- Report: Australia’s dominance of the second Test continued in Hobart
- Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh share record-breaking 449 for the fourth wicket
Well, that was quite a day of Test cricket. It ends with the Windies a whopping 376 runs behind, but it could have been much, much worse if it wasn’t for a mighty fine 91-run rearguard from Darren Bravo - who will hopefully score the six runs he needs for a mighty impressive ton in the morning - and Kemar Roach. Having been 89-5, the day didn’t end too badly for the West Indies, but their top order really does look rather sorry.
The early part of the day belonged solely to two men: Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh. They put on four-hundred-and-forty-nine (449) runs for the fourth wicket, the highest for the fourth wicket in Tests, and the biggest for any in Australia, and the biggest against the West Indies by anyone. Marsh eventually fell, but Voges was unbeaten on 269, and it felt a bit cruel of Stevie Smith to deny him a nailed-on triple. THE TEAM COMES FIRST!
65th over: West Indies 207-6 (Bravo 94, Roach 31)
The 200 is up as they scamper through for a single off the first ball of Pattinson’s over that takes Darren Bravo to 94. Patto bowls a no-ball, then Roach pushes through the covers for two. Really, really admirable performance from him. He gets under a wild bouncer, then one flies down the legside and slips through Nevill’s gloves and they run two byes. There’s two more for Roach with a nudge into the leg side, then he defends the last. And that’s stumps.
64th over: West Indies 199-6 (Bravo 93, Roach 27)
Lyon to bowl the penultimate set of six of the day. He’s persisting with a line a fair way outside off and Roach is beaten second ball. Fourth he has a massive yahoo at, and Nevill thinks he’s got him! Has he it? Erasmus says no Or has he hit the ground? Smith reckons it’s bat so reviews. There’s nothing on hotspot or RTS so Chris Gaffaney - the best third ump in the business - rules that it’s hit the ground and the umpire’s decision stands. Australia have no reviews left until the new ball in 16 overs time. Roach sees out the over. Six balls left in the day.
63rd over: West Indies 199-6 (Bravo 93, Roach 27)
More from Patto. Bravo just turns him round the corner to fine leg to move to 93, before Roachy pushes into the covers for another. Penultimate ball of the over flies down to fine-leg for four. Did Bravo hit it? No, says Gunner Gould. Four leg byes. Bravo, who plays and misses outside off to the last, would have loved those four runs. Loved them.
62nd over: West Indies 193-6 (Bravo 92, Roach 26)
As the Channel Nine lads descend into another round of jingoism born of frustration at the lack of wickets, Nathan Lyon returns. The sun is out now. Roach is being so careful, and when Lyon overpitches he nails him through the covers for four. That’s the only score of the over.
61st over: West Indies 189-6 (Bravo 92, Roach 22)
These two have put on more than 70 in 21 overs now. Great effort in the circumstances. Pattinson is hammering in but Roach is firm, digging out a good yorker. Next ball he gets on the back foot and pushes a single into the covers. Just noticed Roachy is using a Woodworm bat. I remember when Freddie and KP used to use them but I haven’t seen one for a while. Pattinson bowls a wild wide next up but eventually find the dot that keeps Roach on strike next over.
60th over: West Indies 187-6 (Bravo 92, Roach 21)
Siddle again. There will be five overs after this one. Pretty long old day of cricket. There are lots of leaves from Bravo, but also a slightly unnerving moment when an on-drive stays in the air a little too long for comfort and could have offered a return catch. It’s a maiden, Siddle’s third in a row.
59th over: West Indies 187-6 (Bravo 92, Roach 21)
Jimbo Pattinson back for a late dart. His first ball is slayed through backward point uppishly for four, which moves him into the 90s, then there’s a nudges single to leg. Roachy is on the act too, driving nicely and picking up a pair of runs through cover. He sees out the over. Seven from it.
