SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australia’s David Warner lit up the fifth day of the weather-ravaged third test against West Indies with an 82-ball century before the dead rubber contest petered out in a draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) yesterday.
A draw and a 2-0 series victory for the hosts was always on the cards after all but 11 overs of day two and the entirety of days three and four were washed out.
West Indies, who had resumed on 248 for seven, were dismissed for 330 to bring up lunch before Man of the Match Warner launched his assault in front of 6,000 fans attracted to the ground by free entry.
It was a typically aggressive display of batting from the local lefthander, who had notched up 122 not out to help Australia to 176 for two when the players shook hands on the draw.
The 29-year-old hit two sixes and 14 fours in his 103-ball knock, heaping more indignity onto a West Indies bowling attack which took just 12 wickets over the series.
He reached his 16th test century when he swept the ball down leg side for three runs before leaping into the air in his now traditional celebration of the milestone.
Joe Burns was the tourists’ 11th victim, departing for 26 and all-rounder Mitch Marsh made 21 after being promoted up the batting order. Spinner Jomel Warrican claimed both wickets.
Peter Nevill scored seven not out in his only batting opportunity of the series, another illustration of Australia’s dominance.
Australia won the first test in Hobart by an innings and 212 runs before an equally dominant 177-run victory in the second test in Melbourne but a 2-0 triumph was not enough to lift them above India into second place in the ICC test rankings.
Adam Voges was named Man of the Series after hitting 269 and 106 in his two innings, both unbeaten.
“It’s been quite an impressive summer for us to win four tests out of the six and not lose any,” said Australian captain Steve Smith.
“I think in total we’ve scored 15 centuries between us in six test matches and we’ve obviously taken 20 wickets on four occasions.”
For West Indies, Denesh Ramdin secured a half century for a second successive test before falling for 62 to a sharp Smith catch off the bowling of spinner Steve O’Keefe.
Australia’s other spinner Nathan Lyon (3-120) dismissed Kemar Roach (15) and O’Keefe (3-63), playing his maiden test on home soil, brought an end to the innings with the wicket of Jerome Taylor (13).
Tailender Warrican, who took five of West Indies 12 wickets over the series, was left on 21 not out, the fifth time in five innings in the series he had kept his wicket intact.
Scoreboard
West Indies 1st innings (Overnight: 248-7)
K. Brathwaite c Smith b Lyon 85
S. Hope c Nevill b Hazlewood 9
Da. Bravo c Khawaja b Pattinson 33
M. Samuels run out (Hazlewood, Nevill) 4
J. Blackwood b Lyon 10
D. Ramdin c Smith b O’Keefe 62
J. Holder c Burns b O’Keefe 1
C. Brathwaite b Pattinson 69
K. Roach c Burns b Lyon 15
J. Taylor c Lyon b O’Keefe 13
J. Warrican not out 21
Extras: (b-5 lb-2 nb-1) 8
Total: (all out, 112.1 overs) 330
Fall of wickets: 1-13 S. Hope,2-104 Da. Bravo,3-115 M. Samuels,4-131 J. Blackwood,5-158 K. Brathwaite,6-159 J. Holder,7-246 C. Brathwaite,8-296 D. Ramdin,9-300 K. Roach,10-330 J. Taylor
Bowling: J. Hazlewood 18 – 5 – 49 – 1 J. Pattinson 18 – 3 – 76 – 2(nb-1) N. Lyon 46 – 12 – 120 – 3 M. Marsh 4 – 1 – 15 – 0 S. O’Keefe 26.1 – 7 – 63 – 3
Australia 1st innings
D. Warner not out 122
J. Burns c Roach b Warrican 26
M. Marsh c Blackwood b Warrican 21
P. Nevill not out 7
Extras: 0
Total: (for 2 wickets declared, 38 overs) 176
Fall of wickets: 1-100 J. Burns,2-154 M. Marsh
Did not bat: U. Khawaja, S. Smith, A. Voges, S. O’Keefe, J. Pattinson, J. Hazlewood, N. Lyon
Bowling: J. Taylor 4 – 0 – 27 – 0 J. Holder 4 – 1 – 15 – 0 K. Roach 4 – 0 – 29 – 0 J. Warrican 15 – 1 – 62 – 2 C. Brathwaite 7 – 0 – 23 – 0 K. Brathwaite 4 – 0 – 20 – 0 Referees Umpire: Chris Gaffaney Umpire: Ian Gould TV umpire: Marais Erasmus Match referee: Chris Broad
Result: Draw