Righto, that’s it from us. It’s a lunchtime knockoff at Adelaide Oval, but I’m reliably informed that the festival area behind the Members will be open to all patrons now that the game is over, and the bars will run until either 17:30 or 19:00 tonight, depending who you ask. Should be a good afternoon.
We’ll be back for the second Test in Brisbane, which will be a day-night job. Adjust your clocks and expectations accordingly.
Cheerio!
Brendon Julian is doing the post-match presentation on the telly, and he is very careful to enunciate properly when announcing the retention of the Frank Worrell Trophy, rather than the Wank Forrell as in one previous series.
He did manage to invert the sponsor as NMRA Insurance, though.
Pat Cummins steps up.
“All went to plan the last few days. It was a wicket where you always felt like there might be a ball that nips, and you were always in the game even when someone was scoring a few runs. I don’t think anyone even got over 50 other than Trav, so he set the platform for us.”
Oh Hazlewood, “The big feller turned it on this week. Yesterday as well we only had a decent lead, but not huge, and he took the game away from them.”
West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite: “We thought the bowlers did extremely well to bowl out Australia under 300, and obviously batting-wise we didn’t bat well in both innings. It was good for the guys to go out there and get a feel for Test cricket, a feel for what it is against the number one bowling lineup in the world, nad for them mentally to prepare themselves for how they want to score runs, put away the bad balls. That whole experience is important for them, to learn and hopefully learn fast.”
On Shamar Joseph: “It was great. he’s a guy full of energy, he makes me laugh a lot. He has a bright future, he has a lot of talent, a lot of skill, and obviously he scored some runs as well, probably the most runs for us. So he’s done a good job.”
Updated
Travis Head player of the match. “It was challenging through parts, so lucky to have a little bit of experience and get in the runs this summer. I’m sure everyone will enjoy this afternoon, even though there’s no more cricket.”
It wasn’t much of a contest this morning, more a completing of formalities, but at least the crowd got to see a few more Shamar Joseph hits, and a West Indies lead, and Australia bat again.
Much as Khawaja will be wishing none of those things had happened. It’s really unlucky to get hurt while standing on the finish line.
Australia win by 10 wickets
So that’s it, a ten-wicket win despite having a player leave the field. It will be frustrating for Khawaja to be injured in such a token chase. Wonder if that puts him in doubt for the next Test, and opens up an opener’s spot once again. If he doesn’t pass the concussion test then he’s out for seven days.
Australia retain the Frank Worrell trophy, too, with that win. As the holders, can’t do worse than draw the series from here.
6.4 overs: Australia 26-0 (Smith 11, Labuschagne 1) With nothing to gain, Labuschagne comes to the middle, misses a swish down leg side, then pulls a single to fine leg to finish the match.
Khawaja retires hurt on 9
Great ball from Shamar with one run to defend! It leaps off the pitch and squares up Khawaja utterly. He yanks his hands away from the line, too late, as his back foot comes around.
Then he’s struck by a short ball. Nasty bouncer, he gets caught in two minds about evading or defending, and in the end just turns his head, flinching away, gloves spasming everywhere, and wears it on the jaw perhaps.
I think that’ has missed the grille. Yeah, that’s bad. He’s spitting out blood by the looks of it. Holding his face while speaking to the physio.
Shamar Joseph is standing a few paces away with his hand covering his mouth, he looks shocked as well. Smith is just in the West Indies huddle having a chat with them all while he takes a drink.
Khawaja is now walking off with the doctor, carrying his own bat so he’s broadly ok, but injured. Keeps feeling his jaw, and he’s walking very slowly.
Updated
6th over: Australia 25-0 (Smith 11, Khawaja 9) From the Josh-off to the Joe-off, we’ve got double Joseph with Alzarri continuing. Khawaja drives three down the ground, and there’s another overstep – you can’t be bowling no-balls when defending nothing. Smith flicks another, Australia need three to win… and there’s another overstep! Heel on the line. Khawaja scrambles a leg bye, scores are level.
5th over: Australia 18-0 (Smith 10, Khawaja 6) Finally, Shamar Joseph gets a bowl.. and Khawaja lashes him for four! Drops short and too much angle across the left from over the wicket. Stylish cut shot. Not so much a couple of balls later, under-edged into the ground. Joseph comes around the wicket now, and the angle in keeps Khawaja quiet for a moment, before cutting again but there’s a deep point back now. There’s a no-ball in there as well. Gives Joseph a look at Smith, and he nearly gets him again! Smith walks across a long way, the line is tight to his body, goes to play at it, and he just pulls the bat inside the line in time. Way outside the stumps, doesn’t need to play at that.
4th over: Australia 12-0 (Smith 10, Khawaja 1) First run for Khawaja, nudging Alzarri Joseph off his pads. Smith continues netting, leaving a couple, driving one to the fielder behind point.
The crowd today is officially 16,991, which is huge for what could have been 15 minutes of play, and will end up being less than two hours.
