Latest news with #TestCricket
Reuters
17 minutes ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Captain Cummins backs youngster Konstas as Australia cruise to West Indies win
June 28 (Reuters) - Captain Pat Cummins backed inexperienced opener Sam Konstas to deliver on the international stage despite the youngster's struggles against the West Indies as Australia won the first test in Bridgetown by 159 runs on Friday. The highly-rated 19-year-old was out for three runs as the Australians made a slow start to the first innings and scored five in his second spell at the crease, but Cummins threw his support behind the Sydney-born right-hander. "One of the hard things about playing test cricket is you get thrown different conditions all the time," said Cummins. "You might not have the flying hours under your belt as a youngster coming in, so you've got to come in and work out your craft on the bigger stage. "The hardest thing when the pitch is doing a lot is getting out of your little bubble, trying to score and take good options, which is really hard in these conditions. You saw today how hard it can be to fire a few shots. "Sammy tried a few different options yesterday, not too many worked out. But (I have) full confidence." Both Konstas and Cameron Green, at number three, struggled but the Australians were set up for victory by the batting performances of Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey. The West Indies were left to chase a target of 301 to win but, with Josh Hazlewood producing a bowling masterclass to claim five wickets for 43 runs, the hosts were dismissed for 141 as the match ended with two days remaining. "The wicket was playing a lot of tricks," said Cummins. "I thought we might make decent in-roads, but I didn't think we'd get 10. Always nice to get a couple of days off. "I thought those three (Head, Webster and Carey) were brilliant. They kept the scoreboard ticking over. They took really good options and they were always looking to score. That was the difference. "We turned up today thinking that we wouldn't get a big lead, it was 50-50 really and those guys took the game away from West Indies. I thought all three of those were really impressive."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie cricket great slams national batting coach after poor showing in West Indies during first Test - 'need to create sound techniques'
Australian cricket great Ian Healy has torched national batting coach Michael Di Venuto, adamant the top six has 'regressed' under his tutelage at Test level. The West Indies' seam bowlers exposed the likes of Sam Konstas, Cameron Green and Josh Inglis in Barbados, with the Aussies having to lean on decorated pace trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood to avoid a potential shock defeat at Kensington Oval. It follows underwhelming scores of 212 and 207 in the World Test Championship final defeat at the hands of South Africa earlier this month at Lord's. Australia dropped Marnus Labuschagne for Konstas, but the teenager has looked out of his depth at the crease. Healy stressed he doesn't like to 'put the pump on coaches', but firmly believes the Aussies have gone backwards with the bat under Di Venuto. 'I love to put it back onto the players more than coaches usually,' Healy said on SEN. 'But, as I said, Australian cricket's batting head coach - and every state batting coach - should be under pressure because there's not enough runs being scored around the nation either. 'Michael Di Venuto – a friend of mine who is a good coach and a good man – has held the job since mid-2021. 'In this time, our national team batting has regressed in performance at Test level. 'All that's important to me is the performance. 'I don't care how you do it or what will make it easier for you – just get it done.' Healy added the Aussie Test stars look nervous and are not backing their techniques. The scrappy performances leave fans understandably nervous ahead of the Ashes this summer. 'They're not making it easy for themselves at all, players have got to deal better with nerves by the sound of it,' Healy said. 'They need to create sound techniques and bat with balance so you can make really sound decisions ball after ball for long periods. 'At the moment, we're failing many of these points, and the lower order is having to deal with it - either recovering the score or losing. 'It's just too hard at the moment, we've got to clear those minds of our top order.' Healy has been outspoken in recent days, but was left red-faced after launching an astonishing attack on West Indies paceman Shamar Joseph, declaring the raw quick 'isn't Curtly Ambrose.'
