Anyway, that - as they say - is that. Channel Nine are doing a nice montage of a rather strange summer of Test cricket backed - I think - by Coldplay, as ever. But that’s them signing off.
The good news is, that here at Guardian Aus, that’s not even the last of the cricket for the day. I will be back in a little over two hours, for the crunch BBL match across Sydney at Spotless between the Thunder and Perth Scorchers. Join me from about 7.30 Sydney time for that. Should be a belter.
Turrah for now! Let’s catch up in a couple of hours.
Adam Voges (Vogues, Vo-jes?) has been named Man of the Series. Well done him! He’s also, at 36, Australia’s emerging cricketer of the year, which is marvellous. My colleagues in the press corps named him that.
Mark Taylor’s talking to Steve O’Keefe, who is just about the nicest fella going round. He’s stoked to have played a Test on his home ground, even if it was a bit of a stinker. He got three wickets, mind, so is saying “It’s cliche, but it’s a dream come true.” He jokes that he plays a Test per year, so has a year to come up with a mystery ball. Hope we see him again in a Test cricket.
This fella in a rasta hat is just....
Having some fun with @KP24 pic.twitter.com/NDg12HZ3t3
— russell (@russcsk) January 7, 2016
CREEPY....
The match has ended with Aus 2/176 - exactly the same score as 26 years when two consec days called off bc of rain pic.twitter.com/VWp0DkLrUi
— Tom Decent (@tomdecent) January 7, 2016
The match - if you can call it that - in a tweet:
That's it. A draw. Two tons for the match - Davey Warner & the rain... more than 100mm fell. #AUSvWI
— Neroli Meadows (@Neroli_M_FOX) January 7, 2016
That is that: MATCH DRAWN
38th over: Australia 174-2 (Warner 122, Nevill 7)
At the start of this over, Michael Clarke suggests on comms that this could be the last of the match, and that Smith will declare. He’s right. After Warner takes one and Nevill two off Warrican. Smith sticks the arm out and that is that.
AUSTRALIA WIN THE SERIES 2-0
37th over: Australia 173-2 (Warner 121-3, Nevill 5)
Just another single from Warner off the first, then Nevill sees out five more balls. He’s five off 18 now. Bit odd. Playing for red ink.
On comms, Michael Clarke’s just called Adam Voges “Adam Vogues”, but isn’t it “Adam Vo-jes”??? I’m a Pom so I’m now really confused. Help please.
36th over: Australia 172-2 (Warner 120, Nevill 5)
Warner pulls to deep square for one off the first ball of Brathwaite’s over, then Nevill sees the over out. Davey stands at the non-strikers looking mighty impatient. He wants to hit the cricket ball as hard as he can!
35th over: Australia 171-2 (Warner 119, Nevill 5)
There are runs wherever Davey wants them. There’s two slashed to deep midwicket, then two more through cover, and a single down the ground that could have been two. Nevill takes the last two to continue his reacquaintance with his cricket bat.
34th over: Australia 166-2 (Warner 114, Nevill 5)
Just one run from this Warrican over, another Warner hoick to leg, before Nevill just watches the ball and re-teaches himself how to bat. Neatly bowled.
Nevill avoids having played a three-Test series without making a run or taking a wicket. #AusvWI
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) January 7, 2016
33rd over: Australia 165-2 (Warner 113, Nevill 5)
Anyone remember that fella Peter Nevill? The one who’s been stood behind the stumps all summer but hasn’t batted since Adelaide? Well he’s here for a hit! What japes. Warner slogs the first ball of Brathwaite’s over to the cow fence, then Nevill nurdles a two and a three in nice fashion.
Phil Withall’s been in touch: “Hi Will,” he writes. “I thought I’d treat myself and stop at my local ‘sports bar’ on the way home from work, have a beer and watch some cricket. They have 12 screens all showing sport, none of them had the test on. 1 had the Kiwi one dayer, one had surfing and the rest had Norwich City against Southampton. It all seemed rather odd, luckily I support Norwich so I was happy as well as disappointed.”
Well I’m a Southampton fan, Phil. Are we supposed to have a brawl?
