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SYDNEY: Australia’s David Warner breathed life into the rain-ruined final Test with a pulsating ton as the match meandered to a draw against the West Indies on Thursday.
Warner, determined to finish an undistinguished series on a high, reached his 16th Test century off 82 balls before a small Sydney crowd in the last rites to a frustrating Test.
The buccaneering opener had a highest score of 64 in the two previous Tests as team-mates helped themselves to six centuries against the tourists’ innocuous bowling attack.
Warner was hell-bent on rectifying that inadequacy and attacked the bowling from the first ball to raise his maiden ton against the West Indies. When the match was called off at 4:50 pm local time (0550 GMT), Warner was unbeaten on 122 with Peter Nevill on seven and Australia 176 for two in reply to the West Indies’ 330.
The match was consigned to a draw after two days were washed out with only 86.2 overs possible before the anti-climatic fifth day.
When play resumed, the West Indies added 82 runs before being dismissed for 330.
Warner provided plenty of entertainment, clubbing spinner Jomel Warrican for two sixes in three balls on the way to plundering 16 runs from one over.
His first six raised his half-century off 42 balls as he dominated the scoring over opening partner Joe Burns.
The pair raised their 100-run stand off 92 balls, with Warner contributing 74 runs.
Burns was out soon after, attempting to hoist Warrican over mid-on only to be taken head-high by Kemar Roach for 26. (PTI)
score board
West Indies 1st innings
KC Brathwaite c Smith b Lyon 85
SD Hope c †Nevill b Hazlewood 9
DM Bravo c Khawaja b Pattinson 33
MN Samuels run out (Hazlewood/†Nevill) 4
J Blackwood b Lyon 10
D Ramdin† c Smith b O’Keefe 62
JO Holder* c Burns b O’Keefe 1
CR Brathwaite b Pattinson 69
KAJ Roach c Burns b Lyon 15
JE Taylor c Lyon b O’Keefe 13
JA Warrican not out 21
Extras 8
Total 330/10
Australia 1st innings
DA Warner not out 122
JA Burns c Roach b Warrican 26
MR Marsh c Blackwood b Warrican 21
PM Nevill† not out 7
Extras 0
Total 176/2 dec
