Warne spins Aussies into winning position in final Test

ADELAIDE (Australia)—Australia need 106 runs with eight wickets intact to complete a 3-0 series whitewash of the West Indies after Shane Warne produced his best-ever Adelaide Oval bowling performance.
The Australians had a few early flutters losing the wickets of Justin Langer and skipper Ricky Ponting, but have the momentum heading into the final day after dismissing the Caribbean tourists for 204 in their second innings.
Australia have already retained the Frank Worrell Trophy with comprehensive wins in Brisbane and Hobart but it was Warne’s 6-80 off 33 overs that swung the momentum and left the home side needing 182 to win.
Outstanding young all-rounder Dwayne Bravo showed pluck with a pugnacious 64 to give the struggling Windies hope of setting a more challenging total, but once he was out shortly after tea on Monday, the innings folded.
At the close, Australia were 76 for two with Matthew Hayden on 38 and Brad Hodge on 10 after Corey Collymore picked up the wickets of Langer for 20 and Ponting for three.
“We’re quietly confident but a couple of quick wickets early tomorrow and the West Indies are right in the game, anyone who thinks the game is over, then you haven’t been watching the same game or seen the conditions,” Warne said. Warne flummoxed the West Indies batsmen with his wrist-spin taking five of the eight wickets to fall Monday. The visitors lost their last eight wickets for just 136 runs. “I was very happy with the way I bowled today. I thought I had really good shape on the ball and bowled good variations. I got a little tired towards the end after bowling four hours’ straight,” Warne said. Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker took his career tally to 645 wickets in 132 Tests and, with two Tests still to play before the end of 2005, Warne looks set to break the record for the most wickets in a calendar year.
His 84 wickets this year, mean he is just one behind Australian fast bowling great Dennis Lillee’s record of 85 set in 1981. Warne also became the highest wicket-taker in Tests at the Adelaide Oval — one of his least favoured grounds — surpassing Lillee’s previous best of 45 with his 51. “It would have been nice to have a lead of 300, I thought that would have been quite challenging, but depending on what happens in the first hour tomorrow it’s going to tell us a lot about the outcome of the Test,” West Indies coach Bennett King said. The West Indies’ cause was undermined by three questionable umpiring decisions in the dismissals of Ramnaresh Sarwan (64), Dwayne Smith (0) and Denesh Ramdin (28).
Warne had the West Indians in a spin in the morning session and celebrated with the prized wicket of first innings double-centurion Brian Lara for 17 when he edged to the outstretched left hand of Matthew Hayden at slip. He also captured the wickets of nightwatchman Daren Powell, bowled around his legs for two, skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught at short leg by Brad Hodge for four, and Dwayne Smith leg before wicket for a two-ball duck.
Smith looked unlucky as replays showed an inside-edge off his bat on to his pads, but he was given out by Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar. Sarwan, showing the commitment missing for much of his woeful tour, was given a rough decision by New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden when lbw to Brett Lee for 62. Replays appeared to show the ball missing leg stump but Sarwan was sent on a slow walk back to the pavilion with his head hung low at the verdict. Ramdin, who put on a valuable 54 for the eighth wicket with Bravo, also seemed to receive a harsh decision from Dar when he appeared to sweep Warne into the ground before the ball deflected off his gloves to Adam Gilchrist.

—Agencies