@willis_macp do the Australian selectors not cringe with shame every time they see Siddle bowl and think about the games he didn't play? Wow
58th over: West Indies 180-6 (Bravo 87, Roach 19)
Siddle’s bowling very well here. Strange/ridiculous/hilarious that he’s spent so much time out of the side these last couple of years. He beats Roach outside off twice and causes trouble with a bouncer too. That’s another maiden.
Kemar Roach has batted for longer than he bowled. #AusvWI
57th over: West Indies 180-6 (Bravo 87, Roach 19)
Hazlewood digs one in at Bravo, who gets underneath it. He then moves into the 80s with a nice angled bat deflection that just runs away between backward point and gully for four. Classy shot. He knocks a single into the offside next, and Burns gets under the lid for Roach, who just knocks another single into the legside. Oh wow, the last of the over is absolutely smoked through the covers by Bravo for his 16th boundary, which takes him to 87. Hell of a knock, this.
56th over: West Indies 170-6 (Bravo 78, Roach 18)
Lyon bowled well, but Roach seemed to be getting his number, so it’s time for a bit more from Pete Siddle. He’s bowling nice and full and beats Roachy second ball, then finds the edge with the fourth. His hands are soft and it falls short of Voges. The last two are defended and it’s a maiden. That’s what Siddle’s for.
55th over: West Indies 170-6 (Bravo 78, Roach 18)
Hazlewood is charging in gallantly but Roach is battling hard. He’s beaten outside off, then leaves and defends the third well. The fourth is squirted for a single to fine leg, before Bravo produces a very tight leave. If there really are only good leaves and bad leaves, that was a good one. He leaves the last more comfortably.
In the last year the average West Indian partnership for the 7th wicket has been higher than both the opening and 4th wicket partnerships.
54th over: West Indies 168-6 (Bravo 78, Roach 17)
More firm defence from Roach to Lyon, who doesn’t beat the bat this time. Each ball is met with the middle of the stick until the fifth, which is turned round the corner for one. Bravo defends the last.
53rd over: West Indies 168-6 (Bravo 78, Roach 16)
Bravo nudges the returning Hazlewood past the man at cover for another single, before Roach slices through backward point for three off the back foot. Shot. Off the last ball of the over, Bravo has a massive slash outside off and gets a thick edge which goes straight through the slips. Voges looks to be the guilty man, and Bravo gets four.
52nd over: West Indies 160-6 (Bravo 73, Roach 13)
Roach deals with Lyon - who is bowling very well indeed - a lot better this over. He’s watchful in defence for the first three, but then beaten by the fourth, which drifts beautifully away. The last two are defended and it’s a maiden. These two have put on 44 very important runs.
51st over: West Indies 160-6 (Bravo 73, Roach 13)
Bravo misses out on a Marsh full toss, which he just drills to square-leg, but he gets four next ball as the bowler drops a little short and he slices through gully. He defends the next and then drives beautifully through wide of mid-off for four. That is so sexy. Bravo is playing a totally different game to any of his team-mates. Bravo’s scored 40 of his 73 runs through the covers. And he sees out the over.
50th over: West Indies 152-6 (Bravo 65, Roach 13)
Lyon continues to Roach. There’s a defend and then a leave, between which Lyon does some jogging to keep himself warm. That’s not an image you often associate with Test cricket in Australia. The fourth ball leaps up and has Roach in difficulty, but it deflects off his pad and lands safely. The fifth and sixth both do Roach outside off, but he manages to miss both, and it’s a maiden.
49th over: West Indies 152-6 (Bravo 65, Roach 13)
Mitch Marsh has two balls left of his second over. The first is a yorker, that Bravo digs out. The last is just pushed to mid-on. Six from the elongated over, which saw the Windies pass 150.
Everyone’s heading out for a bit more cricket. It’s a bit dark and a bit dank, but playable.
Cracking start to Mitch Marsh’s over for Bravo. He punches through cover for two as rain begins to fall, then Marsh digs it in and he pulls flat for four. There’s a dot, and they’re going off for rain again. Covers coming out. Don’t think they’ll be off long this time either.
