Cricket: Taylor tinkers to good effect

Australia 101; West Indies 87. Australia win by 14 runs

WHILE four days of heavy rain resulted in the match being reduced to 30 overs a side, there was no shortage of excitement in Sydney last night as Australia dismissed the West Indies for 87 to win their World Series game by 14 runs.

Put in on a damp wicket, Australia totalled 101 for 9 after Dean Jones had led the scoring with 21. The West Indies then slipped to 31 for 5 in the day-night match and lost their final wicket with three balls remaining. In the process, Mark Taylor - acting captain in the absence of Allan Border - took an Australian one-day record of four catches.

He also handled the bowling changes expertly and received the man of the match award after Australia's victory in the triangular competition had enabled them to draw level on points with the West Indies and Pakistan.

Australia's apparently modest total quickly began to look formidable and it was the fast left arm of Mike Whitney that started the West Indian collapse. Brian Lara was bowled for four and Richie Richardson went to a catch behind for six.

Craig McDermott then won an lbw decision to dismiss Phil Simmons for a duck, the young Victorian Paul Reiffel snapped up the vital wicket of Desmond Haynes for five, and Taylor took a freakish one-handed slip catch off Steve Waugh to get rid of Keith Arthurton for three.

(West Indies won toss)

AUSTRALIA

* M A Taylor b Simmons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

D C Boon c Lara b Simmons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

D M Jones c Murray b Ambrose. . . . . . . . . . . . .21

S R Waugh c Murray b Simmons. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

M E Waugh st Murray b Hooper. . . . . . . . . . . . .17

D R Martyn b Ambrose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

G R J Matthews c Ambrose b Cummins. . . . . . .12

I A Healy c Cummins b Ambrose. . . . . . . . . . . .3

P R Reiffel not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

C J McDermott lbw b Hooper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

M R Whitney not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Extras (lb10 w8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Total (for 9, 30 overs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

Fall: 1-31 2-32 3-34 4-61 5-62 6-79 7-85 8-90 9-98.

Bowling: Bishop 6-0-21-0; Simmons 6-2-11-3; Ambrose 6-0-18-3; Cummins 6-1-16-1; Hooper 6-0-25-2.

WEST INDIES

D L Haynes c S Waugh b Reiffel. . . . . . . . . . . .5

B C Lara b Whitney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

P V Simmons lbw b McDermott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

* R B Richardson c Healy b Whitney. . . . . . . .6

A L Logie c Taylor b Reiffel. . . . . . . . . . . . .20

K L Arthurton c Taylor b S Waugh. . . . . . . . . .3

C L Hooper c Taylor b Reiffel. . . . . . . . . . . . .6

J R Murray c Taylor b S Waugh. . . . . . . . . . . . .2

I R Bishop c Healy b M Waugh. . . . . . . . . . . . .11

C E Ambrose not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

A C Cummins run out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Extras (lb13 w2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Total (29.3 overs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Fall: 1-6 2-7 3-18 4-22 5-31 6-49 7-55 8-65 9-75.

Bowling: McDermott 6-1-11-1; Whitney 6-1-11-2; Reiffel 6-1-14-3; S Waugh 5.3-0-25-2; M Waugh 6-0-13-1.

Australia won by 14 runs