Cricket: Australia eye sweep

Captain Steve Waugh admits his players are planning for the first clean sweep of the Caribbean after Australia weathered more Brian Lara brilliance to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy in Trinidad yesterday.

The 118-run victory appeared comprehensive in the scorebook but Lara's outstanding 122 in the second innings ensured Australia had to work in the Trinidad heat to beat the West Indies in the second test.

The tourists won with one session to spare after the Windies unravelled for 288, chasing 407 for the win, when Queenslander Andrew Bichel, with three quick wickets, sparked a collapse of 75 for seven after lunch.

With the world's premier paceman, Glenn McGrath, returning for next Friday's third test in Barbados, the tireless Australians are on track to become the first touring team to win every test in the Caribbean.

"It would be a great achievement, there's no doubt about that," Waugh said.

"It's probably in the back of our mind now, there's two tests to go, we've got the best bowler in the world coming back into our side and we're playing good cricket.

"There's no reason why we can't win the last two test matches, but in sport, anything is possible."

A clean sweep in the former cricketing fortress would be a lasting achievement for Waugh's fearless team and a personal triumph for the 37-year-old captain.

Waugh needs another two wins to overtake Clive Lloyd's record of 36 test victories as captain, and there is no sign his players are wearying despite their draining schedule.

Australia's busiest players - Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden - posted centuries at Queen's Park Oval while paceman Brett Lee was still steaming in on the fifth morning despite the sultry conditions.

Lee's battle with Lara in a lightning spell before lunch was one of the day's features. Lara was rattled by the genuine pace but survived, with bruises, and some of the local fans were soon embracing in the stands when the "Prince of Port of Spain" reached his first test century on his home ground.

He had previously played nine test matches in Port of Spain with his previous highest score a 93 against India 10 years ago.

Although the 33-year-old left-hander was reluctant to blow his own trumpet, Waugh expressed his admiration for a player who has now hit 20 test centuries.



"It was a great battle, great test match cricket to watch - a quick bowler bowling as fast as he can against a world-class batsman," said Waugh.



With confident vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who made 34, holding steady at the other end, the Windies were still in the race at the lunch break, reaching 210 for three.

The Windies' hopes of survival ended when Stuart MacGill claimed Lara to a sharp catch by Hayden at slip. He had batted for five hours, hitting 13 fours and one six.



Lara seemed lost for answers after the match, looked confounded and despondent and virtually conceded the Windies would accept a draw in Barbados, such was the power of the Australians.

"I don't know if you know anything about horse racing but I think Australia should be handicapped," he said with a slight smile. "Their handicap is the possibility of us drawing or getting a result."

Australia plays a three-day tour match against the University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor's XI in Barbados, starting on Sunday.

- AGENCIES

Waugh file:

* Australian captain Steve Waugh had a curious test. He did not bat, did not bowl, did not take a catch. It was just the second time in his 158-test career he has had a row of noughts.

* Two more wins will enable Waugh to overtake former West Indian skipper Clive Lloyd's record and go to 36 test victories as captain.

* By not batting, Waugh is still 59 runs short of becoming the second-highest runscorer in tests. That would put him ahead of India's Sunil Gavaskar (10,022) and move him behind former Australian captain Allan Border (11,174).