Cricket/Australia v West Indies, first Test: Glenn McGrath gave the new generation of West Indies pacemen a lesson in accuracy to put Australia in complete control of the first Test on the second day yesterday.
McGrath ripped through the tourists' batting with a perfect display of line and length bowling, leaving them struggling at 182 for six in reply to Australia's 435.
Shane Warne and Brett Lee also captured a wicket each after making identical scores of 47 as Australia's lower order piled on the runs.
"It was a funny sort of day. I've bowled a lot better than that but it's the type of wicket that you've got to remain patient on," McGrath told reporters.
"We're in a good position and if we can have a good first session (on Saturday) and knock them over and hopefully have a good first innings lead then I'm sure we'll be putting the pads on again and trying to get a big lead."
The only West Indian batsman to offer any sustained resistance was diminutive opener Devon Smith, who scored a courageous 88 despite being thumped on the helmet when he ducked into a vicious bouncer from Lee.
The 24-year-old left-hander sank to his knees and was treated by the team doctor but recovered to bat for more than four hours and register his second highest Test score.
"I had a headache all day but it's okay now," Smith said. "I was so motivated just to face bowlers like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee so I didn't think about it."
Smith was eventually dismissed in the last half hour of play, shouldering arms to McGrath who finished the day with figures of four for 58 from 18 overs.
Denesh Ramdin was unbeaten on 12 at the close with Daren Powell on four and West Indies need a further 54 to avoid the follow-on, should Australia choose to enforce it. "I'm disappointed (not to have made a hundred) because we're under a bit of pressure now," Smith said.
McGrath dismissed Chris Gayle for 10 and Ramnaresh Sarwan for 21 in his opening spell, then Marlon Samuels for five after tea to become the first bowler to take 100 wickets against West Indies. His first three victims were all caught by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
"I have always enjoyed bowling to the West Indies and have done quite well, especially over there on their wickets," McGrath said.
Brian Lara showed only a few glimpses of his genius as he crawled to 30, surviving a dropped catch on 23 and almost being run out on 24, before his luck ran out and he was given out lbw to Lee.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA FIRST INNINGS
M L Hayden lbw b Collymore 37
M E K Hussey c Ramdin b D B Powell 1
R T Ponting c Sarwan b Lawson 149
M J Clarke c Ramdin b Collymore 5
S M Katich c Gayle b Collymore 0
A C Gilchrist lbw b Collymore 44
S R Watson lbw b Edwards 16
S K Warne c Ramdin b D B Powell 47
B Lee c Collymore b D B Powell 47
N W Bracken c Sarwan b Edwards 37
G D McGrath not out 6
Extras b5 lb13 w6 nb22 46
Total (105.3 overs) 435
Fall: 1-9 2-101 3-108 4-111 5-215 6-273 7-294 8-369 9-417. Bowling: Edwards 21.3 1 94 2 D B Powell 20 1 100 3 Collymore 26 4 72 4 Lawson 14 0 73 1 Samuels 4 0 29 0 Gayle 20 3 49 0.
WEST INDIES FIRST INNINGS (CLOSE)
C H Gayle c Gilchrist b McGrath 10
D S Smith b McGrath 88
R R Sarwan c Gilchrist b McGrath 21
B C Lara lbw b Lee 30
S Chanderpaul c Bracken b Warne 2
M N Samuels c Gilchrist b McGrath 5
D Ramdin not out 12
D B Powell not out 4
Extras lb7 nb3 10
Total 6 wkts (62 overs) 182
Fall: 1-20 2-74 3-134 4-149 5-161 6-174. To Bat: F H Edwards, C D Collymore, J J C Lawson. Bowling: McGrath 18 2 58 4 Lee 12 4 50 1 Bracken 10 4 23 0 Warne 20 5 43 1 Clarke 2 1 1 0.