48th over: West Indies 146-6 (Bravo 59, Roach 13)
Fair play to Roachy, his batting is better than I remember it. Lyon tosses one up first ball and he drives handsomely through the covers for four. Lyon responds well, beating the outside edge, but Nevill (Southall) can’t hang on and there’s a scampered bye. Bravo cuts for a single, before pulling off some excellent football skills as the throw comes in. He does some keepie uppies and knocks it up to Lyon.
47th over: West Indies 140-6 (Bravo 58, Roach 9)
Patto’s hooked from the attack, so it’s time for a bit of Mitch Marsh for the first time in the innings. Second ball, he beats Roach every which way possible. It whistles past the inside edge of a wildly unlatched gate and somehow fails to clip off stump on the way through. They take a leg bye to backward square a couple of balls later, and Bravo drives defensively to cover and gets behind the last. One from t’over.
46th over: West Indies 139-6 (Bravo 58, Roach 9)
Four more for Lyon to bowl, and Bravo defends the first three, which are looped up, and then the fourth too, which is much flatter. About an hour’s play left I reckon.
Covers are going off, now.... Will be back shortly.
They are going off for rain again. Just before, Nathan Lyon’s back into the attack, and he just drops short, so Bravo rocks back and punches him through the cover for four. It’s just mizzly rain, not that heavy, and the Aussies hang by the boundary because they want to stay out. Covers coming on.
45th over: West Indies 135-6 (Bravo 54, Roach 9)
I’ll tell you what, Kemar Roach, that is lovely. And I’ll apologise, because I didn’t think you had that in you. Patto overpitches and Roach gets forward with a checked, punched drive through the covers for four. Massive gap there and he just fired it through. Shot. Pattinson decides that is grounds to dig a couple in - Roach gets under one, then behind another. The last of the over is defended to Nathan Lyon at backward point.
44th over: West Indies 131-6 (Bravo 54, Roach 5)
A bit on Bravo: he’s looked good. About half of his runs seem to have come through cover, he’s defended firmly and knows the whereabouts of his off-stump precisely, meaning he’s left well. That’s the story of this Siddle over: there are five leaves which he resists, then a stunning drive through the covers off the last. Don’t bowl there. Roach needs to stay with Bravo.
43rd over: West Indies 127-6 (Bravo 50, Roach 5)
Pattinson starts with one down the legside, again. The lads on commentary are suggesting he’s trying a bit hard. I’m of the opinion that that is not possible. Anyway, Bravo goes to 50 off the fourth ball of the over with a punch off the back foot through cover for one. Next up, Roach drives and Lyon is diving at point keeps it to two. The last is left.
Re Windies. #AusvWIhttps://t.co/K7A8V1oCUe
42nd over: West Indies 124-6 (Bravo 49, Roach 3)
Roach edges Siddle straight to gully, then two balls later plays the same shot just to his right and they run three. Four Aussies chased that down. Bravo gets a single through third man off the fifth ball, then Roach is beaten outside off with the last.
Haigh: "There's a meeting on Saturday for the West Indies Cricket Board to consider a recommendation to disband""
41st over: West Indies 120-6 (Bravo 48, Roach 0)
Pattinson begins with one down legside. Bravo’s carefully in behind much of the rest of the over, with the exceptions being a drive straight to mid-off, then the last ball being flicked through midwicket for a lovely four.
A #kangaroo impasse in the #merlot vines at #Lenswood today. Cute little fella. @BrandSouthAust@AHWineRegionpic.twitter.com/Urd8KfWprW
40th over: West Indies 116-6 (Bravo 44, Roach 0)
They keep showing the Holder hawkeye over and over and it gets more depressing every time. Roach defends three straight balls from Siddle and that’s the end of a very long over.
Shower’s gone, we’re ready to go again... Kemar Roach the new man.
The umps are out to have a look. Not much in the way of covers on.
Dear oh dear. Holder is a very tall man and it’s hit him above the knee roll. It was going miles over. The review was there. Holder was the last decent batsman. He asked Bravo if it was worth a review, but he said no. Really is a shame.
