# Australian cricket team in the West Indies in 1990–91

The Australian cricket team toured the West Indies in the 1990–91 season to play a five-match Test series against the West Indies.
The West Indies won the series 2–1 with two matches drawn. The West Indies therefore retained the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy.

## Australian squad

Australia had just defeated England 3–0 at home during the 1990–91 season. The team has recovered from the defeats of the mid 80s and there was hope the team could beat the West Indies in a series for the first time since 1975–76. Wisden wrote that the tour "began with exalted expectations of an epic contest between arguably the two strongest teams in the game."
The Australian squad was as follows:
* Batsmen – Allan Border (captain), Geoff Marsh (vice-captain), David Boon, Dean Jones, Mark Taylor, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Mike Veletta (also back up keeper)
* Fast bowlers – Terry Alderman, Craig McDermott, Mike Whitney, Merv Hughes, Bruce Reid
* Spinners – Greg Matthews, Peter Taylor
* Wicketkeeper – Ian Healy

## Test series summary

The West Indies won the second and fourth tests easily. Australia won the fifth test.

### 1st Test

* 1–6 March 1991 (5-day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica Umpires: DM Archer (WI) and SA Bucknor (WI) Player of the match: DC Boon (AUS) and AL Logie (WI)
* West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
* 4 March was taken as a rest day.
* There was no play on the fourth day.

### 2nd Test

* 23–28 March 1991 (5-day match) Scorecard
* West Indies won by 10 wickets Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana Umpires: CE Cumberbatch (WI) and CR Duncan (WI) Player of the match: RB Richardson (WI)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 26 March was taken as a rest day.

### 3rd Test

* 5–10 April 1991 (5-day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Umpires: DM Archer (WI) and LH Barker (WI) Player of the match: PJL Dujon (WI)
* West Indies won the toss and elected to field.
* 7 April was taken as a rest day.

### 4th Test

* 19–24 April 1991 (5-day match) Scorecard
* West Indies won by 343 runs Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados Umpires: DM Archer (WI) and LH Barker (WI) Player of the match: CG Greenidge (WI)
* Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* 22 April was taken as a rest day.

### 5th Test

* 27 April–1 May 1991 (5-day match) Scorecard
* Australia won by 157 runs Antigua Recreation Ground, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda Umpires: LH Barker (WI) and SA Bucknor (WI) Player of the match: MA Taylor (AUS)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 30 April was taken as a rest day.
* The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.

## ODI series summary

Australia won the Cable and Wireless Series 4–1.

### 1st ODI

* 26 February 1991 Scorecard
| Australia 244/4 (50 overs) | v | West Indies 209 (46 overs) |
| DM Jones 88* (105) CA Walsh 1/30 (7 overs) | | AL Logie 65 (65) CJ McDermott 4/34 (9 overs) |
* Australia won by 35 runs Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica Umpires: DM Archer and SA Bucknor Player of the match: DM Jones (AUS)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

### 2nd ODI

* 9 March 1991 Scorecard
| Australia 172/9 (34 overs) | v | West Indies 127 (31.1 overs) |
| DM Jones 64 (85) AH Gray 6/50 (9 overs) | | DL Haynes 45 (62) CJ McDermott 3/29 (7.1 overs) |
* Australia won by 45 runs Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad Umpires: LH Barker and CE Cumberbatch Player of the match: AH Gray (WIN)
* West Indies won the toss and elected to field.
* The match was reduced before play started from 50 to 42 overs per side.
* The match was later reduced to 34 overs per side.

### 3rd ODI

* 10 March 1991 Scorecard
| Australia 245/7 (49 overs) | v | West Indies 181/3 (33.3 overs) |
| GR Marsh 81 (118) CEL Ambrose 3/37 (10 overs) | | RB Richardson 90 (98) BA Reid 1/28 (7 overs) |
* West Indies won by 7 wickets (run rate) Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad Umpires: LH Barker and CE Cumberbatch Player of the match: RB Richardson (WIN)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* Australia's innings was reduced to 49 overs.
* West Indies target was reduced to 181 runs in 36 overs (as 245 x 36/49 = 180).

### 4th ODI

* 13 March 1991 Scorecard
| Australia 283/6 (50 overs) | v | West Indies 246 (47 overs) |
| GR Marsh 113 (136) CEL Ambrose 3/38 (10 overs) | | PJL Dujon 39 (41) ME Waugh 3/34 (7 overs) |
* Australia won by 37 runs Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados Umpires: DM Archer and LH Barker Player of the match: GR Marsh (AUS)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

### 5th ODI

* 20 March 1991 Scorecard
| West Indies 251 (49.5 overs) | v | Australia 252/4 (48.3 overs) |
| RB Richardson 94 (88) CJ McDermott 3/29 (10 overs) | | GR Marsh 106* (158) BP Patterson 1/34 (6.3 overs) |
* Australia won by 6 wickets Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana Umpires: CE Cumberbatch and CR Duncan Player of the match: GR Marsh (AUS)
* West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.

## Controversy

A book was written about the tour, Calypso Cricket by Roland Fishman, in which some Australian cricketers were quoted bragging about how many women they slept with. This was seen as a breach of the unspoken agreement between players and journalists for the latter not to report on the former's private lives, and embarrassed Greg Matthews, who was a friend of Fishman's, and who helped him get access to the players. Matthews:
   Fishman lied to me. He bludged my money, my clothes, my bed and he told me he was writing a story about cricket in the Caribbean and the way of life. It was anything but that. He deceived me to the max. I haven't seen him since and next time I see him I'll be spitting in his face.