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Kuwait Times
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Australia win first Test as Windies' batting collapses
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Australia's vaunted pace attack demolished West Indies' fragile batting, routing the hosts for just 141 off 33.4 overs to complete a comprehensive 159-run victory in the final over of the third day of the first Test at Kensington Oval on Friday. Josh Hazlewood was the chief destroyer with figures of 5-43 as the tourists dominated the day with both ball and bat. Half-centuries from Alex Carey, Beau Webster and Travis Head were the fulcrum of a recovery from 65-4 late on day two to a final second innings total of 310 at tea the next day. Shamar Joseph led the West Indies bowling effort with five wickets at the cost of 87 runs for a match haul of 9-133. Any winning target in excess of 200 was always going to be challenging on this two-paced surface. As it transpired, the West Indies never looked up to the task from the moment former captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell to Mitchell Starc in the first over. Hazlewood then took center stage. His metronomic accuracy accounted for John Campbell and debutant Brandon King off successive balls, before adding the wickets of captain Roston Chase and Keacy Carty. Chase's Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins, removed first innings top-scorer Shai Hope and insult was added to considerable injury when substitute fielder Marnus Labuschagne ran out Alzarri Joseph with a direct hit to the striker's end from mid-off. Hazlewood returned to the attack to prise out Jomel Warrican but Shamar Joseph entertained with 44 off 22 balls before falling to off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who then dismissed Jayden Seales first ball to complete victory with two days to spare. Justin Greaves was left unbeaten on 38. 'It was just about hitting the right areas time and time again and just being patient,' said Hazlewood in identifying the tactics to capitalize on the challenging surface. 'There are a few cracks there on a good length and just short of a length which kept the batters guessing about going forward or back with a few skidding through as we saw.'—AFP Australia's intent was clear at the start of the day as Head and Webster transformed the consolidation of the previous evening to controlled aggression in a partnership of 102 for the fifth wicket. Head was trapped lbw for 61 by Shamar Joseph 20 minutes before lunch. However, the course of the first session could have been very different had Greaves held on to another straightforward catch at second slip off Alzarri Joseph when the left-hander was on 22. It was the seventh chance put down by the West Indies slip cordon in the match, a poor display in one of the fundamental aspects of the game which began on day one when four catches were shelled. With a clear intent on aggression on a pitch becoming increasingly two-paced, the Australians progressed at almost a run-a-minute after lunch despite wickets falling at regular intervals. Carey, who top-scored with 65, built on the platform laid by Head and Webster (63), who fell caught behind off the persevering Shamar Joseph. The right-armer also accounted for Starc and wrapped up the innings when last man Hazlewood was bowled off the inside edge to give the Guyanese pacer his fourth five-wicket haul and third against Australia. By then though, the task already looked beyond the West Indies, which was confirmed two balls before stumps. – AFP
Express Tribune
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Steve Smith provides injury update
Batter Steve Smith with a heavily-taped right little finger as Usman Khawaja looks on. Photo: AFP Australia batter Steve Smith has broken his silence following the finger injury he sustained during the ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa at Lord's. The veteran cricketer offered insights into his recovery timeline and prospects for a return to international action. Smith was taken to the hospital on day three of Australia's five-wicket loss to South Africa after suffering a compound dislocation of his right little finger while fielding in the slip cordon. The 36-year-old sustained the injury attempting to catch South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who was on just two at the time. Fortunately for Smith, the injury did not require surgery. "I will be in a splint for eight weeks now and I may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks," Smith revealed after Australia's five-wicket loss to the Proteas at Lord's. "It will depend on my functionality and what I am able to do, so it was probably the best result I could have hoped for." Despite the dropped catch, Bavuma went on to score 66 and anchor a crucial match-winning partnership with Aiden Markram. Smith explained the circumstances of the incident, noting the challenges posed by the Lord's pitch. "I was standing pretty close with the helmet on and as we saw throughout the game a lot of nicks went short of first and second slip," Smith said. "The plan was to stand pretty close and I lost sight of it with the angle that Mitchell Starc was bowling and it kind of went inside Bavuma's hip and I didn't quite see it until