A Steven Smith century and some baffling West Indian tactics allowed Australia to take control on the first day of the Jamaica Test. They will now look to drill home the advantage on the second day and you can follow the live scores of this second Test from 1am AEST on Saturday morning.
The decision to bowl first looked to be vindicated for the West Indies at one stage, when they had both the Aussie openers dismissed with just 16 on the board. With Jerome Taylor hooping the ball around the way he did, another wicket could have pegged them back even further.
Instead, it was the erratic Kemar Roach who caught Michael Clarke’s leading edge only for the third umpire to rule it a no-ball for overstepping. Things declined steadily for West Indies after that and Australia took control of the game through Smith, Clarke and Adam Voges.
While both Clarke and Voges could be kicking themselves for not converting from their scores of 47 and 37, Smith had no such problems. He got to his ninth Test century and fifth in six Tests to continue with the kind of form that had made him a force to reckon in the last 12 or so months.
Shane Watson was at the crease with Smith when stumps were drawn, having been involved in a 48-run stand for the fifth wicket after partnerships with Clarke and Voges yielded 118 and 76 respectively for Australia.
It could have gotten bad for Australia though. Apart from that Clarke wicket off a no-ball – they would have been three for 22 at that stage – there was a dropped catch and a missed run-out opportunity too. But more importantly, West Indies went on the defensive far too early.
For starters, the part-time bowling options of Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood shared a total of 20 overs between them. That’s an indicator of how the captain Denesh Ramdin had little faith in some of his frontline bowlers.
Then there was a matter of removing Taylor off the attack after he had bowled just five overs and giving him just one more over before the lunch break and a total of 15 overs in the day. Surely with figures of 6-6-0-2 at one stage and 15-8-18-3 by close, he deserved a better look-in.
But what was probably the strangest pieces of captaincy from Ramdin had to be to do with what happened after the new ball became due. Ramdin had seen what the first new ball had done, swung around and made life miserable for the batsmen. And yet, he opted not to take it.
So it was the spin of Permaul and Brathwaite that bowled through most of those 10 overs, content in attempting to tie the batsmen down instead of wanting to aggressively poach a few wickets.
Taylor’s explanation in the end of day press conference made little sense.
He said: “The old ball was working for us. We didn’t know what the new ball would have been like. So, what was happening was the work we were doing, bowling as well as possible, and see what we could get out of it. So, it is about taking the new ball tomorrow, at whatever time, and at the end of the day it is what it is. It is a good team effort.”
The definition of ‘working’ in the above statement is up for interpretation but it was certainly not getting them wickets. A new ball could have done that and at the even at the expense of giving away 20 extra runs, it was a risk worth taking.
Australia will be aiming at a 400-plus total going into the second day and with those many on the board, life might not get easier for West Indies.
Follow the live scores & blog of this West Indies v Australia 2nd Test match from 0100 hours AEDT on Saturday and post your comments in the section below.
Clifford Jones
Guest
West Indines does not need a foriegn coach.It has not worked and it will never work.Since 1995 the year West Indies lost the Frank Worrell Trophy to Australia we have never been able to retain that standard of play that we enjoyed under Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards.The main cause of this problem is that all West Indies Test players were forced by the WICB to return to the West Indies and play in the local cricket matches arranged by the WICB to be considered for selection in Test Matches.This started with Desmond Haynes not being considered for the Australian Tour of 1995 and has continued ever since.Gradually all upcoming West Indies players have not been playing League and County Cricket in England as they had been doing since the 1930’s,starting with Learie Constantine and George Headley.My suggestion is that once you discover a talented player that shows a lot of promise take the next step and get him a contract in League or County Cricket in England.The discipline and responsibility learned in England cannot be replaced by coaching in the West Indies.When West Indies dominated Test Match cricket and did not lose a Test Series for fifteen years every cricketer on the team had a background of League or County Cricket.Three West Indies Cricketers have been appointed captains of County Cricket Teams in England-Roy Marshall(Barbados),Garry Sobers(Barbados)and Clive Lloyd(Guyana).Sir Frank Worrell said it best in his book Cricket Punch published in 1960 "On the contrary nothing is better for a young cricketer from the tropics than to have experience in the leagues,for it in league cricket that you come up against so many different varieties of bowling from the ones you are used to in our home country, you meet swerve,spin ,varying pace -the lot.Furthermore,it gives the cricketer from the tropics invaluable experience of English weather and English wickets.It also gives a young player a sense of responsibility,and a strong sense of responsibility is essential for any good international cricketer.Need I say more?"Frank Worrell won the batting average for both teams-In his First Test Match Series in the West Indies1948(147.00) In his last Test Match Series in the West Indies 1962 (83.00) 14 years apart..
