West Indies have fought back from an early hole with late innings wickets to take the challenge up to the Prime Minister’s XI on day one in Canberra.
They were staring down the barrel of a long day in the field with the ball when the PM’s XI were 134-0, but showed spirit to win the evening session and leave their opponents the 297-9 at Manuka Oval on Wednesday.
The PM’s side resumed after the dinner break at 198-3, but the visitors found a spark through spinner Roston Chase, his two wickets swinging the game slightly in their favour at stumps.
Chase first produced a gem that turned through the gate and clean bowled Aaron Hardie, while another great delivery spun past Peter Handscomb and had him stumped for 55.
The visitors took the new pink ball late in the evening session of the four-day, day-night clash and immediately found some reward with Alzarri Joseph knocking over Michael Neser and Joel Paris.
And he found a third with the last ball of the night, with Ashton Agar chopping onto his stumps after a quickfire 33.
It was the lifeline they needed after a dismal afternoon that saw PM’s XI openers Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw cruise through their triple-figure partnership.
Harris, the only PM’s XI player in Australia’s squad for the first Test in Perth next Wednesday, continued his hot form and made 73 before a loose slash saw him caught at second slip.
Renshaw took over and thumped 10 boundaries in his 81, but also fell short of a century when he edged Raymon Reifer to the slips.
Future Test hopeful Henry Hunt couldn’t show the form that made him last season’s Sheffield Shield player of the year, falling for just 13.
Joseph (3-52) led the way and Chase (2-72) was important, while frontline quick Kemar Roach took 1-40.
It was an important fightback from the West Indies, playing just days after conceding 4-426 against a combined ACT/NSW XI.
Men’s NRMA Insurance Test Series v West Indies
Nov 17-19: ACT/NSW XI v Windies, Canberra
Nov 23-26: PM’s XI v Windies, Canberra (day-night)
Nov 30 – Dec 4: First Test, Perth Stadium, 10:20am
Dec 8-12: Second Test, Adelaide Oval, 2:30pm (day-night)
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner
West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas (Cricket Australia)
