Raymon Reifer and Joshua Da Silva combined to help the West Indies eke out a draw in the pink-ball tour match against the Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval on Saturday.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul made more runs and the visitors had a chance of victory on the final day
Chasing 309 for victory after the PM XI’s declaration at 221-4 late on Friday, the Caribbean side played conservatively after the fall of the eighth wicket with eight overs to go, finishing on 277-8 in the four-day match.
The West Indies’ most recent first-class win in Australia came in the fifth Test of the 1996-97 battle for the Frank Worrell Trophy.
Courtney Walsh’s tourists – piloted by Brian Lara’s century and Curtly Ambrose’s seven wickets – thumped Mark Taylor’s side inside three days at the WACA.
When the West Indies entered the dinner break at 5-221, requiring a further 88 runs for victory off a minimum of 31 overs.
The last session started horribly for them when Roston Chase (13) succumbed after just three balls, beaten in flight by Ashton Agar (2-41), miscuing and lofting a catch to Joel Paris at mid-off.
But Da Silva and Alzarri Joseph (31) combined for an enterprising 48-run seventh-wicket total to put the West Indies back into the match.
Joseph was grassed on 24 by Aaron Hardie in the slips before guiding Mark Steketee (3-56) to Michael Neser at gully four overs later.
When Steketee had Kemar Roach (0) gloving a short ball to Peter Handscomb at slip, the West Indies fell to 8-273 and duly parked the bus.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul was named player of the match for his fine double innings (119, 56), which should surely earn him a Test debut against Australia at Optus Stadium, starting on November 30.
“It was nice to get some runs,” the softly spoken Chanderpaul said.
“I knew it was going to be tough … just happy to get some runs.”
The teams will play a second test — a day-nighter at Adelaide Oval — beginning Dec. 8.
Prime Minister’s XI 322 (Renshaw 81, Harris 73, Handscomb 55, Joseph 4-65) and 221 for 4 dec (Renshaw 101*, Handscomb 75) drew with West Indies 235 (Chanderpaul 119, Murphy 3-27, Paris 3-32, Steketee 3-33) and 277 for 8 (Chanderpaul 56, Thomas 55, Da Silva 52*, Steketee 3-56)