really late and it kind of dipped on me a little bit late too as well. "It was tricky, it didn't go in my hand very well and fortunately there is no break there and it just split the skin and dislocated it which made me feel pretty ill at that stage." The former captain's latest setback adds to a series of dramatic moments he has experienced at Lord's, including the infamous bouncer from Jofra Archer during the 2019 Ashes. "I have a love/hate relationship with this place now," Smith stated. "I have had some good memories here and some not so good ones as well. "Getting hit in the head by Jofra (Archer) in 2019 and now having my digit knocked off out here yesterday as well. "But it's a wonderful place to play cricket and I have enjoyed it here and it was a real good game of cricket again." Australia's medical staff will continue to monitor Smith's recovery, with hopes he could still feature in the upcoming three-Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
De Minaur ends Fonseca challenge
Alex de Minaur of Australia reacts after defeating Joao Fonseca of Brazil at the Miami Open on Monday. AFP Australia's Alex de Minaur put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca's challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest. Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout Monday, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca's match, complete with Brazilian flags and football-style chanting. Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but De Minaur was up to the challenge, coping with both the blistering forehands and the partisan crowd. Such was the dominance of Fonseca's raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet. But de Minaur won six of the final seven games to move into the fourth round, keeping his cool even when the crowd, at times, disrupted his serve preparation. "Mentally I was ready for this match, I knew I was not only going to play an incredible talent like Joao, playing with immense confidence and nothing to lose, but also an incredible crowd that was on his side from the first point until the last," de Minaur said. "One of my biggest strengths is my mentality and that is what got me the win today," he added. Top seed Alexander Zverev recovered from a slow start to power into the fourth round of the Miami Open with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Australia's Jordan Thompson. The German was 4-1 down in the first set but then went on a roll, winning eight of the next nine games to progress. Zverev lost in the opening round at Indian Wells, but with Carlos Alcaraz already out in Miami he will fancy his chances of adding to his list of seven Masters 1000 titles. Third-seed Taylor Fritz also moved into the fourth round beating Denis Shapovalov of Canada 7-5, 6-3. The American let slip a 5-2 lead in the first set, but regained control with his serve proving too much for Shapovalov. In the women's draw, third-seed Coco Gauff's bid ended with a 6-4 6-4 loss to Poland's Magda Linette. Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka eased her way into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-4 win over last year's winner Danielle Collins of the USA. Next, Sabalenka will be up against ninth seeded Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen who reached her second consecutive WTA 1000 quarter-final, with a straight-sets win over Ashlyn Krueger. "I'm super happy to get this win in straight sets and happy with the level I played today," said Sabalenka. "She's a tough opponent, and we had a lot of tough and tricky matches in the past. So was very happy to get through this one," she added. Paolini sinks Osaka Italy's Jasmine Paolini enjoyed a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win over Naomi Osaka in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Since her comeback from maternity leave 15 months ago, Osaka has been showing some signs of getting back towards her best but Paolini was the first top 10 player Osaka has faced this year. "I don't think that I can say that I've played a lot of matches against top players like this in a while," said Osaka. "The way she plays kind of catches me off guard, simply because of her height. I didn't know she could hit like that," she added. Emma Raducanu continued her impressive form in Miami, cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 victory in 69 minutes over American Amanda Anisimova, who had eliminated Indian Wells winner Mirra Andreeva on Sunday. It is the first time Raducanu has won four straight WTA Tour main draw matches in a row since her US Open triumph in 2021. She will face American Jessica Pegula next. Raducanu, who has brought in some old faces from the early days of her career for this tournament, said she was benefitting from their presence. "I'm really happy with how things are on and off the court right now and just so happy that's able to transfer on to the match court," she said. Alexandra Eala, the 19-year-old from the Philippines who upset Australian Open champion Madison Keys on Sunday, was handed a place in the quarter-finals after her fourth round opponent, Spain's Paula Badosa, pulled out with a lower back injury. In the last eight Eala will face second seed Iga Swiatek who battled past Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 7-6 (7/5) 6-3.