3rd over: Australia 11-0 (Smith 10, Khawaja 0) Not the highest stakes in the world, but Smith looks good, stepping across to Roach to smash a drive square for four.
2nd over: Australia 7-0 (Smith 6, Khawaja 0) It is Joseph from the other end, but not the Joseph the people want. Alzarri gets the new ball. That’s bad captaincy, for me. There’s not much to play for here but vibes, give the kid a chance to do one more cool thing. Take the chance to get in Smith’s head a bit as well. There’s plenty of room in there. Instead Smith plays Alzarri away to midwicket a couple of times for none, then hooks him for four. Glances one.
1st over: Australia 2-0 (Smith 1, Khawaja 0) There’s no Shamar Joseph taking the new ball, it’s Kemar Roach. Give the crowd what they want! Maybe he’ll bowl from the Riverbank End, with the breeze. Smith takes a Smith single to midwicket, and it’s an overstep, so two runs go to the score. Khawaja gets a good ball, seaming away after angling in, Roach around the wicket immediately to the left-hander.
Righto, the final stanza beckons. West Indies take the field, gleaming whites and dark maroon caps all round. Smith takes strike. Four slips and a gully await.
Tom van der Gucht emails. “The retirement of Warner seems to have had an interesting impact on the balance of the team with Australia opting for a a Trevor Bayliss era England style line-up of attacking all Rounders. I’ll be intrigued to see how they get on.”
I think that Marsh and Green are both being picked on their batting at the moment, and the fact that they also bowl is a bonus. Australia don’t really need anything beyond the four main bowlers in home matches anyway.
West Indies all out 120, Australia need 26 to win
35.2 overs: West Indies 120-10 (Roach 11) The two batters run off the field to get ready to bowl, with all of 25 runs to defend. The partnership was 26, decent effort for the last pair. If a few more partnerships had been 26, West Indies might have had a chance in this match.
Updated
WICKET! S. Joseph st Carey b Lyon 15, West Indies 120-10
It’s all over. Joseph’s confidence brings about his downfall, as he steps out to his second ball against Lyon. The length is nowhere near right, far too short to charge, and the ball turns away from his bat. A comfortable stumping for Carey, who didn’t have one in Tests until he reached India less than a year ago, but now has 11.
Lachlan Zammit emails.
“Any idea why the stumps sound more like metal than wood when they get rattled this test match? Noticed it a couple times now. I think both times when the ball has been left onto the stumps particularly.”
As far as I know, the stumps for Test matches in Australia are still timber, though the bails are plastic. Whereas in the Big Bash and so on, the stumps are plastic too – the whole thing lights up. Which is why we’ve had such an increase in bails not coming off when bowlers hit the stumps. Weight, surface resistance, that kind of thing.
The middle stump is full of wiring for the camera, so that might be an influence too.
35th over: West Indies 120-9 (Roach 11, S. Joseph 15) Smoked by Roach! Starc around the wicket, angling in, on the up, and Roach strokes it out through cover, beating the dive of Labuschagne. They drop Lyon to a deep point now rather than closer to the bat. The partnership for the last wicket is 24, after the first innings when it was 55. Roach adds another couple through the covers to extend it. This is good resistance. Drinks break.
34th over: West Indies 114-9 (Roach 5, S. Joseph 15) Crowd hero for a reason! He is buoyant on good vibes right now, as Shamar Joseph steps forward and lofts Josh Hazlewood over mid off, a pure hit. Two balls later, leans back and tugs a pull shot through a wide long on. Both boundaries. Hazlewood is sweating heavily and looking mildly annoyed as he walks away after the over.
33rd over: West Indies 106-9 (Roach 5, S. Joseph 7) Starc continuing, and Roach gets into the act with a very compact cover drive for four. That ball was full enough that it just need a push and the right timing. Gets both. Then Roach goes in a similar direction for a fast single with Lyon swooping around from point. The field swaps for left-handed Joseph. He was bullish this morning, said he was looking forward to batting. The game is his vanvas now. More runs right away, one more anyway, dinking Starc to fine leg with an angled bat off the straight. Roach hops and plays inside the line of a shorter ball outside off. Starc has come around the wicket to the right-hander, who blocks out the last two balls well enough. The lead is 11.
32nd over: West Indies 100-9 (Roach 0, S. Joseph 6) A hero’s welcome to the crease, keeping his lucky spot at No11. And first ball… Shamar Joseph drives Hazlewood for four! Beautiful cover drive, steps into it and times it perfectly to go just square of the fielder. West Indies into the lead!
He defends the next stoutly. Three slips and a gully, point, cover, mid on and mid off both set quite square, short leg, long leg.
Lots of room at midwicket, and he goes in that direction with a fending pull shot that brings him two. They’re up by 5 runs, and have cracked triple figures.
WICKET! Motie b Hazlewood 3, West Indies 94-9
Oh, straight through! Hazlewood has 5 for 21. Third ball of his over, around the wicket to the left-hander, and like Athenaze in the first innings, it’s an ill-advised leave. The ball angles in a long way to take off-stump.
