Aussies go smooth at Adelaide despite Lara’s feat

ADELAIDE—Brian Lara’s record-breaking innings of 226 prompted a positive response from Australia in the Adelaide Test. Having bowled out West Indies for 405, the home side reached 229-3 in reply but lost Justin Langer for 99 in the last over of the second day’s play.
During the morning session, Lara soon added 12 runs to his overnight 202 not out to overtake Allan Border and become Test cricket’s highest run scorer.
He took his career total to 11,187 before being bowled by Glenn McGrath.
Once Lara had departed in the ninth over of play, Australia quickly wrapped up the West Indies innings.
Daren Powell was lbw to McGrath, who finished with figures of 3-106, and spinner Shane Warne claimed his first success of the innings when Fidel Edwards was snapped up by Matthew Hayden at slip for 10.
Hayden was soon back out in the middle alongside Langer, who returned to the team after missing the first two Tests because of a cracked rib.
And they set the scoreboard ticking over at a healthy rate as Edwards, in particular, wasted the new ball, although Hayden was lucky to survive chances on four and 23.
The two left-handers took their career partnership tally past 5,000 runs, second only to former West Indies stars Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, before they were finally parted with the total on 97.
Hayden was the man to go for 47 as Shivnarine Chanderpaul took the catch off all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
It did not halt the flow of runs, however, with home skipper Ricky Ponting adding 114 with Langer either side of tea.
Bravo broke through again when he had Ponting lbw for 56 but Langer continued on towards what looked certain to be a 23rd Test hundred.
West Indies succeeded in tying him down for 20 minutes one short of three figures, however, and after a mix-up which almost saw Brad Hodge run out, Langer tried to pull a leg-side ball from Edwards and gloved to the keeper.
“If getting out for 99 is the worst thing that happens to me in my life, I’ll take it,” Langer commented.
Mike Hussey blocked out the final four balls of play without scoring, with Hodge unbeaten on 13 at the non-striker’s end.—Agencies