Wicket! Marsh c Blackwood b Warrican 21 (Australia 154-2)
32nd over: Australia 154-2 (Warner 107)
This is a blooming wicket maiden! A wicket blooming maiden! Marsh is just struggling to get Warrican away and five dots pass, until he looks to heave the last ball away with a slog sweep. But he gets a slight top edge and it goes through to first slip. Decent catch, strange innings. A wicket blooming maiden!
31st over: Australia 154-1 (Warner 107, Marsh 21)
One Brathwaite replaces t’other and we have spin twins. Kraigg’s on. Marsh takes a single, as the Aussies sized up their quite gentle prey. Then Davey absolutely brutalises a full toss outside off at Holder, who is at short cover. The giant sticks his hands up and it breaks through - dropped! That’s hit so hard and would have been a wondrous take. A drop nonetheless, sadly. Marsh defends the rest of the over, struggling for fluency, and takes a single from the last.
30th over: Australia 151-1 (Warner 106, Marsh 19)
I hadn’t noticed that Australia had avoided the follow on. Well done them. Warrican continues to roll the arm over, tossing it up, but Mitch Marsh is being careful. He’s been given the chance to bat up the order, and he ain’t gonna waste it. After a dab to the right of slip for one, Warner launches two into the legside, not quite connecting with one he wanted to send into the stratosphere.
29th over: Australia 147-1 (Warner 103, Marsh 18)
Jeez, that’s Warner’s fourth ton of the summer. He’s trying to hit it hard now, but doesn’t get great contact on a legside hoick and it’s just a single. Marsh slots it through midwicket for four and that’s the only other runs of a nice quiet over.
Abhinav Dutta has been in touch and is putting me right for my claims that this is all a bit futile. “Nothing is pointless as Pangloss the philosopher will tell you,” he says, “Every outcome has a cause and effect and ‘everything is for the best in this best of possible worlds’.”
Most Test centuries since start of 2011 16 - @davidwarner31 14 - @KumarSanga2, @MClarke23, Younis Khan 13 - @stevesmith49, Cook #AUSvWI
— Joshua Kay (@js_kay) January 7, 2016
WARNER 100 (Australia 144-1)
28th over: Australia 144-1 (Warner 102, Marsh 16)
Davey knocks Warrican’s first ball to midwicket, then runs so hard for a pair to get to 98. Quite literally no one in the game who runs better. He takes a single to move to 99, then Marsh gives him a single to long-off to get Warner back on strike.
And he goes for the sweep and reaches his 100! What a knock. Not even sure he’s hit that ball but he’s decided he has and starts celebrating as he sets off the first of three runs. Oh, there is a bottom edge. Amazingly, that’s his first century against the Windies, the 16th of his test career and the quickest ever - 82 balls - at the SCG. What a player he is.
27th over: Australia 137-1 (Warner 96, Marsh 15)
Warner moves himself to within four of the milestone by nudging Brathwaite to the man in the deep, before Marsh flexes those massive guns with a pull between the two men out for a beautiful four. The rest of the over is seen out runless, so Warner’s wait goes on.
Arguably the only human I love more than Richie Benaud is Daphne.
More from Daphne: “Australia’s relationship with the West Indies and his personal friendship with Frank Worrell meant so much to Richie."
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) January 7, 2016
26th over: Australia 132-1 (Warner 95, Marsh 11)
Warrican again. The first ball is pushed softly straight tot the man - Jerome Taylor - at deep cover by Warner, and they scamper a remarkable two. Great running. They trade a single each, before Warner, knowing he’s in range of 100, goes for the big shot. He uses the feet and gets a little edge that rolls to the man at sleep. Next ball, he just settles for a single to that man at point. A dot from the last keeps the strike for Davey boy.
This is nice news:
Frank Worrell Trophy now has Richie Benaud Medal awarded to player of the series. Says his widow Daphne: “This is a wonderful honour"
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) January 7, 2016
25th over: Australia 127-1 (Warner 91, Marsh 10)
There was a single ball of Warrican’s last over to complete after the break, but I didn’t feel it worth a full post. Please forgive me for that. Mitchell Marsh just defended it and it was ever so uneventful. I trust y’all don’t mind.