ABC News
5 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia's first Test win came down to skill — theirs held up, the West Indies' didn't
For a match that appeared evenly poised at the end of day two, Australia's crushing 153-run Test victory over the West Indies was remarkable in its scale. Mid-way through day two of the first Test in Barbados, the hosts held a 10-run first innings lead. Australia had been bowled out for just 180 on the first day having won the toss and batted. In the second innings, the visitors were 4-65 after another woeful top order batting display. A thrilling Test match was assured, wasn't it? Alas, Test match cricket does nothing if not exploit and expose the inadequacies between the very best and the rest — and Josh Hazlewood is very much among the best. The 34-year-old was absolutely unplayable on a wearing, minefield of a pitch. His five-over second spell was almost mythical, a fitting addition to the tapestry that is the Kensington Oval, one of the world's most storied Test grounds. But the game was in the balance — a couple of quick wickets and Australia would have been defending a far more modest score than the 301 runs they managed to accrue. The hardest thing for the West Indies to accept may well be that the chance to take that early wicket presented itself in the fourth over of the day. Travis Head, on 21, gifted an edge to second slip off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph. Justin Greaves at second slip did what too many of his teammates had done throughout the Test. He dropped it cold. The West Indies were, unfortunately, found lacking in the basic skills of the game — catching. It's a troubling issue and one that is not unknown to the West Indies. The host broadcaster showed a graphic before the start of play on day three that highlighted that the West Indies were the worst catchers in Test cricket at slips and gully, snaring just 65.6 per cent of their chances in Tests since 2023. In this Test they caught a truly woeful 36 per cent of their chances in that area. In a game where the hosts put seven catches down, how does one determine which was the defining drop of the contest? The first? That one shelled by Brendon King no doubt set the tone for the shambles that followed. But realistically it was the one on that third morning. Australia was 4-107 at he time, their lead under 100. Head went on to score 61, his second half century of the match as part of a 102-run partnership with Beau Webster. While Head continued where he left off with his first innings, Webster's half century was just a continuation of the norm for what has been a superb start to Test cricket. Victim to a brute of a ball in the first innings to be out for 11, in this second stint he was immense. In what was just his eighth Test match innings, the 31-year-old Tasmanian scored his third half century and did so with impressive composure. His height allows him to easily get down the pitch and his timing through the covers was simply sublime. With two crucial wickets in the West Indies batting innings on day two already under his belt, the man from Snug is looking increasingly secure in that all rounder role. Alex Carey also impressed with a well-paced counter attacking display that saw him shift roles three times throughout his stay. After playing the supporting role to Webster early and stepping back into that familiar tail end hand holder at the end of his stay, he still blasted a 40-ball half century — his fastest in Tests — with the final 40 runs coming in 15 balls, including a monstrous six back over Jayden Seales' head that crashed into the sightscreen. It was a brutal display of power that illustrated just how valuable he is down at number seven, the Jekyll and Hyde position that has to adapt and shift to the circumstances in front of him. But the impetus Australia managed to gain still, arguably, came from that dropped catch in the first hour. After day two, coach Daren Sammy rightly pointing out that his team were "shooting ourselves in the foot" more than anything else. The 38-Test capped Saint Lucian may have hoped that by vocalising the issue his team would holster their self-destructive weapons for day three. Instead, they loaded them right back up and continued to aim at their own boots. The honour board of West Indian catching incompetence for this Test is lengthy and frustrating, a blight on the heroes of 1975 who were being honoured on the 50th anniversary of the West Indies' Cricket World Cup triumph in 1975 at the ground on the opening day. Brandon King, on debut, had three entries in the first day: Cameron Green (0), Usman Khawaja (45) and Nathan Lyon (3). Fortunately for him, those particular drops cost the West Indies just 11 runs. The skipper, Roston Chase, was not so lucky — Khawaja added 41 more runs after he was dropped on 6 by him at first slip. On day two, add John Campbell at third slip and Justin Greaves at second both dropped Sam Konstas in a single Shamar Joseph over while he was on 0. Again, to the West Indies' relief, Konstas failed to capitalise, only managing another 5 runs before being bowled. Head was a different story. "Holding onto that catch could have changed the game," former West Indies player Carlos Brathwaite said on ESPN. So was it the catching that has cost the West Indies the match? It's clearly not the only thing given Australia's bowling brilliance. As the Kensington Oval pitch began to crumble, Hazlewood came to the fore. Hazlewood's recent susceptibility to injury has given Australia a look ahead to a near future where this brilliant pace-bowling trio will no longer be around. But his phenomenal five-over spell of 4-5 showed that Australia still needs him. Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins also claimed wickets among the seamers, but the strength of this pace triumvirate is its ability to work together. But it was that brilliant burst from the Tamworth tearaway that caught the eye most. On a pitch offering plenty of assistance, its erratic nature was exploited by the kind of unerring accuracy that has become this seam attack's signature characteristic. Should the West Indies first innings lead have been more? Undoubtedly, the desperately poor third umpiring decisions made by Adrian Holdstock that may yet result in the West Indies issuing a formal complaint against the South African no doubt cruelled any prospect that the West Indies had of turning that narrow lead into one that was far more substantial. "Me and Shai Hope, we were having a good partnership and then, obviously a few calls set us back a bit," Chase said at the post-match presentation. "I still thought we did well to get the lead, but we couldn't put any batting innings together." That much is true, but the West Indies must also take ownership of their own frailties — such a woeful catching display will rarely lead to Test victories against a team of Australia's calibre. The second Test in Grenada gets underway on July 4. Not a long enough break to cure the catching woes. But perhaps short enough to get back on the horse and make things right through their own actions.
