ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, 15 May 2003 — Steve Waugh and Brian Lara face contrasting futures after West Indies’ extraordinary victory in the fourth Test over Australia. In terms of the series, Tuesday’s historic three-wicket win over the world champions provided the hosts with the consolation of avoiding an unprecedented home whitewash, and Lara’s position as captain now appears much more secure than Waugh’s.

Waugh’s tactics came in for heavy criticism after the hosts made 418 to win the match, the highest victorious fourth-innings total in Test history. The 37-year-old, who passed former Australian captain Allan Border’s record of 156 Test appearances during the series, defended his decision to bring on leg spinner Stuart MacGill with only a handful of runs needed.

“You’ve got to back your gut feeling,” he said. “I thought Stuart would take care of the rest, it was a turning track and tail enders find it (leg spin) difficult to play against.”

The Australian players were also criticized back home for their behavior during an ill-tempered match, particularly fast bowler Glenn McGrath’s heated altercation with West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan.

“Regardless of the result, the Australians have done nothing to enhance their reputations as sportsmen,” Sydney Morning Herald cricket writer Peter Roebuck said. “Cricket searched for a champion team and found only an unscrupulous aggressor.”

Waugh admitted his team had lost their cool. “It wasn’t pretty, we would like these things not to happen,” he said.

The players’ lack of discipline did not go unnoticed by Australian Cricket Board chief executive James Sutherland.

“It’s all very well playing the game in the right spirit when things are going your way,” Sutherland said. “But when things aren’t, that’s when the real test is on. If you can’t carry yourself in the true spirit of the game at those times, perhaps you need to have a good look at yourself.”

Anderson Traps Hussain

on Way to Hat Trick

In London, young fast bowler James Anderson dismissed England captain Nasser Hussain on the way to a hat trick in a county championship match yesterday.

The 20-year-old Lancashire seamer removed Essex opener Darren Robinson and trapped Hussain lbw with a full-length delivery before returning to snare England hopeful Will Jefferson with the first ball of his next over. Anderson, England’s most successful bowler in this year’s World Cup with 10 wickets, is expected to make his test debut in next week’s first Test against Zimbabwe at Lord’s.

Jacobs Left Out of Windies One-Day Squad

In St. John’s, the West Indies Cricket Board has made one change to the 15-man squad for the one-day games with Australia.

Ridley Jacobs has been replaced by fellow wicketkeeper-batsman Carlton Baugh Jr. for the best of seven series starting in Jamaica on Saturday. Selectors’ chairman Viv Richards said Jacobs was being given more time to fully recover from the groin injury that kept him out of two matches in the test series which ended on Tuesday in a 3-1 win for the visitors.

Hooper Signed as Temporary Cover for Harbhajan at Lancs

In London, former West Indies captain Carl Hooper is to return to county cricket for the first time in five years yesterday after Lancashire were given special dispensation to sign him as cover for India’s Harbhajan Singh. The 36-year-old batsman last played county cricket for Kent in 1998.

According to the BBC’s website, Hooper is set to make his debut in the championship match against Essex beginning at Old Trafford after a meeting of the First Class Forum at Lord’s on Tuesday. Hooper would be allowed to play until Harbhajan was given permission by the Indian cricket board to play for the county, the report added.

Injured New Zealand Bowler Bond Returning Home

In Wellington, fast bowler Shane Bond is returning home for treatment to a back injury sustained on the tour to Sri Lanka, New Zealand Cricket said yesterday. Bond strained his lower back while bowling during a one-day match against Pakistan on Sunday in an international triangular series.