Anyway, the 25th over. Carlos Brathwaite - who’s just a great sort, isn’t he? - bowled it, and again it was rather uneventful. Warner took a single to cover first ball, then Mitch Marsh ignored or defended the rest. One run from the over.
Hi guys, Will in the chair for the last rites of one of the great non-Test matches.
There’s been some rain around tea, but we’re going to get a spot of wonderfully pointless cricket. David Warner’s going to get a century, which is nice for him, and it’s a genuine shame that he didn’t notch the milestone in a session for the second time in his career and the first since 2012. What a player he is.
Things will kick off again at 4.05pm Sydney time. Send me your emails, fling me your tweets: can you ever, ever remember a more pointless session, or mini-session, of Test cricket? And what time will hands be shaken and the Windies checking in for their flight? I’m at will.macpherson.freelance@guardian.co.uk, or @willis_macp.
Okay folks
...not sure what sort of afternoon it’ll be but Will Macpherson’s on board now to take you through it. Enjoy!
A good idea from Shane Warne
Let's make the 20/20 game at the SCG V India on Jan 31 #turnpink for #janemcgrath day @McGrathFdn !!!! Thoughts ?
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) January 7, 2016
Rain stopped play, Vol.876
24th over (incomplete): Australia 126-1 (Warner 90, Marsh 10)
Oh no, Mitchell Marsh is almost run out here when he’s caught ball-watching a David Warner single to extra cover, benefitting from some sloppy work in the field to make his ground but moments later the rain comes tumbling down again and the players trot off.
23rd over: Australia 125-1 (Warner 89, Marsh 10)
There’s not much happening in this Brathwaite over so talk in the Nine commentary box has turned to Michael Slater and Shane Warne’s “bandana era” of 2001. If only somebody had some photographic evidence of all this...
22nd over: Australia 124-1 (Warner 88, Marsh 10)
Warrican’s still got a slip, a short leg and a short extra cover in place to Marsh but there’s not much doing, even when he brings the short leg across to silly point. Marsh smothers and scrapes his way through the rest of the over after Warner’s early single. It’s all a bit tame now, unfortunately.
21st over: Australia 123-1 (Warner 87, Marsh 10)
There hasn’t been a heap of positives to come out of this tour for the West Indians but the efforts of Carlos Brathwaite have certainly been one and you get the sense that as crude as his methods can look, he’s probably worth perservering with ahead of flashier players. There’s some real substance to him and he’s always in the game. That comes with batting at 7 for this side, I guess. He’s bending his back again here and giving no quarter.
20th over: Australia 120-1 (Warner 86, Marsh 8)
The tempo of Warner’s innings has flattened out a little bit now and though he’s looking for boundaries when he’s given some leeway by Warrican he can only manage singles in this over.
19th over: Australia 117-1 (Warner 84, Marsh 7)
This is far better from Brathwaite, who concedes a single to Warner and then keeps Marsh under the thumb to the extent that there’s no further scoreboard damage in the over.
18th over: Australia 116-1 (Warner 83, Marsh 7)
Warrican is ever-so-slightly short of a length to Warner and that’s all the encouragement he needs to skip across and crack another boundary between cover and point. He’s moving towards the most carefree hundred you’ll see.
They're back!
17th over: Australia 109-1 (Warner 76, Marsh 7)
The shower passes quickly so we’re back in town with Marsh driving confidently through cover to pick up three and get himself of the mark and after a single to Warner the junior partner places an even better stroke and a difficult one to execute when he square drives Brathwaite past point for four. That was Carlos Brathwaite’s first over, by the way. Not his best effort.
Play. Rain. Covers. Repeat. @scg @WWOS9
— Yvonne Sampson (@yvonnesampson) January 7, 2016
Rain stopped play
Gargh! It’s too heavy to play on now so Warner, Marsh and the bowling side are sent to the sheds for another rain delay. Might they just call the whole thing off now? Bit of a pity for Warner, who was on track for a century in a session.
16th over: Australia 100-1 (Warner 74, Marsh 0)
Funky batting order! Mitch Marsh is the new man at the crease here, appearing at three with the Aussies hoping he’ll benefit from some time in the middle but there’s rain appearing now too.
