West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1968–69

The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1968-69 season and played a five-match Test series against Australia. Australia won the series 3-1 with one match drawn.

Test series summary

First Test

6–10 December 1968 (5–day match) Scorecard

West Indies	v	Australia
296 (95 overs) RB Kanhai 94 AN Connolly 4/60 (19 overs)		284 (98.4 overs) IM Chappell 117 (263) LR Gibbs 5/88 (39.4 overs)
353 (87 overs) CH Lloyd 129 (222) JW Gleeson 5/122 (33 overs)		240 (88.6 overs) IM Chappell 50 GS Sobers 6/73 (33.6 overs)

West Indies won by 125 runs Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane Umpires: CJ Egar and LP Rowan

• West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
• 9 December was taken as a rest day.
• The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.

Second Test

26–30 December 1968 (5–day match) Scorecard

West Indies	v	Australia
200 (73 overs) RC Fredericks 76 (226) GD McKenzie 8/71 (28 overs)		510 (136.3 overs) WM Lawry 205 (416) GS Sobers 4/97 (33.3 overs)
280 (98.4 overs) SM Nurse 74 (192) JW Gleeson 5/61 (26.4 overs)

Australia won by an innings and 30 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: CJ Egar and LP Rowan

• Australia won the toss and elected to field.
• 29 December was taken as a rest day.
• The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.
• CA Davis, RM Edwards and RC Fredericks (all WIN) made their Test debuts.

Third Test

3–8 January 1969 (5–day match) Scorecard

West Indies	v	Australia
264 (75.1 overs) CH Lloyd 50 (61) GD McKenzie 4/85 (22.1 overs)		547 (121.6 overs) KD Walters 118 (185) WW Hall 3/113 (26 overs)
324 (93 overs) BF Butcher 101 (233) JW Gleeson 4/91 (26 overs)		0/42 (8 overs) KR Stackpole 21* (31) AP Sheahan 21* (33)

Australia won by 10 wickets Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: CJ Egar and LP Rowan

• West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
• 6 January was taken as a rest day.

Fourth Test

24–29 January 1969 (5–day match) Scorecard

West Indies	v	Australia
276 (65.3 overs) GS Sobers 110 EW Freeman 4/52 (10.3 overs)		533 (126.5 overs) KD Walters 110 LR Gibbs 4/145 (43 overs)
616 (137.2 overs) BF Butcher 118 AN Connolly 5/122 (34 overs)		9/339 (84 overs) IM Chappell 96 CC Griffith 2/73 (19 overs)

Match drawn Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: CJ Egar and LP Rowan

• West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
• 26 January was taken as a rest day.
• This Test match holds the record for the highest match aggregate (1,764) without a partnership of 150 runs or more as well as no wides being bowled.^[1]
• This Test also set the record for the highest match aggregate in a 5-day Test match and held it until the Rawalpindi Test of England's tour of Pakistan from 1–5 December 2022 with a total of 1,768 runs.^[2]

Fifth Test

14–20 February 1969 (6–day match) Scorecard

Australia	v	West Indies
619 (152.7 overs) KD Walters 242 (412) WW Hall 3/157 (35.7 overs)		279 (76.6 overs) MC Carew 64 (94) AN Connolly 4/61 (17 overs)
8/394d (92 overs) IR Redpath 132 (277) GS Sobers 3/117 (26 overs)		352 (64.2 overs) SM Nurse 137 (204) JW Gleeson 3/84 (15.2 overs)

Australia won by 382 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: CJ Egar and LP Rowan

• West Indies won the toss and elected to field.
• 17 February was taken as a rest day.

External sources

• CricketArchive – tour summaries

Annual reviews

• Playfair Cricket Annual 1969
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1970