Webster, Carey again steady Aus in West Indies Test
A second consecutive century partnership between Alex Carey and Beau Webster lifted Australia to 286 all out on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada on Thursday.
Rapidly fading light denied the Aussie opening bowlers a couple overs against the West Indies opening pair of former captain Kraigg Brathwaite, playing in his 100th Test, and John Campbell.
Less than a week after their second innings effort in the first Test paved the way to a 159-run victory in Barbados, the sixth-wicket pairing of Carey and Webster put on 112 to ensure that the Caribbean bowlers were again thwarted in pursuit of a swift demolition of the visitors' first innings.
Carey, as usual, was all positivity in a topscore of 63 off 81 balls, an innings highlighted by one six and ten fours.
Webster, who continues to impress in his first year of Test cricket, was more measured in his innings of 60, occupying 115 deliveries during which he struck one six and six fours, playing the sheet-anchor role through a succession of partnerships after Australia slipped to 93 for four in the morning session after opting to bat first.
He was eventually ninth out by the run out route, coming back for a non-existent second run in one of his few errors of judgement in the course of his innings.
Webster was full of praise for wicketkeeper-batsman Carey for the manner in which he took on the West Indies bowlers.
Alzarri Joseph led the West Indies effort with four for 61 while Jayden Seales claimed two for 45 in a bowling attack dominated by pace after left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican was omitted in preference for fast-medium bowler Anderson Phillip.
After an indifferent first Test, Joseph was the one to make the early strikes with two wickets, including the returning Steve Smith, while Phillip snared the other as the tourists lost three wickets for three runs midway through the morning session.
Following an opening stand of 47, Usman Khawaja was trapped leg-before by Joseph and Sam Konstas drove at Phillip, playing his first Test for 18 months, to offer wicketkeeper Shai Hope a straightforward catch.
Smith promptly miscued a pull at Joseph to be held by Phillip inches away from the long-leg boundary.
Travis Head then joined Cameron Green at 50 for three and the pair took Australia almost to the lunch interval when Green, badly missed by John Campbell at cover, fell two balls later for 26 to Seales via a catch at gully by West Indies captain Roston Chase.
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