WICKET! Burns c Roach b Warrican 26 (Australia 100-1
Burns departs! Well, the less obtrusive batsman had just got moving there with a few boundaries to bring up the 100-run partnership but with that out of the way he holes out to Kemar Roach at mid-on off the bowling of spinner Warrican. Can’t blame him for having a dip at that.
15th over: Australia 95-0 (Burns 22, Warner 73)
Now Warner’s into the 70s when he muscles another forceful stroke down to the rope at long-off. Not much timing there but it doesn’t matter much when you swing as hard as he does with the Gray-Nichols ‘Kaboom’ in your hands. Burns gets in on the fun with a lovely open-faced drive to the boundary square of third man.
14th over: Australia 86-0 (Burns 18, Warner 68)
Warner gets going after drinks with more of the same, pouncing on a short one from Warrican and slapping it for a couple through cover. Warner’s in a real hurry here, as usual.
13th over: Australia 81-0 (Burns 17, Warner 64)
They’ve spent the last few days bored out of their brains but as their drinks arrive on the ground now, I’m sure a few of these West Indians wouldn’t mind a bit more rain.
The stats oracle strikes again.
The 13th time @davidwarner31 has reached 50 in a run a ball or better. 43b today ranks at No.7 on list of his fastest. #AusvWI
— Jesse Hogan (@Jesse_Hogan) January 7, 2016
12th over: Australia 75-0 (Burns 16, Warner 59)
The Warner-Warrican battle resumes with the batsman quickly adopting the switch hit to club four through his left-handed cover and a ball later he hammers a six over cow to bring up his half-century from just 42 deliveries. It’s featured nine fours and that six so far and he’ll be past a hundred by tea if he can keep it going at this rate. Actually, by the next lot of drinks if he hits a few more sixes like the one that lands 35 rows back from the penulatimate delivery of this over. Blimey.
It's raining again. Seriously
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) January 7, 2016
11th over: Australia 59-0 (Burns 16, Warner 43)
This over has a bit of everything you expect from Kemar Roach; a very decent delivery that has Burns sending an inside edge to fine leg and then a half-tracker he can flog for a boundary through mid-wicket. There’s also a run-out attempt when Burns takes a quick single and it’s referred to the third umpire when the ball hits the stumps but a dive gets the batsman home comfortably. Warner finishes the over with three to edge close to his half-century and Australia’s is now up too.
10th over: Australia 49-0 (Burns 9, Warner 40)
We’ll have a bit of spin now with the left-armer Jomel Warrican on for his first trundle of the game. He’s short to Burns on the line of off-stump and the right-hander cuts hard out to deep point to pick up two and then squeezes a single out to cover with an unconvincing lunge forward. The segues to a big heave towards cow by Warner when he runs down the track but he misses contact and it’s caught up in his pad. This little skirmish could be interesting.
9th over: Australia 46-0 (Burns 6, Warner 40)
There’s actually a bit of rain about now, surprise surprise, but the umpires conference briefly and decide that they’ll let it blow over, which pleases the fans present. Kemar Roach is on for a bowl now and Warner smacks him through mid-off for another boundary. Rinse and repeat.
8th over: Australia 42-0 (Burns 6, Warner 36)
There’s an early LBW shout against Burns by Holder in this over but it was sliding well down leg and the volume of the appeal was mostly a measure of the concern Holder has with the way this is going. He ends up with a maiden for his troubles. “Do you have any good stories of funky declarations with which to regale us?” asks Matt Harris. “I love the idea of a double declaration in this match, but I can’t for the life of me see why the Windies would agree to it, and I’m not aware of any other instances.”
I detailed a funky few in my feature last week about the 1930-31 West Indies tour, Matt. Jackie Grant loved a funky declaration in a rain-affected game. They cover these pitches, mind you.
7th over: Australia 42-0 (Burns 6, Warner 36)
Now Warner goes after Taylor, remaining almost perfectly still at the crease as he lathers him over the top of mid-off for another booming four. He’s picked up 7 boundaries now in the blink of an eye as perfectly decent bowling is dispatched to all corners. Taylor’s cutters look the only threat right now.
