Australian cricket team in the West Indies in 1972–73

The Australian cricket team toured the West Indies in the 1972–73 season to play a five-match Test series against the West Indies.

Australia won the series 2–0 with three matches drawn. Australia therefore kept the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy.

Australian squad

The original squad selected were as follows:

Test matches

Dennis Lillee became injured during the tour and Bob Massie lost form. However the other Australian bowlers performed admirably and Australia wound up winning the series comfortably.. Henry Blofeld later wrote in Wisden:

It hardly seemed possible for Australia to win a series in the West Indies without any contribution from Lillee and Massie who had developed into such a formidable combination against England a few months earlier, and without the services of Mallett, their off spinner, who was unavailable for the tour. In spite of all this Ian Chappell's side won impressively, beating the West Indies in the third and fourth Test matches at Port of Spain and Georgetown respectively. Australia won as much as anything because of the strength and the nature of their temperament which both collectively and individually refuses to accept defeat until it has become a fact. On the other hand it was the temperamental deficiencies of the West Indies players which contributed more to their defeat than any technical inadequacies.[1]

Test series summary

First Test
16–21 February 1973
Scorecard
v
428/7d (157 overs)
Rod Marsh 97
Lance Gibbs 4/85 (41 overs)
428 (124.5 overs)
Maurice Foster 125
Max Walker 6/114 (39 overs)
260/2d (82 overs)
Keith Stackpole 142
Vanburn Holder 1/34 (19 overs)
67/3 (33 overs)
Roy Fredericks 21
Greg Chappell 2/18 (10 overs)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 19 February was taken as a rest day.
  • Jeff Hammond (AUS) made his Test debut.

Second Test
9–14 March 1973
Scorecard
v
324 (131 overs)
GS Chappell 106
KD Boyce 3/68 (22 overs)
391 (152.4 overs)
RB Kanhai 105
MHN Walker 5/97 (51.4 overs)
300/2 dec (119.1 overs)
IM Chappell 106*
MLC Foster 1/29 (13 overs)
36/0 (19 overs)
RC Fredericks 22*
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 12 March was taken as a rest day.
  • ET Willett (WIN) made his Test debut.

Third Test
23–28 March 1973
Scorecard
v
332 (129.1 overs)
Doug Walters 112
Lance Gibbs 3/79 (38 overs)
280 (121.3 overs)
Rohan Kanhai 56
Terry Jenner 4/98 (38.3 overs)
281 (107 overs)
Ian Chappell 97
Lance Gibbs 5/102 (45 overs)
289 (113.1 overs)
Alvin Kallicharran 91
Kerry O'Keeffe 4/57 (24.1 overs)
Australia won by 44 runs
Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain
Umpires: Ralph Gosein and Douglas Sang Hue
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 26 March was taken as a rest day.

Fourth Test
6–11 April 1973
Scorecard
v
366 (121.2 overs)
Clive Lloyd 178
Doug Walters 5/66 (18.2 overs)
341 (135.4 overs)
Ian Chappell 109
Lance Gibbs 3/67 (36 overs)
109 (52.3 overs)
Geoff Greenidge 24
Jeff Hammond 4/38 (16 overs)
135/0 (43 overs)
Keith Stackpole 76*
Australia won by 10 wickets
Bourda, Georgetown
Umpires: Cecil Kippins and Douglas Sang Hue
  • West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 9 April was taken as a rest day.

Fifth Test
21–26 April 1973
Scorecard
v
419/8d (173 overs)
Ross Edwards 74
Lance Gibbs 3/114 (52 overs)
319 (111.2 overs)
Roy Fredericks 73
Max Walker 5/75 (37 overs)
218/7d (80 overs)
Ian Chappell 37
Lance Gibbs 4/66 (32 overs)
135/5 (69 overs)
Alvin Kallicharran 26
John Benaud 2/12 (4 overs)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 24 April was taken as a rest day.

References
  1. Henry Blofeld Australian cricket team in the West Indies 1972–73 at Wisden
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