Four years later, he undermined them with his 7 for 1 first-innings spell.To back up those onslaughts, there have been hundreds from Roy Fredericks (169 from 145 balls), Clive Lloyd, Larry Gomes, Jeffrey Dujon and Viv Richards.But for the first time in 12 years, with Ambrose now in retirement, the thunderbolts are in the opposition hands. Brett Lee, the 24-year-old Sydneysider who has made such an impact in less than a year of Test cricket, was consistently in the mid-90 miles an hour range in one spell in Brisbane, when he removed the captain, Jimmy Adams, and Ramnaresh Sarwan in an over.He is now joined by the fit-again Jason Gillespie, back in action after the hamstring injury that eliminated him from the first, to provide support for Glenn McGrath. The fourth fast bowler, Andy Bichel, is likely to give way to the leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.Walsh, 38, has trundled to keep fit on the ground where he started his phenomenal career in 1984. He is now only 16 short of his goal of becoming the first bowler to claim 500 Test wickets after he bowled fellow rabbit McGrath for his only wicket in Brisbane.Marlon Black, the burly Trinidadian, showed promise with pace, control and movement on debut, and Nixon McLean and Merv Dillon have been around to some time. But, for once, Australia hold the pace aces.As always, the rock-hard WACA pitch will have pace and bounce and will test the nerves and techniques of the batsmen. After Brisbane, the advantage is strongly in Australia's favour.

Stranger things have happened in the great game than a West Indies turnaround in form and fortune - and they happened in the Caribbean the last time the teams met. For the sake of the series and the West Indies' standing in world cricket, a repeat is needed.WEST INDIES (probable): *J C Adams, S L Campbell, D Ganga, W W Hinds, B C Lara, S Chanderpaul, ÿR D Jacobs, N A M McLean, M Dillon, M I Black, C A Walsh.AUSTRALIA (from): *S R Waugh, M J Slater, M L Hayden, J L Langer, M E Waugh, R T Ponting, ÿA C Gilchrist, J N Gillespie, B Lee, A J Bichel, S C G McGill, G D McGrath.Umpires: P Parker (Aus) and J Hampshire (Eng).. Paul Merson, the Aston Villa midfielder yesterday declared himself ready to step into the breach to solve his club's striker crisis. Merson has been in inspirational form this season in a midfield role behind the front two of Dion Dublin and Julian Joachim.

Paul Merson, the Aston Villa midfielder yesterday declared himself ready to step into the breach to solve his club's striker crisis. Merson has been in inspirational form this season in a midfield role behind the front two of Dion Dublin and Julian Joachim. Joachim is out of action for up to six weeks with a broken toe while the reserve striker Darius Vassell is unfit with a hamstring problem. But Merson has expressed a willingness to partner Dion Dublin up front until Gregory ends his long search to bring in more forward power to Villa Park.Merson said: "I will play wherever the manager wants me to play. Hopefully, we will soon be able to make a signing but at the moment we haven't got anyone else to go up front."I'm happy to do it because I just want to play football and do a good job. I played up front a lot when I was at Arsenal and Middlesbrough so I know what I'm doing."I prefer playing just off the front two or in midfield which I regard as my best position I think I've played well there apart from at Southampton. But if it helps the team by playing up front then I will just get on with it."Gregory is still also eager to bring the Liverpool defender Steve Staunton back to Villa Park on a free transfer. Last month Gregory had been mildly critical of Staunton, claiming he was one of several players to leave Villa who had found "the grass is not always greener elsewhere".Gregory seems to have abandoned hopes of finding a solution to his striking dilemma in the Nationwide League - because he feels the talent is not there to make the step up into the Premiership.