Jacobs, Hinds boost Windies after McGrath's 'trick'

Courageous left-handers Ridley Jacobs and Wavell Hinds lifted the West Indies after another catastrophic start in the second cricket Test in Perth here Friday -- but the day still belonged to Australia's champion fast bowler Glenn McGrath.

Jacobs, unbeaten with 96 -- his best in Test ranks -- and Hinds (50) performed heroic repair jobs after McGrath enjoyed two huge celebrations in as many minutes when he captured his 300th Test wicket and completed a hat-trick with sucessive balls.

The spirited fightback by the tourists' pair hoisted the first innings score from 22 for five to 196 all out, still the West Indies' lowest total in six matches at the WACA ground.

The West Indies had further success in the final session, removing Australian opening batsman Michael Slater (19) and number three Justin Langer (5) as Australia limped to stumps with 72-2, trailing by 124 runs.

Padding up again Saturday for a crucial first session will be left-hander Matthew Hayden (46 not out) and night-watchman Jason Gillespie (one not out).

In Friday's opening session drama, McGrath, 30, from New South Wales, blasted out vice-captain Sherwin Campbell (3), star left-hander Brian Lara (0) and captain Jimmy Adams (0) with the third, fourth and fifth balls of his fifth over.

"A hat-trick is something I have always dreamed about," said an elated McGrath. "I have been on a hat-trick quite a few times, but never been quite over the line before."

McGrath became the eighth Australian to complete a hat-trick in Test ranks and only the second -- after speedster Merv Hughes, also in Perth, 12 years ago -- to achieve the feat in matches against the West Indies.

McGrath, starting the day with a 298-wicket tally, enthralled a crowd which swelled to 16,894 by doing exactly what he had predicted -- ousting Campbell and Lara to reach the milestone.

Campbell fell to a first slip catch by Ricky Ponting, while Lara edged to fourth slip, where a nervous Stuart MacGill snatched a sharp chance at the second grab.

The applause had hardly subsided when McGrath ousted Adams with his first ball, a brutal delivery spearing into his ribs, as the skipper popped up the ball and Justin Langer gleefully accepted the chance at short leg.

Of the Lara dismissal -- his 300th at the game's highest level -- McGrath said: "I saw the edge go to MacGill, then I saw it bobble -- and my heart went a bit. But as soon as it was safe in the bank, I was pretty happy.

"I said before the game it would be nice to go with Sherwin Campbell and Brian Lara for the 300th -- and it worked out that way.

"Lara is definitely the key to their batting, and if we can keep him down it makes our job so much easier."

Players ran from all over the ground to congratulate the man who had destroyed the West Indies' batting with astonishing figures of 10-27 in the first Test in Brisbane a week earlier.

McGrath becomes only the third Australian, after Shane Warne (366) and Dennis Lillee (355) to top 300 Test victims.

McGrath had energetic pace support from Brett Lee, who ousted specialist batsmen Daren Ganga (0) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (2) to finish with 2-52 and returning paceman Jason Gillespie, who polished off the tail to collect 3-46.

Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill again provided quality variety, capturing 2-47.

It was Hinds, playing in his first Test of the series and batting in the challenging number three position, who initiated the West Indies recovery.

Hitting out boldly at loose deliveries, he stroked seven powerful boundaries in his 87-ball knock.

Jacobs middled the ball from the start with an assurance which belied the team's early problems. During a vigil of just over three and a half hours, he pounded 12 fours and a six -- a remarkable late cut off Gillespie.

The West Indies' rally was aided by below-par Australian fielding as four catches were missed, with Hinds and Jacobs each having two slices of luck.

The tourists suffered a major blow even before the first ball was bowled when senior batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was ruled unfit with a stress fracture of his left foot.

Chanderpaul's absence meant a reprieve for young middle-order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, who had been dropped to 12th man after a double duck in the first Test. But he did not grasp his unexpected opportunity, making two before falling to Lee.

Scoreboard

West Indies (1st innings):
S.Campbell c Ponting b McGrath 3
D.Ganga lbw b Lee 0
W.Hinds c M.Waugh b MacGill 50
B.Lara c MacGill b McGrath 0
J.Adams c Langer b McGrath 0
R.Sarwan c Slater b Lee 2
R.Jacobs not out 96
N.McLean b Macgill 7
M.Dillon c Hayden b Gillespie 27
M.Black c Hayden b Gillespie 0
C.Walsh c Gilchrist b Gillespie 1
Extras (nb-7 lb-3) 10
Total (61 overs) 196
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-19 3-19 4-19 5-22 6-97 7-117 8-172 9-178 Bowling: McGrath 19-2-48-3 (nb-3), Lee 15-5-52-2 (nb-3), Gillespie 12-2-46-3 (nb-1), MacGill 15-2-47-2
Australia (1st innings):
M.Slater c Campbell b Dillon 19
M.Hayden not out 46
J.Langer c Sarwan b McLean 5
J.Gillespie not out 1
Extras (w-1) 1
Total (for two wickets, 27 overs) 72.
Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-62.
To bat: M.Waugh, S.Waugh, R.Ponting, A.Gilchrist, S.MacGill, B.Lee, G.McGrath Bowling: Walsh 10-3-24-0, Black 4-0-26-0, Dillon 9-2-19-1 (w-1), McLean 4-1-3-1.

Mail Cricket Editor