Australia v West Indies

West Indies won by 222 runs thanks mainly to Gibbs, making his first Test appearance in Australia, and Valentine. Most of the Australian batsmen struggled throughout the game against the spin this pair imparted.

Sobers was in magnificent form with the bat on the first day. Although moving slowly to 80, he launched a tremendous attack on the Australians when the new ball was taken after tea and scored 72 in as many minutes.

Australia, replying to the West Indies total of 339, lost Simpson and Harvey cheaply to Hall and, despite a good innings by O'Neill, collapsed early on the third day, three wickets falling to Gibbs in four balls.

West Indies, leading by 137, began their second innings badly, Hunte, Kanhai and Sobers leaving to Davidson for 22, but Worrell and Smith restored the position with a delightful fourth-wicket century partnership in sixty-seven minutes.

The Australian attack, weakened by the absence of Davidson (strained leg muscle) and Meckiff (back injury) on the fourth day, suffered at the hands of the later West Indies batsmen, especially Alexander, who hit a chanceless century -- his first in Test cricket -- with powerful pulls and drives.

Australia were left the mammoth task of scoring 464 to win but the batting by Harvey and O'Neill made a revival possible. Gibbs, however, dispelled their hopes on the fifth morning by taking four wickets for two runs in a spell of 27 balls. As in their first innings, the Australian batsmen completely failed to counter the spin bowlers on a helpful pitch, and the last eight wickets fell for the addition of 59 runs during the last day.