Can you hear that sound? That's right, it's the sound of Mr Cricket munching on his hat! It's not very tasty but promises are promises. Not only did Stuart MacGill not take more wickets in the Caribbean series than Stuart Clark or Mitchell Johnson, he also announced his retirement midway through the second Test. So, sadly, those MacGill leading-wicket taker betting tickets have long since turned to dust.

The third and final Test of Australia's Caribbean crusade starts in Barbados tonight and it promises to be a fascinating clash. We are really looking forward to watching rookie left-arm wristspinner Beau Casson play his debut Test and there is also the return of West Indian cool cat Chris Gayle to look forward to. Gayle, returning from a long stint out with a groin injury, insists he will open the innings but we wouldn't be surprised if he is foxing and bats at No.5. The West Indies have two other specialist openers in their side, Xavier Marshall and Sewnarine Chattergoon, and it is possible the West Indies will open with this duo and give Gayle a sighter further down the order.

Calypso officials say giant spinner Sulieman Benn is also a chance to play, although that would be a major surprise on a Barbados pitch tipped to have fast pace and steep bounce. But West Indian team dynamics are as confusing as a rubix cube and no-one can be positive of the makeup of their lineup until the coin toss.

The Australians are much more cut and dry with Casson the only change, coming in for the retired MacGill. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will play through the pain of a broken finger.

As we have already eluded to, the big news here is that a fast and bouncy pitch in Bridgetown is expected. About time too because the Antigua pitch was so slow and flat the match became a complete bore. The West Indians have been sledging the Australians about the pitch - with Fidel Edwards and co claiming they can't wait to get the Australians on a bouncy pitch. But, far from playing into West Indian hands, we are sure the pitch will favour the Australians. The world champions have been brought up playing on hard, bouncy surfaces like the WACA ground and the Gabba so this will be like playing a Test in their own backyard. Australia's batsmen should be much more suited to at last playing on a fire-breathing pitch than the West Indians.

Shiv Chanderpaul has been the batting star of the series but his mountain of runs have been made of pitches which really suit his run-grafting style down to the ground. He will get no such luxury in Antigua. Mr Cricket has also noticed over the years that Gayle and another key West Indian batsman, Ramnaresh Sarwan, have some obvious flaws in their techniques when facing hostile short-pitched bowling. So basically we think the pitch will suit the Australians down to the ground.

The Aussies are also well rested after having four days with plenty of beachside activities and no training in the lead-up to the Test. The fatigue factor that affected Australia's quicks in Antigua won't be an issue here. The Aussies certainly aren't as strong as they once were but they know how to find the finishing line and we can see them winning here and winning well. One big watch is on the weather because at the time of writing it was raining in Bridgetown. Some showers are predicted for the first three or four days. We really like the look of the Aussies to win this one at $1.58 but we won't be making that an official play - only due to the weather. So get on the Aussies if you want, because we think they will win, but don't say we didn't warn you about the potential for bad weather.

A bet at good odds that we do like with some confidence here involves Australian opener Phil Jaques. Jaques has an unconventional style with a high Adam Gilchrist-style bat grip which has meant he hasn't been suited to the low-slow pitches of the first two Tests. Jaques much prefers the type of quick, bouncy pitches you get in Australia where he can unleash his cross-batted shots and drives with more authority. Jaques failed in the first Test but showed a lot of bulldog spirit with 76 in the second Test on a pitch which he didn't like. Jaques murdered bowling attacks last summer in his debut Test series and we think he will do it again in Barbados. We like him for a 0.5 unit bet to be Australia's top first innings scorer at $6 with bet365, Bill Hurley and IASBet. We also like him for a one unit bet to score more first innings runs than Simon Katich at $1.95 with Lasseters. If you think we are putting too many eggs in one basket, have a saver on the in-form Michael Clarke to be top runscorer at around the $5.50 mark. Clarke never played better than he did in Antigua and would certainly be worth a small saver - the thing against him is that he is coming in at No.5. Good punting!

© 2008 Punting Ace.com

To discuss this Mr Cricket preview click here