John Polack

How many times have basic mistakes cost West Indies dearly in this series

Blue skies, blue hair, more blue times for West Indies

As they have crashed headlong from one disaster to the next in this Test series against Australia, West Indies' batsmen have been spectacularly undone by a different bowler every time

Fourteen and counting

What motivates and drives a team for which almost every victory has come to resemble a cakewalk

All it took was seventy-one minutes

Paceman Jason Gillespie (3/8) has smashed through a feeble West Indian top order late on the third day of the Fourth Test here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today to have Australia thundering toward another mammoth victory

Traditions, by their very nature, live on

There's no escaping the fact that this has been a miserable tour on the field for this West Indian touring team

Already feeling the heat after a series of substandard performances, it was confirmed today that Tasmania's batsmen will face another stern examination of their new talents in their first game of the New Year

Even though its conclusion occurred under cloudless skies, it was also - sadly - played out before banks of empty seats

If it is the knack of successful captains to make exactly the right decisions at exactly the right times, then it seems likely that Nathan Hauritz will, ultimately, enjoy a long and fruitful career in the pursuit

Twelve months ago, they produced a Final more than worthy of its billing

If there is to be a turning point on its current visit to Australia, then it's just possible that the touring West Indian cricket team produced it in the four-day match against Australia 'A' which concluded here at the beautiful Bellerive Oval in

Brilliant West Indian batsman Brian Lara came to the Bellerive Oval in Hobart today battered and bruised and he left it in similar condition

Even on one leg, there's clearly still life in Brian Lara yet

For a man who has been afforded just two one-day internationals to translate impressive domestic form on to a higher stage, Jimmy Maher (150) took things in his stride remarkably easily in Hobart today

For sides which possess arguably the strongest two attacks in the competition, Victoria and Queensland failed to really prove the case by the end of a tame Pura Cup match here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Victorian all-rounder Ian Harvey has played the parts of rampaging middle order batsman, handy change bowler and key fieldsman to perfection to consign Queensland to difficulty by the halfway mark of the teams' Pura Cup match in Melbourne today

Victorian batsmen Brad Hodge (103*) and Jason Arnberger (100) have crafted a superb 190-run partnership to lead their team into a strong position by the end of day one of the Pura Cup clash against Queensland here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground