Queensland escape with a draw

Queensland 9 for 378 (Love 108, Symonds 77, Hartley 60, Samuels 5-87) and 323 drew with West Indians 612
Scorecard

Martin Love's counterattacking hundred helped Queensland escape with a draw against the touring West Indians at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane, despite Marlon Samuels's five-wicket haul. Queensland appeared to have done enough when Love (108) and Andrew Symonds (77) added 175 for the fourth wicket to take them to a comfortable 262. However, Samuels spun a web with his offbreaks, scuttling out Symonds and James Hopes in the space of 13 balls, and along with Gayle, who removed Love soon after, reduced Queensland to 6 for 272.

Samuels removed Chris Simpson and West Indians went to tea needing only three more wickets to wrap it up. But they were thwarted by Chris Hartley, who made an enterprising 60 not out, including three sixes, with one mighty hit landing on the roof of the Queensland Cricket building. He was ably assisted by Michael Kasprowicz, who joined Hartley with the score on 9 for 343 and hung around for 39 valuable minutes as the duo denied the West Indians a morale-boosting win ahead of the first Test at the Gabba.

The West Indians, though, will be heartened by the form of some of their batsmen, especially Samuels, and will begin the Test with some positive signals. However, the Gabba remains an Australian fortress - they haven't lost a single Test there since 1988 - and West Indies will face a far more daunting task when they stride out on November 3.