Australia have wrapped up a 1-0 lead in the Frank Worrell Trophy, after a dominant Day 3 with bat and ball saw the tourists dismantle the West Indies in Barbados.
In the final over of the day, Nathan Lyon struck twice in successive balls to end the innings at 141 and complete a second-innings rout by the tourists, and ensure a 159-run victory that seems far too comfortable considering the tense struggle of the first two days.
With the hosts arguably ahead in the match at stumps on Day 2, a vital century stand from Travis Head and Beau Webster saw Australia take control early in the day, with Head’s drop at slip by Justin Greaves off Alzarri Joseph – the Windies’ seventh dropped catch for the match – proving the critical moment.
If taken, Australia would have been 5/107, leading by just 97, and in real danger of exposing a tail that collapsed in the face of Jayden Seales on Day 1.
Instead, Head would go on to strike 61, his second half-century of the Test, and claim player of the match honours, with Webster (63) and Alex Carey (65) also providing key runs alongside handy cameos from Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood to turn an overnight lead of 82 into a total of 310.
Needing to chase 301 to claim victory, the loss of Kraigg Brathwaite in the innings’ opening over proved a hammer blow, but a dramatic collapse of 6/26 in just 79 balls killed off the Windies’ chance of a remarkable upset.
Hazlewood was the chief destroyer, the veteran right-armer vindicating his place in the XI with four wickets in just 16 balls, including the scalps of opener John Campbell and debutant King in successive deliveries.
He’d add a fifth in the dying embers of the day when Jomel Warrican edged behind to Carey, the 34-year old relishing the chance to play a starring role with Starc and Cummins reduced to second billing.
Campbell’s dismissal, spooning a catch off the gloves to Carey attempting to scoop Hazlewood, now looks particularly reckless given the carnage that was to follow.
The hosts’ defeat comes despite a lionhearted performance from Shamar Joseph, who fought a near lone hand with the ball to complete a five-wicket haul and nine for the match, before a dazzling late cameo saw him strike four sixes in a 22-ball 44 to add 55 for the ninth wicket with Greaves and give the Windies hope of forcing a fourth day.
The 25-year old sent both Starc and Hazlewood over the Kensington Oval ropes, and later Lyon twice, to stand a chance of breaking the West Indian record for the fastest Test 50 – though Hazlewood should have had the last laugh when a crunched pull was dropped at the deep mid-wicket boundary by Sam Konstas in the day’s penultimate over to continue the 19-year old’s nightmare match.
However, Lyon had the last laugh in the final over before stumps, Joseph top-edging a catch to Usman Khawaja at slip via Carey’s gloves, before last man Seales poked an inside edge to Konstas at short leg first ball to give Australia two extra days off.
The turnaround was summed up by a laserlike direct hit from sub fielder Marnus Labuschagne to catch Alzarri short trying for a quick single late in the day.
With Cameron Green and Konstas also taking sharp catches, the former’s in particular an outstanding snaffle at full stretch in the gully to see the back of Brandon King for a first-ball duck, the contrast with the West Indies’ horror fielding performance throughout this match was stark.
For the West Indies, Joseph’s lionhearted display with ball and bat was the major highlight, seeing him finish the Test with nine Australian scalps to continue his outstanding record against the cricketing powerhouse.
Yet again, Joseph was the Windies’ major threat with ball in hand, ending a 102-run stand between Head and Webster by trapping the former LBW with a near-unplayable low shooter that left Head giggling on his way off.
A fortuitous strangle down the leg side ended Webster’s fighting knock, a not out call on-field only buying the all-rounder a few minutes before the DRS found a spike off the gloves; but having seen his teammates drop five catches off his bowling across the first two days, Joseph had more than earned every bit of luck that came his way.
Starc and Hazlewood were both bowled in the quest for quick runs to complete the 25-year old’s five-for – remarkably, Joseph now has 22 wickets at 16.27 from just three Tests against Australia.
For the tourists, their best day of cricket since leaving Sri Lanka with a 2-0 series whitewash earlier this year doesn’t quell major concerns about the batting line-up, and in particular a troublesome top four; but will surely calm nerves that a team facing the ignominy of back-to-back Test defeats following their World Test Championship final disaster against South Africa still has plenty of good cricket in it.
In particular, Head’s twin fifties after his WTC final failures, in particular an uncharacteristically grafting second-innings knock to take Australia to relative safety, showed he is ready to assume the mantle of the team’s prime batter with Steve Smith, sidelined in Barbados due to a finger injury, approaching the end of his glittering career.
Having scored just 26 off his first 60 balls, a far cry from his usually rapid scoring rate, the South Australian upped the ante thereafter, punishing any width and taking just 17 more deliveries to reach the milestone.
More explosive from the outset was Carey, the wicketkeeper-batter dazzling with his strokeplay on a pitch offering plenty to the bowlers.
Particularly damaging down the ground, with the shot of the day a remarkable loft for six over Seales’ head after charging the Windies quick, Carey repeated the dose to bring up his half-century, launching Greaves onto the roof for a 40-ball 50 that confirmed the momentum was all Australia’s.
In between was Webster, whose third Test 50 was surely his best, and without question his most vital.
Playing the steady hand as first Head and then Carey drove the scoring rate, Webster kept out good balls, dispatched bad ones, and otherwise remained immovable until at last falling to an unfortunate edge down the leg side.
However, his 63 has confirmed a spot at No.6 for the Ashes remains his to lose, with the notion that Cameron Green should be moved down the order and replace the Tasmanian after four straight failures across three Tests at first drop a foolish one.
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