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Australia needed 21 balls on the last day to win the final Test and take the Frank Worrell Trophy with a 2-0 victory over West Indies. The result was virtually assured as soon as the day broke sunny, with the hosts wanting one wicket and it came when Kemar Roach was ruled caught behind via an umpiring review.

Roach and Gavin Tonge had added 15 when Doug Bollinger and the Australians were certain Roach had got an edge to Brad Haddin. The batsman immediately called for a review: there was a noise but no replay showed a clear nick and there was nothing on Hot Spot. Everyone was standing around for a couple of minutes before Billy Bowden finally raised his finger for a second time following consultation with Asad Rauf.

“He smashed it,” Bollinger said. “He hit it, he was out.” Bollinger finished with 3 for 71 and eight wickets for the game.

Roach (17) and Tonge (23 not out) started the last day chasing 51 to reach the victory target of 359 after putting on 29 from 30 balls on the fourth evening. Roach played and missed a couple of times in Shane Watson’s first over before Bollinger was taken for five runs by the aggressive Tonge. Tonge then inside-edged Watson for four and drove over mid-off for two before the fielding mood changed when Roach sliced a four over gully. They were soon celebrating again in a mixture of relief and satisfaction.

The reason West Indies still had an outside chance on the final morning was due to the 128-run partnership between Narsingh Deonarine (82) and Brendan Nash (65), but their hopes diminished when they lost six wickets in the final session. Mitchell Johnson bowled through the discomfort of an illness to take three victims yesterday while Watson gained two.

The game will be remembered mostly for the Man of the Match Chris Gayle’s 70-ball century on the second day, his second hundred of a series which started with a three-day loss but quickly became competitive. Australia’s next engagement is the first game of the three-Test series against Pakistan starting on Boxing Day.
Source:Cricket News

Image Source:Cricinfo

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