Holder LBW, Bravo doesn't think it worth a review, ball-tracking has it missing the stumps by miles, and the rain arrives. Sums it up really
Siddle’s first is just edged with soft hands by Holder through backward point and they take an easy two. Two balls later he’s struck on the pad in front! Massive appeal and the umpire’s finger goes up. They discuss the review, but they choose not to.
Oh fiddlesticks. Double fiddlesticks. It’s not just Holder going off. They all are. The rain is coming down. AND hawkeye says it was going over by a mile. Disastrous couple of minutes for the Windies.
39th over: West Indies 114-5 (Bravo 44, Holder 13)
Double change. Jimbo Pattinson back into the attack. His first one stays a bit low, and Bravo camps back and gets a thick outside edge that runs through gully for four. Frustrating for the bowler. The next is down the legside and ignored, then there’s a full wide one that Bravo slashes extremely hard at and it flies past point still rising for four. Shades of Lara, as per. Couple of solid defences are followed by another drive, but this one is straight to cover. Eight from the over.
38th over: West Indies 106-5 (Bravo 36, Holder 13)
Lyon off. Time for a little bit of Pierre Siddle. Strikes me as his kinda conditions. Bravo takes one into the legside second ball then Holder is beaten outside off. Not much chirp from the Aussies, which is a surprise. He sees out the over without any more cause for alarm.
37th over: West Indies 105-5 (Bravo 35, Holder 13)
Another scampered single to mid-off for big Jase, then Bravo takes one with a fluffed leg glance. These two look fairly unperturbed by the whole situation, to be honest. Hang tough, lads. The last of the over is driven firmly through the offside by Holder for two, which Lyon cuts off near the fence.
36th over: West Indies 101-5 (Bravo 34, Holder 10)
Holder milks Lyon for an easy single to deep point first up, then Lyon spends a couple of balls tempting Bravo to drive, which he does, for one. That’s the hundred. There are certainly no handshakes or high fives for this one, and rightly so. Big Jase gets a single to wide mid-on off the last.
35th over: West Indies 98-5 (Bravo 33, Holder 8)
Holder’s busy, which is good to see. He gets a thick, but safe, outside edge through point for a couple, then just drops into the offside for a soft-handed, sharply run single. Hazlewood’s line to Bravo is impeccable and he leaves a hanging bat at the fourth and he’s lucky to miss. The last is driven but not timed and is cut off at point. It’s all hands in pockets and cable knit in the cordon. Chilleh, as they say.
34th over: West Indies 95-5 (Bravo 33, Holder 5)
Shot! Nobody told Holder the Windies are under the pump. Lyon is just swatted over mid-on for a one-bounce four. That’s how you get off the mark. I can see why he’s attacking, because his defence is very hard-handed. He edges a single past second slip and Bravo sees out the over.
33rd over: West Indies 90-5 (Bravo 33, Holder 0)
Bravo always looks so good. I blooming love how hard he batters his bat down on the crease and that high backlift. The ball makes a lovely thud off his stick, too. He middles Hazlewood’s first on the drive, but it’s well stopped by the man at short cover. The next is in an uncomfy corridor and he defends under his nose. There’s a good leave, then more firm defence - first on the front foot, then back. The last is well left and that’s a second consecutive maiden. A timely reminder that Shannon Gabriel is crook and unlikely to bat. Bad > worse. Not that Gabriel is Lara. He averages 4.41 in 20 Test innings. Four and a half runs wouldn’t go amiss now, mind.
32nd over: West Indies 90-5 (Bravo 33, Holder 0)
It’s a wee bit baltic in Tassie. Lyon’s bowling in the jumper. Holder’s watchful, if a little hard of hand, in defence, and it’s a maiden that is mainly notable for the chirps of “cmon Gary” from around the bat and the presence of two slips. Dig in, Jase. Dig in.
31st over: West Indies 90-5 (Bravo 33, Holder 0)
You have to feel for big Jason Holder. He’s out in the middle already. He defends to mid-on first up, then lets one go. There’s a muffled appeal from the bowler to the fifth, which strikes on the pad but it’s going down and they scamper a leg-bye. Bravo is firm in defence off the last. Big partnership this.