6th over: Australia 36-0 (Burns 5, Warner 31)
Warner’s reigning in his aggression ever so slightly but the second ball of Holder’s over is timed to perfection with little more than a push towards cover and the shiny new Kookaburra ball slams into the fence, as does a squarer dab backward of point next up. There could have been a third but his straight drive crashes into the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Bill Lawry is commentating it all with the wonderment of a young boy first discovering the game. It’s actually lovely stuff.
5th over: Australia 27-0 (Burns 5, Warner 22)
Burns is showing a bit of the rust you’d associate with a game like this and his first boundary comes from a thick outside edge through gully. Taylor’s building up a decent head of steam though and there’s a real beauty late in his over; a huge off-cutter that really spits off the pitch as it jags in past Burns’ ribs. The paceman can’t be accused of mailing it in at the moment. He’s really bending his back.
4th over: Australia 23-0 (Burns 1, Warner 22)
Cruuuuunch! Warner moves forward just a fraction to a Holder length ball and annihilates it through mid-off for another rasping boundary. He’s also on the hunt for singles, something that’s been noticeable about the development of his game this summer, but he can’t quite find one.
Warner smashes one back down the ground for four and he's now 22* with the Aussies 0-23 #AUSvWI #PinkTest https://t.co/JgivVLMuJb
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 7, 2016
3rd over: Australia 19-0 (Burns 1, Warner 18)
Warner gets a bit of luck here, lunging into another big drive and getting a thick inside edge down to the boundary at fine leg, but it almost cleaned him up too. Burns, who hasn’t had much of the strike so far, picks out mid-on with a neat drive from the over’s final delivery.
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Burns 1, Warner 11)
Windies captain Jason Holder not unreasonably decides that he himself is a better option with the new ball than Kemar Roach, who is yet to take a wicket in these Tests and leaked runs early the last time he opened the attack. Burns is off strike with one and Warner gets a single too. Holder is tidy but unthreatening.
1st over: Australia 10-0 (Burns 0, Warner 10)
Okay, we’ve got 60 overs left for the day and Shane Warne is already speculating about funky declarations. Jerome Taylor has an extensive cordon in place as he streams in to Warner and there’s a most unusual start when David Warner hammers it through cover (not unusual I guess, that part) and runs four (a bit unusual, I’m sure you’ll agree). He saves his legs next up, belting one squarer and right off the meat of the bat to pick up a boundary and there’s also two through extra cover and soon the left-hander is chuckling away and having fun.
We’re a few minutes from Australia’s 1st innings
Yes, it does feel a bit odd saying that on day five of a Test but there you go. It’s only a couple of minutes until Joe Burns and David Warner take guard.
And that is lunch
Well, Channel Nine have thrown to The Cricket Show, which says a bit. “A quick philosophical question,” writes reader Phil Withall. “If an OBO writer is sat in a room and there is nothing for them to write about how do we know if they are alive or not? A sort of Schrodinger’s cat conundrum, I have tried to come up with an answer but now my head hurts...” I’ve been on an intravenous drip for a couple of days, Phil, but I pulled through.
The West Indies are all out for 330!
WICKET! Taylor c Lyon b O’Keefe 13 (West Indies all out for 330)
Finally the wicket comes when O’Keefe drags one short and Taylor spears a cut shot straight to Lyon at point. Will they take lunch or just a short innings break? We shall soon see, but I’ll be back with it all as it unfolds.
112th over: West Indies 330-9 (Taylor 13, Warrican 21)
Now Taylor’s in on the fun, clunking Lyon out through extra cover for two and giving the close-in fieldsmen reason to take evasive action. He gets three more to fine leg when Lyon strays onto his hip and then Warrican heaves an artless lofted boundary over mid-off. Shane Warne is openly barracking for a wicket now. I can see his point.
111th over: West Indies 321-9 (Taylor 8, Warrican 17)
This over ends with O’Keefe pushing his cap into his face in frustration, which tells you all you need to know. I think he’s also a bit annoyed that a couple of balls well outside the line of off stump didn’t ask anything of the batsmen.
110th over: West Indies 320-9 (Taylor 7, Warrican 17)
Lyon’s having the same problem as O’Keefe now; bowling like a dream but unable to make the final breakthrough and Warrican is even biffing him for boundaries, to make it worse. The umpires have wisely decided that the luck of the batsmen can’t last much longer so hold off on lunch.
