BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Set back by Chris Gayle’s unexpected return to Kingston to attend to his ill mum, West Indies failed to inspire confidence in the batting in their Australia tour opener against Queensland on Wednesday.
Ramnaresh Sarwan tuned-up with 73, Dwayne Bravo made 49, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul gathered 41, but West Indies, choosing to bat, were dismissed for 271 after tea on the opening day of the four-day, first-class match at Allan Border Field.
Ravi Rampaul and Kemar Roach then bowled with purpose, but gained no reward, as Queensland’s openers Ryan Broad and Nick Kruger navigated their side to 43 without loss before bad light stopped play four overs early.
Gayle is now a doubtful starter for the first Test against Ricky Ponting’s Baggy Greens, starting next Thursday (Wednesday evening in the Caribbean) at the Woolloongabba.
Vice-captain Denesh Ramdin has taken control of the side, and is likely to do the same against the Australians, should Gayle fail to return.
Gayle is a crucial member of the squad, as the side’s marquee opener, and is also an inspirational leader among his peers.
But West Indies found out quite early how challenging facing Australia without Gayle could be, when they slumped to 10 for two inside the first half-hour.
Makeshift opener Travis Dowlin was bowled for two offering no stroke to debutant fast bowler Alister McDermott, the 18-year-old son of former Aussie tyro Craig McDermott.
Adrian Barath, the only other specialist opener in the visiting squad, was caught behind off another debutant fast bowler Luke Feldman for a duck, after facing 20 balls in nearly half-hour at the crease.
Chanderpaul arrived and brought stability to the innings with his compatriot Sarwan in a stand of 67 for the third wicket.
But Chanderpaul top-edged a pull at his short, rising 59th ball from Nathan Reardon and was caught inside the deep fine leg boundary, as West Indies reached 92 for three at lunch.
After the interval, Bravo, in particular, and Sarwan continued the entertainment, and West Indies looked far more comfortable, as they added 85 for the fourth wicket.
Sarwan looked in fine touch, playing a number of attractive drives, and a crunching pull through mid-wicket off McDermott before he reached his 50 from 111 balls.
Bravo typically tried to dominate the spinners, particularly Daniel Doran. He struck him for three sixes, including a lofted hit into the Stuart Law Stand, but the leg-spinner gained his revenge, when he had the West Indies all-rounder caught at slip for 49.
Australia-born left-hander Brendan Nash entered for his homecoming against his former state, and was just getting into the thick of things, when he was caught at square-leg off his former flat-mate Nathan Rimmington for 11.
Sarwan was soon dubiously caught behind off Feldman, as West Indies subsided to 222 for six at tea.
After the break, there was little else from the remainder of the batting, although Narsingh Deonarine got 26 and Ramdin added 20, as the visitors lost their last four wickets for 39 runs in the space of 71 balls.
The wickets were shared among Queensland’s almost third-string attack with Doran being the most successful with three for 107 from 23 overs, and the pace trio of Rimmington, Feldman, and McDermott collecting two apiece.
This is West Indies’ only opportunity for valuable match practice ahead of the first Test.
Scoreboard
Scoreboard on the opening day of the four-day, first-class match between Queensland and West Indies yesterday at Allan Border Field:
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
T. Dowlin b McDermott 2
A. Barath c wkpr Hartley b Feldman 0
R. Sarwan c wkpr Hartley b Feldman 73
S. Chanderpaul c Feldman b Reardon 41
D. Bravo c *Simpson b Doran 49
B. Nash c McDermott b Rimmington 11
N. Deonarine c *Simpson b McDermott 26
*+D. Ramdin c wkpr Hartley b Rimmington 20
S. Benn b Doran 16
R. Rampaul c wkpr Hartley b Doran 12
K. Roach not out 0
Extras (b6, lb12, w2, nb1) 21
TOTAL (all out, 74 overs) 271
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-10, 3-77, 4-162, 5-192, 6-214, 7-232, 8-255, 9-267
Bowling: McDermott 14-4-53-2; Feldman 14-7-36-2;
Rimmington 15-6-25-2 (w1); Doran 23-1-107-3;
Reardon 8-2-32-1 (nb1, w1)
QUEENSLAND 1st Innings
R. Broad not out 25
N. Kruger not out 17
Extras (w1) 1
TOTAL (without loss, 10 overs) 43
W. Townsend, L. Carseldine, N. Reardon, +C. Hartley,
*C. Simpson, D. Doran, N. Rimmington, A. McDermott,
L. Feldman to bat
Bowling: Rampaul 5-0-21-0 (w1); Roach 5-0-22-0
Position: Queensland trail by 228 runs with all first innings wickets standing
Toss: West Indies
Umpires: N. McNamara, B. Oxenford