Ramdin picks up four at the start of Hazlewood’s next over. In his head, it’s driven powerfully on the up through the covers. What actually happens is that it squirts past his stumps off the inside edge to fine leg.
And next up he’s bowled! That’s nice from Hazlewood, it’s just nipped back and maybe stayed a tad low and castled him. Not really sure why he played back to a ball of decent length, mind.
30th over: West Indies 85-4 (Bravo 33, Ramdin 4)
Lyon to continue. He was buzzing before tea and doesn’t appear to have calmed down much. Bravo gets an inside ege and they scamper a single behind square on the legside, then Ramdin takes one to mid-off. Bravo sees out four uneventful dots.
29th over: West Indies 83-4 (Bravo 32, Ramdin 3)
It’s Hazlewood to kick things off after tea and he begins with five dots to Ramdin. They’re all on or outside off with a bit of shape. Nice start. The sixth ball is just nudged into the legside for two, which they can’t quite decide whether to take. They do.
@willis_macp This 1-sided abbatoir of a game is a tragedy. How do the Aussies top this? Peeing on old ladies' flower beds, punching kittens?
And look at that.... The covers are coming off....
Play to resume in 7 mins, at 3.45pm AEST. #AusvWI
Hello everyone. Will stepping into the chair for the last session of the day. Australia are winning this Test match. The question of “who is winning” is not as easily answered in Test cricket as it is in some sports, but I’m pretty confident with that assertion. Nathan Lyon bowled beautifully to take two wickets in an over just before the break and the Windies will surely follow on. Matter of when, not if.
But oh no! There’s a bit of weather about to delay the inevitable! There’s some pretty substantial looking covers on and the cameras are splattered with rain so we’ll have a delayed start.
Australia all over the West Indies like a cheap suit. This was always likely to be a mismatch but thanks to the massive partnership between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh, and three wickets to Nathan Lyon, this is heading into nightmare territory for the West Indies.
Thanks for your company this afternoon. I’m going to hand over to Will Macpherson for the final session. Will he see a follow-on?
28th over: West Indies 81-4 (Bravo 32, Ramdin 1) Men around the bat like they’re playing on day five in Mohali, not day two in Hobart. Lyon keeping on the attack but Denesh Ramdin survives, and gets off the mark with a streaky single.
Time for tea...
27th over: West Indies 80-4 (Bravo 32, Ramdin 0) Bravo happy to shut up shop as the tea break approaches, seeing off a Peter Siddle over without much fuss. All the attention back on golden arm Lyon.
26th over: West Indies 78-4 (Bravo 30, Ramdin 0) There was never any question who was going to win this match but Nathan Lyon is hastening the result with some delightful off-spin bowling. A double-wicket maiden on a flat pitch in blustery chilly conditions.
Jermaine Blackwood doesn’t last long and it’s Nathan Lyon again who does the damage. A regulation spinning, bouncing offie is too good for the West Indian and he props forward, playing with hard hands, offering a sharp chance straight to Joe Burns at short-leg. Poor batting from Blackwood but all credit to bowler and fielder.
Wowza! That is a sensational caught and bowled for Nathan Lyon. Tossing one up over the wicket to Marlon Samuels the ball is middled in the air to the spinner’s left. He dives across taking a brilliant catch with two hands to the disbelief of the batsman. What a grab.
25th over: West Indies 78-2 (Bravo 30, Samuels 9) Siddle back for a trundle, around the wicket to Bravo. A couple behind point is followed by a most unusual boundary. Bravo drives on the up through extra-cover and takes his bottom hand off the bat but still has enough power in the stroke to smite a four. He follows that up with a loose swoosh that catches an under-edge that fails to reach Nevill behind the stumps.