109th over: West Indies 315-9 (Taylor 6, Warrican 13)
Warrican slogs a couple more through mid-on and O’Keefe’s not getting any rewards for his stellar efforts here. He’s really spinning it, but perhaps a few straight arm balls are in order. Law of averages and all that.
108th over: West Indies 313-9 (Taylor 6, Warrican 11)
Jomel Warrican has noe played the ropiest double-figure innings in living memory and the over ends with Lyon bowling one of those deliveries that is too good to take a wicket. Taylor had no hop as it spun in at right angles but his stumps are somehow still in place.
107th over: West Indies 310-9 (Taylor 6, Warrican 8)
Another tidy over from Steve O’Keefe, who has certainly earned his keep in the limited opportunities that this game has presented. This is another maiden and the home side is looking a bit worried about having to come out and field again after the lunch break.
106th over: West Indies 310-9 (Taylor 6, Warrican 8)
The other reason that the Aussies will be keen to wrap this up quickly is that lunch is now due in ten minutes, so Lyon is appealing for everything that hits the pads. Gunner Gould’s not having a bar of it, as usual.
105th over: West Indies 308-9 (Taylor 6, Warrican 6)
O’Keefe’s also a sniff of another Test wicket here and I’m sure he’ll take every one he can get in his return to the fold. Taylor gets him away for two and even leaves a few but it’s only a matter of time now before he or his partner goes.
104th over: West Indies 306-9 (Taylor 4, Warrican 6)
Oof, there’s a huge shout against Jomel Warrican first up when Lyon darts another in towards the front pad but it took an inside edge too. How unlucky for Lyon, this rain. He would have taken a couple of bags in this game otherwise. Elsewhere Warrican is playing some of the most agricultural swipes you’ll ever see and picks up four to cow corner with a big slog-sweep.
WICKET! Roach c Burns b Lyon 15 (West Indies 300-9)
Now Lyon gets in on the act, extracting sharp turn and bounce into Roach, who shuffles onto the back foot and sends the easiest of catches bobbing up to Burns at short leg. Another one of those and the Aussies will be having a bat.
103rd over: West Indies 300-8 (Roach 15, Taylor 4)
Jerome Taylor’s here for a good time, not a long time, and has a go at anything O’Keefe’s got. The final delivery of the over is edged past Smith for a couple down to third man and with that, the Windies have brought up 300.
WICKET! Ramdin c Smith b O'Keefe - 62 (West Indies 296-8)
O’Keefe gets the breakthrough! And it’s the senior partner who departs, lavishly driving towards cover but only sending a high edge through to Smith at slip. It’s a very handy catch, that and smart bowling by O’Keefe to tease out the stroke.
102nd over: West Indies 296-7 (Ramdin 62, Roach 15)
If you’re not near a TV at the moment I can tell you that the SCG is now bathed in glorious sunlight but there’s barely a soul in the crowd for this little coda to a one-sided series. As cameras pan to one of the pavilion’s bars Warnie is wondering “the stories that that bar could tell”. Mark Taylor jumps in before he creates any kind of international incident. Not much happening in the middle either.
101st over: West Indies 287-7 (Ramdin 54, Roach 14)
What did I say about Ramdin showing them how it’s done? He’s slogging across the line now in park-grade fashion to pick up three. That was a real mow across the line. Roach gets in on the action too by belting O’Keefe out to deep point for a couple.
100th over: West Indies 282-7 (Ramdin 51, Roach 12)
Shane Warne is panning the Windies for not declaring now, for which he probably has a point. Still, no bad thing for a senior player like Ramdin to have some time in the middle showing the others how it’s done.
99th over: West Indies 279-7 (Ramdin 50, Roach 8)
Yep, that LBW shout was certainly worth a look. Seemed to have hit pad before bat. Anyway, Steve O’Keefe is adding vicious turn to his repertoire here, really ripping one across the outside edge of Roach and drawing coos of delight from behind the stumps. That was a jaffa.
Ramdin brings up his half-century
98th over: West Indies 277-7 (Ramdin 50, Roach 8)
There’s an early single to Ramdin, which brings up his 50 from 139 deliveries, only his second of the tour. There’s also a huge LBW appeal against Roach, which the Aussies consider referring but eventually get on with things. Might have been worth a review on second glance.
