Lara's team fly out in triumph (1 April 1999)

1 April 1999

Lara's team fly out in triumph

Peter Deeley in Bridgetown

The streets of Barbados were a sea of red and white yesterday as West Indies' triumphal motorcade left an island still high on the adrenalin of their extraordinary one-wicket victory over Australia in the third Test.

People turned out in their thousands to see Brian Lara's team heading for the airport and Antigua - where the final game begins on Saturday - in response to a public call to "wish our boys goodbye and good luck by waving something red and white to depict love".

Australia are now 2-1 down in the series and must win in Antigua to hold on to the Frank Worrell Trophy. Their captain, Steve Waugh, recognises one quality above all others which has helped West Indies rise from the depths of six successive Test defeats.

"Pride is a big thing for West Indians and all the more so when they are playing in front of their own people," he said.

West Indies manager Clive Lloyd agreed. "This win showed that our players still have the passion inside them. What we saw is spirit, the desire to win. We're gradually building a side. We have a spinner now in Nehemiah Perry and a wicket-keeper in Ridley Jacobs. The pieces are gradually coming together."

Lara has been carrying a hairline fracture to his left wrist since the Durban Test in December and admitted that he had felt pain every time he pulled his hand away during his innings of 153.

He batted for almost six hours but said: "I didn't feel exhausted out there. If necessary I could have gone on for another couple of hours. No doubt the reaction will set in later on."

Waugh said he thought the Australians were favourites when the West Indies were 248 for eight and still needing 60 runs. "But it was no certainty even then."

Lara said: "At no time did I give up hope. I told myself that, if I could be there till the end, the other guys would stay with me. The four balls Courtney Walsh had to face from Jason Gillespie when he came in with 16 runs still needed was a simply tremendous effort."

Match referee Raman Subba Row said no action had been taken over the confrontation between Lara and Glenn McGrath after the batsman had been hit on the helmet. "It was a three-second affair and was capably dealt with on the spot by umpire Ed Nicholls."

Waugh described it as "one of those moments that always happens in a desperate Test match situation".

Lara dismissed the incident as "just banter" and was even prepared to praise McGrath. "His bowling was tremendous. If you wanted the world's best bowler in your team it would be him."

Leg-spinner Shane Warne, however, faces being dropped for the Antigua Test along with veteran wicketkeeper Ian Healy. "It's always tough when the top players are out of a bit of form," said Waugh. "But we've got to pick a side to win the next Test, and if either Healy and Warne aren't in the best 11, then they won't be there."

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)