24th over: West Indies 72-2 (Bravo 24, Samuels 9) Two slips now for Lyon to Samuels and he goes up for a big LBW shout off the opening delivery of the over. Missing leg... Samuels is playing from the crease and that means he’s ready for one Lyon drops a touch short, giving him room to rock back and carve him to the cover boundary.
23rd over: West Indies 66-2 (Bravo 24, Samuels 3) Bravo again showing his class off the back foot through the covers, riding a Hazlewood delivery beautifully and steering it to the cover boundary.
22nd over: West Indies 62-2 (Bravo 20, Samuels 3) Lyon enjoying himself out there now, throwing up his gentle-looking deliveries that come down with plenty of menace to both left and right-hander. A few runs are milked but not convincingly. Australia squeezing the life out of the West Indies.
21st over: West Indies 58-2 (Bravo 19, Samuels 0) Hazlewood’s accuracy replace’s Pattinson’s waywardness and a maiden follows.
20th over: West Indies 58-2 (Bravo 19, Samuels 0) Wicket maiden for Lyon who is rewarded for giving his offies plenty of flight and dip despite little assistance off the pitch. That wicket of Chandrika, who looked set, will give Australia plenty of encouragement as the tea break hoves into view.
Out of nowhere the West Indies are two down! Lyon tosses one up outside Chandrika’s off stump and he drives, failing to reach the pitch of the ball, edging to Steve Smith at first slip. Smith juggles it, but pouches it safely eventually. Good bowling from Nathan Lyon, beating the batsman in the flight. Gift for Australia.
19th over: West Indies 58-1 (Chandrika 25, Bravo 19) Runs flowing a little more freely for the West Indies. Bravo claims another boundary from an overpitched wide delivery from Pattinson that squirts to the third-man fence. That delivery was Pattinson’s third no-ball of his match. Leads to a switch around the wicket to the left-hander. which in turn leads to a long hop outside off-stump that Bravo pummels to the cover boundary., and another no-ball. Might be time for a rest for young J-Pat.
18th over: West Indies 45-1 (Chandrika 23, Bravo 10) Bravo into double figures with a lovely back foot drive through the off-side that creeps to the Bellerive boundary. Lyon has dropped the odd delivery short in his spell so far but that’s the first to be punished. The rest are full around off-stump and treated respectfully.
17th over: West Indies 41-1 (Chandrika 23, Bravo 6) On a pitch as true as this with a ball refusing to move off straight, the Australian selection policy of 140kph+ bowlers gains credence. However, Pattinson, in the side for that reason, is being dealt with well by this West Indian pair from the crease. A wafty pull-cum-leave from Chandrika won’t have done his coach’s blood pressure any good; a nothing shot that will only encourage more chin music.
16th over: West Indies 38-1 (Chandrika 23, Bravo 4) Lyon mixing it up from around the wicket to the left-handed Bravo. Runs from a couple of drives. Lyon flighting it nicely but not a lot happening out there for him at the moment.
15th over: West Indies 36-1 (Chandrika 23, Bravo 2) Drinks have been taken and a chance to reflect how few deliveries have beaten the bat. No swing whatsoever in these blustery conditions and only the occasional delivery jagging off the seam. That said, it’s disciplined, high-pressure bowling and fielding from Australia, apart from an overpitched delivery to end Pattinson’s over that’s sumptuously driven past the non-striker for the first boundary of the innings.
14th over: West Indies 32-1 (Chandrika 19, Bravo 2) Time for spin with Nathan Lyon replacing Peter Siddle. Plenty of flight from the off, forcing an early false shot from Chandrika that squirts away for a single. Four leg-side byes to end the over won’t improve Peter Nevill’s mood.
The lack of decisive foot movement from the West Indians looks like it could cause problems at any moment.
13th over: West Indies 27-1 (Chandrika 18, Bravo 2) Pattinson back into the attack and he returns with an over-pitched delivery that Chandrika drives through mid-off beautifully on the front foot for three. Bravo gets off the mark with a back foot push into the off-side.
Nice analysis of James Pattinson’s remodeled action. Bowling speeds hovering around 140kph rather than pushing 150kph like he did before his latest injury. Not bringing his arm through as powerfully past his left thigh in his follow through it seems.