97th over: West Indies 275-7 (Ramdin 49, Roach 7)
Another quick over from O’Keefe, who looks like he’s doing the beep test as he runs between one delivery and the next but the only cost here is a single to Ramdin, who’s now on the verge of a determined half-century after a pretty miserable tour with the bat.
96th over: West Indies 273-7 (Ramdin 47, Roach 7)
There’s appeals galore here as Lyon finds some loop and a fraction of turn and four fieldsmen hover around the bat for Roach – short leg, leg slip, slip and silly point – but the tail-ender survives.
95th over: West Indies 273-7 (Ramdin 47, Roach 7)
Remember schoolyard ‘continuous cricket’ at school, where you had to run every time you hit it and the bowler didn’t have to wait for you to face up before bowling? Steve O’Keefe is the spin version of that. This maiden flies by in what seems like seconds.
94th over: West Indies 272-7 (Ramdin 46, Roach 7)
He gets a lot of stick but Ian Healy is currently talking a lot of sense about the need for sides to produce attractive Test cricket without necessarily conspiring for three-day Tests. Or do I just have cabin fever from spending too long in the OBOing chair? A single to Ramdin is the only score of a useful Lyon over.
93rd over: West Indies 271-7 (Ramdin 45, Roach 7)
Another bowling change now as Steve O’Keefe comes into the attack in what has been a most unusual maiden home Test for the spinner. There’s a leg bye when Ramdin’s on strike but otherwise it’s a probing over as the lefty varies his line a little and works Roach over around middle and leg stump.
92nd over: West Indies 270-7 (Ramdin 45, Roach 7)
It’s all happening now and thankfully Bill Lawry is in the commentary box to say so. Ramdin hits one out to mid-on and takes off for a kamikaze single but Roach is having none of it so the Windies keeper has to sprint back and dive to make his ground. He gets there, just.
Not out! Ramdin survives
No dice for Lyono there but a promising start for the spinner.
Review! Nathan Lyon thinks he's trapped Ramdin in front
The spinner is on and he’s immediately tempting Ramdin into a slog sweep but did that one strike him in front when he missed it?
91st over: West Indies 269-7 (Ramdin 44, Roach 7)
There’s a single to each batsman here but it’s much ado about nothing for the moment.
Updated
90th over: West Indies 267-7 (Ramdin 43, Roach 6)
Roach gets some luck now, tentatively shuffling towards off and sending a low edge through the slips cordon for a boundary. The West Indies players are wearing black armbands today after a death in the family of injured opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika. There’s another single to Roach but it’s all a bit flat so far. Does a madcap afternoon await us?
89th over: West Indies 259-7 (Ramdin 35, Roach 6)
What do you do if you’re Jason Holder here? Make the Aussies sweat it out? Avoid anything too strenuous? We probably won’t get a result either way.
Updated
88th over: West Indies 253-7 (Ramdin 34, Roach 1)
How bored have the players been in the last few days? James Pattinson, who partners with Hazlewood here, has given himself a kind of Ivan Drago undercut hairdo. Wonder if anyone’s eyebrows got shaved off... He’s zeroing in on Kemar Roach’s off stump but there’s just his single from the over.
87th over: West Indies 252-7 (Ramdin 34, Roach 0)
Josh Hazlewood gets us under way at the Member’s end but the main point of interest for now is that they haven’t made an early declaration and we’ll play until 1pm in this session before players take lunch. Ramdin’s off and running with a couple of twos.
We have cricket!
Hello OBOers and welcome to day five at the SCG, where it appears as though we’ll have some cricket. Double declarations? Funky captaincy? We shall soon see because play is about to begin. The West Indies will resume their first innings to start us off.
We're LIVE on air from 11.30am AEDT on @Channel9! #AUSvWI #WWOS pic.twitter.com/00E36SMAXS
— Wide World of Sports (@WWOS9) January 7, 2016
Russ will be here shortly but in the meantime, check out Marina Hyde’s take on the Chris Gayle controversy and also Ali Martin on South African captain Hashim Amla and his defiance of critics this week.
Updated
