Lara, Ganga lead WI revival

GEORGETOWN: Captain Brian Lara and Daren Ganga hit contrasting centuries yesterday to lift West Indian spirits and stall Australia’s progress in the opening Cable and Wireless cricket Test at Bourda.

The home team, overnight 16 without loss, went to close at 381 for five in their second innings, a lead of 129. Left-hander Lara (110) and his Trinidadian colleague Ganga (113) led the resistance with a magnificent third wicket partnership of 185. Lara collected his 19th Test century in his 91st match, while it was the first for the 24-year-old Ganga in his 18th Test. Rookie opener Devon Smith supported well with a counterattacking 62 off 88 balls with 13 boundaries. Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill took two for 127 off 27 overs. Brad Hogg, Jason Gillespie and part-timer Darren Lehmann each grabbed one wicket.

WI began well through the 21-year-old Smith and Wavell Hinds (7), the pair adding 52 for the first wicket before MacGill gained a lucky breakthrough after 45 minutes. The left-handed Hinds was the victim of a dubious leg before decision by umpire Asoka de Silva, who had reprieved the same batsman on the day’s second ball from Brett Lee when he looked plumb in front. Smith and Ganga added a further 58 for the second wicket before Gillespie removed Smith just before lunch to a wicket-keeper’s catch. That brought Lara in, but the 33-year-old was outgunned by Ganga during the early part of his innings.

Once he found his touch, it was vintage Lara, in his first Test back as captain. Ganga recognised his role and he was content to let the champion take centre stage. The pair went through the second session unseparated, and Lara raced to his century shortly after tea with his 18th boundary. It was his seventh hundred against Australia, passing 2,000 runs against them along the way, and his fourth as skipper. He finally fell hit wicket to Hogg’s left-arm wrist spin, a freak dismissal. His favoured sweep shot proved his downfall as his swivelling bat knocked the top of the stumps and dislodged the bails.

Lara stroked 20 boundaries off 225 balls in just over three hours. MacGill quickly removed Marlon Samuels (7), his second cheap dismissal in the match. The Jamaican was snapped up at gully by Ricky Ponting trying to hit against the spin. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a first-innings hero with his sizzling century, arrived to an ovation and added 51 with Ganga for the fifth wicket. Ganga, though, gifted his wicket away half hour before the close as Lehmann’s rarely-used left-arm spin gained reward. The 24-year-old Ganga batted five and a quarter hours and faced 225 balls when he chipped a catch to midwicket. Chanderpaul passed 4,000 runs on the way to an unfussed, unbeaten 26 before the close, gaining admirable support from Vasbert Drakes (14 not out) to give the West Indies hope over the last two days.