Toss: Australia. The Australians went against majority local opinion by choosing an unchanged team, with only three specialist bowlers, and then sending West Indies in. But they required only 61.1 overs to seize the early initiative, the West Indians being all out threequarters of an hour after tea, and paying the price for careless batting with their lowest total in home Test since their 109 against Australia in Georgetown in 1972-73. Each batsman was caught- Greenidge and Richards hooking, Richardson at mid-wicket, Hooper at point and the last six in the arc from wicket-keeper to gully. However, West Indies had already taken two cheap wickets by the end of the day, and once Border was bowled by a shooter 35 minutes before lunch on the second morning, the Australian innings went into decline. Walsh claimed his 150th Test wicket with the third of his four victims as the West Indians restored the balance with spirited fast bowling of high quality. After that, there was only one team in it.
Eleven days short of his 40th birthday, and his place in more doubt than at any time during his lengthy career, Greenidge embarked on an innings that was to keep him centre stage for 11 hours 26 minutes while he compiled his nineteenth and highest Test century. By the time he was lbw to Hughes an hour into the fourth day, he had faced 478 deliveries, hit 31 fours, and had not given a chance, although the Australians felt him lucky to escape lbw appeals at 42 and 95. Along the way he had passed D. St E. Atkinson's 219, made on the same ground, which had stood since 1954-55 as the highest score by a West Indian against Australia. Greenidge shared partnerships of 129 with Haynes, their sixteenth of more than 100 in Tests, 199 with Richardson, who was dismissed for 99 (156 balls, fifteen fours) for the second time in Tests, and 102 with Hooper.
By now the match was well beyond Australia, yet Richards delayed his declaration until midway through the fourth day. It was seemingly unjustified caution; more so when Australia lost Marsh first ball, and then Boon and Border in successive overs from Ambrose late in the day. A daunting task lay ahead of Australia on the last day, but when they went through the first session for the solitary loss of the night-watchman, Hughes, their hopes were lifted, only to be dashed as the last six wickets fell for 18 off 12.3 overs after lunch. The collapse was initiated by Hooper, who bowled Jones off the face of his defensive bat, the ball rolling back on to his stumps, and removed Mark Waugh with a well-disguised faster ball.
Man of the Match: C. G. Greenidge.
Close of play: First day, Australia 56-2 ( M. A. Taylor 23*, A. R. Border 17*); Second day, West Indies 138-1 ( C. G. Greenidge 85*, M. D. Marshall 5*); Third day, West Indies 407-3 ( C. G. Greenidge 209*, C. L. Hooper 25*); Fourth day, Australia 122-3 ( M. A. Taylor 46*, M. G. Hughes 3*).
