WEST INDIES v AUSTRALIA 1983-84

The dispirited Australian team offered only token resistance in a match which ended in another heavy defeat just before lunch on the fourth day. For West Indies it was a fitting way to mark two notable occasions in their cricket history - their 100th home Test and their captain Lloyd's own 100th Test appearance, the first West Indian to play as many. During tea on the second day Lloyd was presented with a commemorative silver salver by the West Indies Cricket Board of Control.

Australia's first innings followed a familiar pattern once they had been sent in by Lloyd, the fifth time in the series they batted first. Four wickets were down for 73 by lunch and, although Border and Hookes batted well, each for over two hours, wickets fell consistently to an attack in which Harper's off-spin played a significant part. West Indies were batting half an hour before the close of the first day. The Australian bowlers, let down by their batsmen, were also betrayed by their fielders, who put down six chances. Even so, they did well to restrict West Indies to 305 after Greenidge and Haynes, with their eighth century partnership in Tests, had put on 162. Greenidge had seventeen 4s in his ninth Test century, but steady bowling by Lawson, Maguire and Hogan limited the West Indian lead to 106.

Australia's subsequent task was made more demanding by the absence of Smith, whose finger was broken when struck by a ball from Garner in the first innings, and only Border was able to summon the grit to blunt the bowling of Marshall, Garner and Holding. Border batted for four and threequarter hours, but it was a lone and unavailing fight with extras again contributing more than most of the major batsmen.