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
For the love of everything holy, can we please get rid of Shane Watson now?? Can't bat, can't bowl and can't field now either. Excess baggage, surplus to requirements.
jamesb
Guest
Plus it gives the Australian batsman another much needed hit out in the middle.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Bat again is my supposition. Shouldn't make much of a difference but why risk a West Indies fightback and then have to chase a tricky 150 in the final innings? Especially with so much time in the Test and no issues with the weather.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Australia have taken full control of this game, having gotten eight of their opponent's wickets. West Indies are a good 256 runs behind and the question for tomorrow will be whether they should enforce the follow-on if they get the chance. In all probability, they wouldn't want to do that - instead, bat on and score another 250. Steven Smith's 199 was the talk of the first innings of the game, as was Jerome Taylor's six-for. Hazlewood and Lyon picked up three wickets apiece in reply with Blackwood's half-century being West Indies' only solace. Australia are looking at another easy win, West Indies stumbling towards another cave-in. Will we see a fourth day? See you tomorrow!
jamesb
Guest
Hey Suneer If Australia knock over the remaining two wickets fairly quickly, should they force the Windies to follow on, or should Australia bat again?
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And another review, this by the Aussies. Loud shout for a caught-behind and given not-out by the on-field ump. Length ball, angling away and it's zipped through to the keeper. Did Permaul nick it? Remember, no Hot-Spot or snickometer here, which makes it tough for the third umpire. Is there enough to turn the decision? Yes there is...given out! Permaul has been sent back, Johnson has his first and West Indies will end the day at 8/143.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Johnson is back and he has a wicket! Holder's out... ...that will be reversed on review. Holder immediately went for it and the replays suggest it was coming off an inside edge. Holder survives after been given out lbw to one that looked plumb. Inside edge came as a godsend. 7/142 in the 47th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Veerasammy Permaul in at nine. Defends his first ball from Hazlewood, who now has figures of 3/15 from 11. Superb bowling, giving nothing away and picking up three wickets too.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Hazlewood has Blackwood! Lapse of focus from Blackwood. He had just reached his 50 and with 10 minutes remaining, goes for a lofted drive off one that's on a length. Mistimes and hits it straight to mid-off, easy catch for Warner and West Indies have lost number seven. 7/142 in 45.5
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
50 for Blackwood! Good knock this against a solid bowling performance from Australia. On his pads and Blackwood manages to get it through the mid-wicket for a couple. And then drives Hazlewood through the covers for a single. Seven fours and a six in his knock as we near the end of play. 6/142 in the 46th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And now another four for Holder off Watson. Gently opens the face of the bat and keeps the ball down and into the gap. Runs away to the fence. 6/136 in the 45th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shane Watson will now continue with his second over. Conceded a four in the previous.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Inching towards the close of play and Hazlewood' just bowled a peach. On a length and looked to be coming back into Blackwood. Pitches, seams away, beats the bat and the stumps narrowly. 6/132 in 44
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Two fours for Blackwood. One off the middle, another comes from an edge, and that takes him to 48. In the context of this innings, he has been quick. 6/127 in the 41st
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Hazlewood has Ramdin! That was full from Hazlewood and Ramdin was probably trying to play it across the line. Misses and is trapped right in front of the stumps. Hazlewood was replacing Lyon in the attack and strikes immediately for his second. 6/119 in the 40th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Five dots from Starc before Blackwood cracks Starc away through the covers for a four. Takes himself to 40 and the stand to 42. 5/119 in 39
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
The official close of play is about 15 minutes away. But with 13 more overs remaining, we will see the extra half hour used up today.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shot! Very full from Lyon and with the open areas off-side, Ramdin didn't need another invite. Drills it through the covers for a four. 5/115 in 38
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A single from the Lyon over. And then Blackwood goes for a hook, but mistimes it. Safe shot because he was hitting it over square and the fielder was at fine-leg. Couple of runs. 5/111 in 37