WI clash with Bushrangers

On the evidence of his team’s strong showing against the Queensland Bulls two weeks earlier at Allan Border Field, the head coach of the Caribbean side seemed to have good reason to believe that his team would at least put up a fight in the First Test against Australia at the Gabba.

In the aftermath of a 379-run mauling from the home team inside four days however, King has learnt the hard way not to put too much store behind his talented but infuriatingly inconsistent outfit.

Yet the tourists will again be urged to give of their best against the early joint-leaders of Australia’s domestic First-Class competition before they face the might of the country’s national team once more in back-to-back Tests in Hobart and Adelaide to round out the three-Test series.

With paltry totals of 210 and 129 to show from the First Test, almost all in the West Indies batting order need to spend some time in the middle before the series resumes. The possible exception is Devon Smith, who followed up his knock of 115 against the Bulls with a battling 88 in the first innings at the Gabba.

Dwayne Smith, a surprise selection for the tour, needs to get a game here or else remain a spectator for the entire tour, while Dwayne Bravo can expect a fair share of bowling to prepare him for what will surely be a return to the Test side following the failed experiment of four pacers in the opening Test.

Of those fast bowlers, Jermaine Lawson looked short of work in Brisbane and Tino Best should get another chance to show if he can produce performances of merit.

While the West Indies lick their wounds from that whipping in Brisbane and contemplate other selection options before the series resumes, the Bushrangers have made it clear that they will not be offering their opponents any favours in the fixture.

The match is being played in the suburb of St Kilda due to the unavailability of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is being refurbished for the Commonwealth Games next March.

The home side has made only one change from the team that returned from Hobart on Tuesday buoyant after a remarkable fight back against Tasmania saw them complete the rare feat of an outright victory despite being forced to follow-on.

It was their second win in as many matches and they share top spot with defending champions New South Wales.

Obviously intent on maintaining the winning momentum and keeping Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s squad on the back foot, Victoria will give a first-class debut to opening batsman Lloyd Mash in place of the seasoned Jason Arnberger, but their side remains unaltered otherwise.

The 24-year-old right-hander scored 233 for the state’s second eleven earlier in the season and will look upon this match as the opportunity to press for a regular spot in the Bushrangers’ quest for the First-Class title.

Yet most Australian attention will be focused on Brad Hodge, the 30-year-old batsman who is seen as next in line for a place in the Test side’s middle-order, especially with all-rounder Shane Watson ruled out for the rest of the series with a dislocated shoulder sustained on the final day of the First Test last Sunday.

Hodge’s fate rests with the national selectors, but he will be keen to put pressure on the panel chaired by Trevor Hohns with a strong showing against the West Indies bowlers.

With their most celebrated player of the past 13 years, Shane Warne, being rested, Victoria will rely on a bowling attack dominated by pace. Gerard Denton, who inflicted the cracked rib to regular Test opener Justin Langer that ruled him out of the first two Tests, spearheads their attack with Shane Harwood.

Michael Lewis and Jonathan Moss offer further seam support with the only specialist spin coming from youthful captain and leg-spinning all-rounder Cameron White.

Against such formidable opponents and in the aftermath of the Gabba humiliation, the West Indies must show character and resolve. Anything else, and another indifferent effort could be a precursor to even more ruthless hammerings from Australia in the remaining Tests.

TEAMS:

VICTORIAN BUSHRANGERS— Cameron White (captain), Michael Klinger, Lloyd Mash, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Nick Jewell, Adam Crosthwaite, Jonathan Moss, Mick Lewis, Shane Harwood, Gerard Denton.

WEST INDIES (probable)— Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore.