Hussey (66), and skipper Ricky Ponting (55) scored half centuries. Even Hauritz scored an unbeaten 50, his highest score in Test cricket. Dwayne Bravo (3/118) and Suleiman Benn (2/86) bowled well.
Hilfenhaus was named Man of the Match.
Brief scores: Australia 480 for 8 decld. (Katich 92, North 79, Hussey 66, Ponting 55; Bravo 3/118, Benn 2/86); West Indies 228 (Dowlin 62, Ramdin 54; Hauritz 3/17, Johnson 3/75, Hilfenhaus 2/50) and 187 (Barath 104; Hilfenhaus 3/20, Hauritz 2/40, Watson 2/44). Australia won by an innings and 65 runs.
