Clive Lloyd's brave new world of youth, alternatively the post-Chanderpaul era, is off to a rocky start.
Realising from his previous six Test matches that Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the most experienced, most dependable and, significantly, oldest of modern-day batsmen, had come to the end of his remarkable 21-year career, West Indies' chief selector Lloyd, with head coach Phil Simmons by his side, set out the plan for the future leading into the two Tests against Australia.
"Our aim is to continue to play our young players to give them exposure, and you can't get better exposure than playing against one of the best teams in the world," he said. "They will be tested and that is what it's all about."
Mounting an admirable fightback at 181 for three before tea after resuming the day on 25 for two, West Indies lost their last seven wickets for 35 runs to be all out for 216, half-hour before the scheduled close at Windsor Park.
Samuels top-scored with 74 and the debutant Dowrich got 70, in an excellent 144-run fourth-wicket stand which dug their side out of a hole after Darren Bravo perished for five in the sixth over of the morning to leave the hosts tottering on 37 for three
A brilliant century on Test debut from Adam Voges has helped Australia recover from another disappointing performance against the turning ball and be in a dominant position after the second day of the first Test against the West Indies in Dominica. Voges finished unbeaten on 130 from 247 balls to become the oldest man in history to score a hundred in his first Test and the 20th Australian to achieve the feat. Voges was the only frontline Australian batsman to resist against a quality display of leg-spin from Devendra Bishoo, who took career-best figures of 6-80.
The Windies lost both openers before stumps to be 2-25 at the close, a deficit of 145, with 22 wickets falling in a chaotic opening two days of the match.
Thirteen wickets made for an eventful opening day of the series in Dominica, and it was Australia who went to stumps in the slightly stronger position. Denesh Ramdin gave his men the chance to bat first but they survived only two sessions for their 148 before Australia played out the final session of the day and went to stumps on 85 for 3, trailing by 63 on a surface that had proven surprisingly challenging.
Steven Smith was Australia's rock during the home summer against India and again he appeared immovable, although he also found scoring difficult with variable bounce and a slow outfield. He ended the day on 17 from 67 deliveries and had not scored a boundary; debutant Adam Voges had struck four fours in his 20 from 27 balls, perhaps the positive result of nervous energy.
David Warner had fallen early for 8 when he was surprised by extra bounce from a Jerome Taylor delivery and a leading edge was taken at point. Shaun Marsh, promoted to open in the absence of Chris Rogers, edged to slip off Jason Holder for 19, and Michael Clarke edged Devendra Bishoo behind after scoring a bright 18 off 28 balls, including one six over midwicket.
OSEAU, Dominica – The Selection Panel of the West Indies Cricket Board announced today a 14-member West Indies squad for the first Test of the International Home Test Series against Australia, starting this Wednesday at Windsor Park here.
