- ReutersAustralia's Glenn McGrath celebrates taking a wicket during the third day's play of the first Test against the West Indies at The Gabba yesterday.
BRISBANE, (Reuters) -
GLENN McGrath finished with the amazing match figures of 10-27 as Australia beat the West Indies by an innings and 126 runs yesterday to win the first Test and equal the world record of 11 consecutive Test victories.
Australia sealed their win 47 minutes before tea on the third day when they dismissed the hapless tourists for 124 in their second innings to complete their biggest winning margin over West Indies in 70 years.
McGrath was named as man of the match after taking 4-10 in the second innings to add to his first innings haul of 6-17.
Australia's comprehensive triumph saw them match the West Indies' 1984 world record streak of 11 straight wins and presented them with the chance to set a new mark when the second Test commences in Perth on Friday.
But for all Australia's achievements, the match was still a major disappointment, not the least because it was watched by the surviving members of the Australian and West Indian teams that contested the famous 1960-61 tied Test.
They were invited back to the Gabba to commemorate the 40th anniversary of a match that is credited with reviving the game at a time when cricket was being dragged down by slow over rates and dull tactics.
With cricket currently engulfed in match-fixing and betting scandals there was a hope that this summer's series could again help save the game's battered image but the one-sided nature of the first Test suggests that is now unlikely.
West Indies started the third day at 25-2 in their second innings, needing another 225 to make Australia bat again, but never threatened to stage any sort of a comeback.
Opener Daren Ganga threw his wicket away in the fifth over of the day and the rest just followed at regular intervals over the next three hours.
The only West Indian to show any resistance was Shivnarine Chanderpaul who batted almost four hours to finish 62 not out.
Only two others made it to double figures while four players made ducks, one less than in the first innings total of 82.
After losing Sherwin Campbell and Brian Lara to McGrath the previous night, the West Indies were hoping for a good start to the third day but immediately found themselves in deeper trouble when Ganga departed without adding to his overnight score of eight.
The 21-year-old had batted almost an hour on Friday and a further 15 minutes without scoring when play resumed yesterday when he inexplicably charged down the pitch to Australian legspinner Stuart MacGill and was stumped by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who finished with eight dismissals for the match.
Jimmy Adams and Ramnaresh Sarwan both fell to Brett Lee, who top scored with 62 not out in Australia's 332, in the same over before Andrew Bichel got Ridley Jacobs in the last over before lunch to send the tourists to the break at 81-6.
Chanderpaul brought up his 21st Test 50 after the re-start but eventually ran out of partners. McGrath returned to the attack to dismiss Mervyn Dillon and Marlon Black then took a high catch off Courtney Walsh to clinch the victory.
