West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1996–97

The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1996–97 season and played 5 Test matches against Australia. Australia won the series 3-2. The team also played the 1996–97 Carlton and United Series, a One Day International tournament, against Australia and Pakistan and lost 2–0 to Pakistan in a best of three finals series.

Test series summary

First Test

22–26 November 1996 (5-day match) Scorecard

Australia	v	West Indies
479 (151 overs) IA Healy 161* (250) CA Walsh 4/112 (35 overs)		277 (108.1 overs) CL Hooper 102 (228) PR Reiffel 4/58 (24.1 overs)
217/6d (65 overs) ME Waugh 57 (95) IR Bishop 3/49 (13 overs)		296 (106.5 overs) SL Campbell 113 (327) GD McGrath 4/60 (29.5 overs)

Australia won by 123 runs Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane Umpires: CJ Mitchley (SA) and SG Randell (AUS) Player of the match: IA Healy (AUS)

• West Indies won the toss and elected to field.
• MTG Elliott and MS Kasprowicz (both AUS) made their Test debuts.

Second Test

29 November–3 December 1996 (5-day match) Scorecard

Australia	v	West Indies
331 (119.5 overs) GS Blewett 69 (169) CA Walsh 5/98 (30 overs)		304 (117.2 overs) SL Campbell 77 (155) GD McGrath 4/82 (31 overs)
312/4d (106 overs) MTG Elliott 78 retired hurt (162) IR Bishop 2/54 (20 overs)		215 (69.4 overs) S Chanderpaul 71 (68) SK Warne 4/95 (27.4 overs)

Australia won by 124 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: DB Hair (AUS) and DR Shepherd (ENG) Player of the match: GD McGrath (AUS)

• Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
• JN Gillespie (AUS) made his Test debut.

Third Test

26–28 December 1996 (5-day match) Scorecard

Australia	v	West Indies
219 (74.5 overs) GS Blewett 62 (154) CEL Ambrose 5/55 (24.5 overs)		255 (109.1 overs) S Chanderpaul 58 (147) GS McGrath 5/50 (30 overs)
122 (45.5 overs) SR Waugh 37 (87) CEL Ambrose 4/17 (12 overs)		87/4 (23.5 overs) S Chanderpaul 40 (82) GD McGrath 3/41 (9 overs)

West Indies won by 6 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: PD Parker (AUS) and S Venkataraghavan (IND) Player of the match: CEL Ambrose (WI)

• Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
• The match was scheduled for five days but completed in three.

Fourth Test

25–28 January 1997 (5-day match) Scorecard

West Indies	v	Australia
130 (47.5 overs) JR Murray 34 (43) MG Bevan 4/31 (9.5 overs)		517 (162.3 overs) ML Hayden 125 (226) CL Hooper 2/86 (31 overs)
204 (69.4 overs) BC Lara 78 (144) MG Bevan 6/82 (22.4 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 183 runs Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: SG Randell (AUS) and DR Shepherd (ENG) Player of the match: MG Bevan (AUS)

• West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
• The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.
• AJ Bichel (AUS) and AFG Griffith (WI) made their Test debuts.

Fifth Test

1–3 February 1997 (5-day match) Scorecard

Australia	v	West Indies
243 (80 overs) MG Bevan 87* (164) CEL Ambrose 5/43 (18 overs)		384 (111 overs) BC Lara 132 (183) PR Reiffel 5/73 (26 overs)
194 (47.3 overs) ML Hayden 47 (102) CA Walsh 5/74 (20 overs)		57/0 (10.3 overs) RG Samuels 35* (39)

West Indies won by 10 wickets WACA Ground, Perth Umpires: DB Hair (AUS) and P Willey (ENG) Player of the match: CEL Ambrose (WI)

• Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
• The match was scheduled for five days but completed in three.
• This was the West Indies last Test win in Australia until 2024 in Brisbane.

References

• Playfair Cricket Annual
• Wisden Cricketers Almanack (annual)

External sources

• CricketArchive