Cricket: Waugh's five bowlers deliver the goods

GEORGETOWN - Captain Steve Waugh admits his own team-mates were surprised by the decision to use five specialist bowlers as Australia made a blistering start to the first test against the West Indies in Georgetown yesterday.

And after breaking with tradition by using five bowlers for the first time in almost two decades, Australia could yet make it a habit on the Caribbean tour, Waugh said last night.

The risky experiment paid early dividends when each of the bowlers claimed wickets on day one of a test marked by the third-fastest century in test history and some dodgy umpiring.

At stumps, Australia were in command at 120 for one in their first innings in reply to the Windies' total of 237 - a score only made possible when local hero Shivnarine Chanderpaul starred with a brutal century from 69 balls.

Australian chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said his panel had almost picked five bowlers in India two years ago, and against Pakistan in Sharjah six months ago.

It finally adopted the plan because of the tough bowling conditions at Bourda.

With paceman Jason Gillespie facing his first long hit-out in three months and spearheads Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne sidelined, the selectors had never had a better chance to choose five bowlers.

They opted for wrist spinners Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg to support pacemen Gillespie, Brett Lee and Andrew Bichel.

Waugh said it might not be the last time, with the luxury of using wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist at No 6.

"Traditionally you would expect the other [Caribbean] wickets to be more like the test wickets we encounter in Australia, and we've had three quicks and a spinner on those," Waugh said.

"But if this works - well, there's a possibility this may be the right line-up, but we'll have to wait and see.

"In some ways it's harder to manage five bowlers than four. You want to try to give everyone an opportunity. Fortunately, they all got a reasonable bowl today.

"But it's something new for me, having five bowlers, and it takes a little bit of getting used to."

The Australians have become trendsetters during their remarkable run of success, making the toss of the coin almost irrelevant with their rapid scoring rates and abandoning the use of nightwatchmen.

Whether Waugh can juggle five bowlers remains to be seen, but it looked as though 10 would not have been enough to stop Chanderpaul and Ridley Jacobs, who scored 54 not out when they charged through a 131-run stand to rescue the Windies from 53 for five.

Australia will find whether their batting balance has been affected after likely No 4 Martin Love was shunted to 12th-man duties, but Justin Langer's 55 not out and Ricky Ponting's 46 not out looked sharp.

"We knew it was going to be a hard pitch to take wickets on, that's why we've got the extra bowlers," Waugh said.

"It doesn't alter the balance of the side too much."

There was no doubt the selection gamble was worthwhile as the Australians zipped through a limp Windies' top order, landing a serious blow on the home team when Bichel trapped captain Brian Lara leg-before for 26.

Lara had hit six boundaries and looked ready to unload another century on the Australians, but Chanderpaul took over when his captain departed.

Chanderpaul was unluckily given out leg-before when he collected a painful blow on the point of the knee and collapsed on the pitch. He then had to be driven off the field.

Only former Windies skipper Viv Richards (56 balls) and Australian Jack Gregory (67) have recorded faster centuries in tests where the number of deliveries have been recorded.

Umpires Rudi Koertzen and Asoka de Silva had a poor day because neither Devon Smith nor Merv Dillon should have been given out leg-before.

Bichel took three for 55 to claim the most success, while MacGill, Hogg and Lee each claimed two wickets.

* Pakistan produced a disciplined all-round performance to demolish Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the final of the four-nation Sharjah Cup tournament yesterday.

Seamer Mohammed Sami and offspinner Shoaib Malik shared six wickets as Pakistan dismissed Zimbabwe for 168, despite a career-best unbeaten knock of 74 from Tatenda Taibu.

Pakistan, riding an unbeaten 144-run partnership for the third wicket between Taufeeq Umar (81) and vice-captain Yousuf Youhana (61), achieved the modest target without too much fuss, reaching 172 for two in just 35.2 overs.

- AGENCIES

The big hitters:


Test cricket's fastest recorded centuries from deliveries:

* 56: Viv Richards (WI) v England, Antigua 1985-86.

* 67: Jack Gregory (Aus) v South Africa, Johannesburg 1921-22.

* 69: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) v Australia, Georgetown 2002-03.

* 71: Roy Fredericks (WI) v Australia, Perth 1975-76.

* 74: Mohammad Azharuddin (Ind) v South Africa, Calcutta 1996-97.

* 74: Majid Khan (Pak) v New Zealand, Karachi 1976-77.

* 74: Kapil Dev (Ind) v Sri Lanka, Kanpur 1986-87.

* The number of deliveries was not always recorded in some tests.