Huge applause for Shamar Joseph coming out. West Indies still trail by one run.
Updated
WICKET! A. Joseph c Carey b Starc 12, West Indies 94-8
31st over: West Indies 94-8 (Motie 3) Another single collected for Motie, gets Starc down just past short leg. Then a streaky boundary for Joseph: the ball is short of a length, he tries to baseball at over mid on, I fancy, but gets a big outside edge over the slips. And that’s his last contribution to the innings, on the back foot as he spars at the next ball that hits the seam and angles in, taking his outside edge.
30th over: West Indies 89-7 (A. Joseph 12, Motie 2) Softly, softly. Motie pushes an off-side single, and it’s an overstep by Hazlewood as well. The deficit is down to 6.
29th over: West Indies 87-7 (A. Joseph 12, Motie 1) First run for Motie via a little straight push. Joseph employs that straight-bat glide again, between gully and point for a couple.
I know the Cameron Green wingspan observations have been done to death, but it’s interesting that Australia don’t even need to consider employing a fourth slip most of the time, because Marsh and Green between them are an extra fielder.
Marsh has often been a gully because of his reach, but in this setup he’s positioned at third slip, where he’s also about half a gully. That means Green can go squarer and be another one and a half gullies. It’s remarkable coverage.
Although for Starc in this over, Green has come inside to be a finer gully, and Marsh it outside him as a squarer gully, with Khawaja and Smith as two conventional slips. Must be for Starc with the angle across the right-hander, and Joseph’s tendency to play behind point.
Windies down by 8 runs.
28th over: West Indies 84-7 (A. Joseph 10, Motie 0) Violent swish at a Hazlewood length ball from Joseph, misses. Would either have been six or edged to slip if he’d connected. Three slips and a gully waiting. Revises his approach afterwards, ducks a bouncer and gets forward to defend the fuller stuff. Scoreless over.
27th over: West Indies 84-7 (A. Joseph 10, Motie 0) Successful over for Starc. Motie comes out at No9. Only Roach and Joseph #2 to come.
WICKET! da Silva c Hazlewood b Starc 18, West Indies 84-7
Aahhhhhhhgghhhh! Why! Joshua da Silva, who gets out to an immensely stupid pull shot in the first innings, gets out to an immensely stupid pull shot in the second innings. You’ve got catchers out for it, you’ve got bowlers with pace and lift sending it down at you, and you keep playing it even though the reward is usually only a single. And eventually, even if you score a few, you get out. That’s what he does here, top edge to fine leg, simple as can be.
Updated
26th over: West Indies 84-6 (da Silva 18, A. Joseph 10) First run of the day for da Silva, predictably from the pull shot. Hazlewood finishes out the over to Joseph, who hangs in there. Good start, West Indies!
25th over: West Indies 83-6 (da Silva 17, A. Joseph 10) Lyon’s one delivery may be all he gets this morning. Mitchell Starc gets the ball, which is still relatively new. It doesn’t work though, because Joseph gets on the front foot and drives it through extra cover for four! Nice shot. Follows it with another, opening the face and going squarter, then steers two more runs behind point. Great start, 10 from the over, they’re only 12 behind now.
24th over: West Indies 73-6 (da Silva 17, A. Joseph 1) It’s a Josh Off!
Josh Hazlewood to bowl the first full over, unsurprisingly at 4 for 18. Josh da Silva does pretty well to keep out the full six, though one swishes past his outside edge. No run from the over.
23rd over: West Indies 73-6 (da Silva 17, A. Joseph 1) One ball for Nathan Lyon to bowl, and it’s a pie down the leg side that Alzarri Joseph can ignore. Ah well.
Just had an interesting wander around eavesdropping on all of the broadcast techs talking about logistics for a shortened match. There’s a lot of scrambling when it might finish before lunch on day three. Here come the players on to the field …
Updated
If you want a bit more detail, here’s the Final Word video from Adelaide Oval last night at stumps.
If you want the match report from yesterday, here is the wires version.
Preamble
Good morning from Adelaide, because it’s the morning here. Shaping up to be a warmer day than the last few, bright sunshine already draped over the ground at just past 9am local time. A gaggle of camera operators are out by the pitch with a couple of TV presenters, a couple of Cricket Australia uniforms, and one member of the ground staff belting the bowler’s footmarks with the big metal plate on a pole that has different names around the world.
What do we have for you today? Welllllll, maybe not much, if we’re completely honest. West Indies will resume the third innings of the match still 22 runs behind, and with four wickets in hand. So they could yet be bowled out to lose by an innings.
If they can knock off those 22 runs then they will at least ensure that there is a fourth innings, and make Australia bat again. But it’s a distant hope to think that they can build enough of a lead to test out Australia. If they somehow can, it will be a great spectacle.
Joshua da Silva, the wicketkeeper who is a decent hand with the bat, will resume on 17. Alzarri Joseph is carded to join him, after a wicket fell in the final over last night. Nathan Lyon will have one ball remaining from that over.
