Ganga smashes 2nd century off Aussies

TRINIDAD and Tobago captain Daren Ganga scored an excellent 117 yesterday to guide West Indies to 408 in reply to Australia’s 576/4 declared at the end of the third day of the second Cable & Wireless cricket Test at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Scores: AUSTRALIA 576/4 declared and 31 for one wicket vs WEST INDIES 408. Ganga who scored 113 in the first Test in Guyana, followed up with a stroke-filled innings which enabled West Indies to save the follow-on, and are now in with a chance of saving the match. Australia leading by 168 runs on first innings increased their overall lead to 199 runs by the close, with two days remaining. Ganga came to the wicket on Sunday afternoon with the West Indies on 25/2 but when he left the score had mounted to 279/5.

Resuming yesterday on 69 in partnership with vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ganga steadied the West Indies innings as they chipped away at the awesome Australian total. Playing confident drives and cuts against the much vaunted attack, Ganga had the home fans who had packed the Oval in celebratory mood. He did not keep them waiting too long to reach the century milestone which he achieved just before lunch. His second Test hundred came after 255 minutes off 185 balls and contained 15 fours and one six. Sarwan also batted well but was far from his fluent self and fell for 26. Brett Lee produced an unplayable yorker that crashed into his stumps after the neat right hander added 75 runs with Ganga for the fourth wicket.

The classy Marlon Samuels was up next and after a slow start he began to reel off a succession of classical shots. Ganga in the meantime gifted his wicket to Lee after 336 minutes of studious application. He was caught by Matthew Hayden at first slip for 117. Ganga’s century was the fifth by a Trinidadian at the Oval, following Andy Gantaume, Jeffrey Stollmeyer, Charlie Davis and Larry Gomes. He also became the first Trinidadian to score a Test hundred at the Oval against Australia. At the fall of Ganga’s wicket the West Indies were still 98 runs away from avoiding the follow-on and this is when Samuels stepped in and took over. Debutant David Bernard jnr came and went quickly for seven with the score at 300 and Carlton Baugh replaced him. While the young Jamaican wicketkeeper was at the crease, there was hope for the future of West Indies cricket as the babes of Caribbean cricket were tackling the ‘big boys’ of the game and doing well.

Baugh playing some bold shots had the Oval crowd in stitches as he added 67 runs with Samuels for the seventh wicket. He fell for 19 hit wicket to spinner Stuart MacGill. Samuels took a liking to the spin of Brad Hogg and struck him for a six and two fours in three balls. He brought up his half-century off 94 balls in 130 minutes with eight fours and a six. However with a century looking good for the taking he lofted MacGill into the hands of Andy Bichel for 68. Mervyn Dillon came and went for a duck — his 25th in Tests and it was left to the Barbadian Last wicket pair off Vasbert Drakes (24)  and Pedro Collins (7 not out)  to take the total past the 400-run mark. Drakes was severe on Hogg hitting him for two massive sixes the first of which nearly knocked off the head of former Test player Suruj Ragoonath in the Press Box. Drakes then returned with the ball to remove Justin Langer for three as Australia closed on 31/1. Play in the fourth day today begins at 10.05am.