Western Australians end tourists' fightback with seven wicket win

Western Australia has today defeated West Indies by a margin of seven wickets in the teams' first-class match at the WACA ground in Perth. The triumph, which came half an hour into the post-lunch session, was clinched when Test hopefuls Damien Martyn (25*) and Simon Katich (18*) added an unbroken stand of thirty-six runs following a shaky start to their team's second innings.

The locals' final day effort put the seal on a game upon which they had held a strong grip from the time that they consigned the tourists to the paltry total of 132 on a good wicket for batting on the opening day. Nonetheless, the closing stages of the contest still featured more of the spirit and defiance that the West Indians had shown yesterday in their own second innings with the bat.

After they were finally dismissed for a total of 293, the tourists this time showed renewed resolve with the ball. In the hour before lunch, pacemen Mervyn Dillon (2/37) and Marlon Black (1/17) struck three times, reducing their opponents to a mark of 3/34 at one point as they set out after the modest target of sixty-eight for victory.

Having apparently taken a lead from opening batsman Sherwin Campbell's gritty century yesterday, the two pacemen produced an inspired display burst before the interval, removing quality batsmen Adam Gilchrist (6), Justin Langer (5) and Mike Hussey (11) in quick succession.

Gilchrist made his fatal error when he drove a Dillon delivery to short cover; Langer, having been comprehensively beaten by the previous ball as well, departed after outside-edging when Black slanted one across him; and Hussey, following several nice drives down the ground, succumbed after chasing a wide ball from Dillon. It was all enough to give the West Indians a look of real enthusiasm and spirit in the field, a mood that could have been buoyed even further if Jimmy Adams had been able to grasp a half-volleyed chance at third slip to help remove Martyn for a pair.

Earlier, the Western Australians had been able to mop up the remains of the West Indian second innings relatively efficiently. Once Tom Moody (4/14) had found the outside edge of the bat of the stubborn Adams (44) to send a low, brilliantly taken chance to Martyn at slip, the end came speedily. Ramnaresh Sarwan (12) fell when playing across the line at the rampant Moody, and Colin Stuart (6) lost his wicket when he scooped up a dipping Brendon Julian (2/58) full toss to square leg.

The visitors now move on to Alice Springs for a one-day match against a Northern Territory Invitational XI on Wednesday, and then to Melbourne for their last first-class match prior to the opening Test on this Australian visit. For the Western Australians, their opening first-class victory of the summer should serve as an excellent spur for two upcoming matches later in the week against Tasmania in Hobart.