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Hazlewood 5-for leads Australia to three-day win over West Indies in Barbados test
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Australia blew away the West Indies for 141 and won the first test by 159 runs at Kensington Oval on day three Friday. The West Indies was set a stressful 301 target to win on a tricky pitch and folded in 33.4 overs. The chief destroyer was seamer Josh Hazlewood with 5-43 from 12 overs.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hazlewood takes five as Australia beat WI in first Test
Josh Hazlewood is playing in his 74th Test match for Australia [Getty Images] First Test, Bridgetown (day three of five) Australia 180 (Head 59; Seales 5-60) & 310 (Carey 65; Joseph 5-87) West Indies 190 (Hope 48; Starc 3-65) & 141 (Joseph 44; Hazlewood 5-43) Australia won by 159 runs, lead series 1-0 Advertisement Scorecard Josh Hazlewood claimed five wickets as Australia wrapped up an emphatic 159-run victory against West Indies in the first Test in Barbados. West Indies lost all 10 of their second-innings wickets in the evening session on day three of the contest as Australia showed their ruthlessness to close out the match with two days to spare. Set 301 for victory, the hosts' response had started promisingly as they overcame the early loss of Kraigg Brathwaite to reach 47-1 with John Campbell and Keacy Carty at the crease. However, Hazlewood swung the momentum Australia's way as he ran through the West Indies top order during a characteristically controlled spell which saw four wickets fall for just nine runs. Advertisement From 56-5 it was always going to be an uphill struggle for West Indies, even though Justin Greaves (38 not out) and Shamar Joseph (44) provided some late entertainment. Hazlewood removed Jomel Warrican to finish with 5-43 before Nathan Lyon bagged two wickets in the final over of the day, after play had been extended by 30 minutes, to seal the win. Earlier, Australia had made a battling 310 in their second innings after Alex Carey had top scored with a punchy 65. The tourists had resumed the day on a precarious 92-4 but Travis Head and Beau Webster made gritty scores of 61 and 63 before Carey batted smartly with the lower order as Joseph took 5-87. Hazlewood leaves Sammy with no complaints West Indies coach Daren Sammy met with match referee Javagal Srinath after play on day two to discuss concerns about some of the decisions made by TV umpire Adrian Holdstock during the match. Advertisement Sammy said after play on Thursday that he was unhappy with some of the dismissals given by the South African using the technology. In West Indies' second innings, though, Sammy could have few complaints. Instead a tricky pitch, smart bowling from an Australian attack long in the tooth, and the odd daft shot proved to be West Indies' undoing. Mitchell Starc struck in his first over to remove Kraigg Brathwaite before Carty and Campbell steadied the ship. The latter started the rot for West Indies when he bungled an attempted lap scoop against Hazlewood and left Carey with a simple catch. Shortly after Hazlewood dismissed Brandon King for a first-ball duck when he inside edged on to his pad and Cameron Green claimed the catch at gully. Advertisement Another inside edge off the bat of West Indies skipper Roston Chase then popped up into the grateful hands of Sam Konstas at short leg. Hazlewood knocked back Carty's off stump with a full delivery and then returned to have Warrican caught at slip. West Indies looked like they might scrape into the fourth day as Joseph walloped four sixes in a Test-best 44 off 22 balls but Lyon got the job done in the final over of the day. "I think once we saw West Indies take the second new ball today, we thought things could happen, but not that fast," Hazlewood said. "There's a few cracks on a length from one end, some went low and got a few bowleds and lbws. We just kept hitting the right lengths time and again."