12th over: West Indies 22-1 (Chandrika 15, Bravo 0) Siddle with a maiden to Bravo. The left-hander looks elegant in defence. Upright at the crease with that Lara-like swish of the bat.
11th over: West Indies 22-1 (Chandrika 15, Bravo 0) Best shot of the innings so far to open the over, Chandrika straight driving Hazlewood for two. Thereafter it’s Hazlewood on the money and Chandrika on his guard. Australia seem to be bowling straighter than you might expect to the right handers, looking for that LBW dismissal that did for Brathwaite.
10th over: West Indies 20-1 (Chandrika 13, Bravo 0) Siddle with a good over to Chandrika, bowling straight and making the batsman play. Runs off the outside edge through gully from the final ball prevent a maiden. The batsmen not looking sure what they should be doing out there at the moment.
9th over: West Indies 17-1 (Chandrika 9, Bravo 0) That’s the early wicket Australia wanted and the persistent Hazlewood has again brought it about. Darren Bravo is the next man in and his left-handed stance will force a change of angle for the Australian bowlers.
Australia persist with Hazlewood and it pays off with the wicket off Brathwaite. A good length delivery nipped in from outside off stump and rapped the opener on the pads. Ian Gould raised his finger and Brathwaite’s on his way. Not without a review through, but the ball tracker indicates that was clipping the bails. Breakthrough for Australia!
8th over: West Indies 16-0 (Brathwaite 2, Chandrika 9) Peter Siddle into the attack and into the wind. Suggestion from the former Australian captains on TV that James Pattinson will be switched to bowl downwind and exploit his extra pace.
Siddle bang on the money from the off with a maiden, hitting good lines and lengths and making the West Indian openers play from the crease.
7th over: West Indies 16-0 (Brathwaite 2, Chandrika 9) It’s a chilly (for summer in Australia) day in Hobart and the wind has picked up, bringing with it a bit of drizzle. A quick look at the forecast and these conditions seem set for the afternoon. A quick look at a map and that wind’s coming straight from Antarctica.
Standard over from Hazlewood, just a single from it.
6th over: West Indies 15-0 (Brathwaite 1, Chandrika 9) Brathwaite off the mark finally which will settle his nerves. Pattinson ploughing a fifth-stump furrow on a good length but not a lot happening out there in the air, but there’s something off the seam when it’s hit.
Dan Silburn emails in: “After a slightly one sided first innings, is no one entertaining the possibility of the West Indies scoring 550+ and making a game of this? I’m joking, of course. But the commentary across all formats seems to give the Windies’ batsmen even less chance than their bowlers of making an impact this Test match.
5th over: West Indies 13-0 (Brathwaite 0, Chandrika 8) Brathwaite more circumspect at the crease than Chandrika. Hazlewood keeps him honest all over, including a big shout for leg before with a lively off-cutter that would have missed leg-stump. Nice maiden for the New South Welshman.
4th over: West Indies 13-0 (Brathwaite 0, Chandrika 8) Maybe that’s a tad harsh on Martin McCague? Not if your introduction to live Test cricket was Headingley 1993.
Pattinson making the ball hurry onto the batsmen from a good and fullish length with the odd bouncer thrown in for good measure. 140kph+ keeping the three slips and gully interested.
3rd over: West Indies 11-0 (Brathwaite 0, Chandrika 6) Hazlewood still getting into his groove, mixing a few trademark McGrath-like deliveries with a few McCague-like ones. Chandrika milks more runs off his pads.
2nd over: West Indies 8-0 (Brathwaite 0, Chandrika 3) James Pattinson sharing the new ball. Great to see the powerful Victorian back at the top level after injury. I once claimed on live radio that he’d bag 500 Test wickets. Hmmmm.
A mixed bag from J-Pat; a no-ball, a full toss and a few for Chandrika squirted through point.
1st over: West Indies 4-0 (Brathwaite 0, Chandrika 0) Innocuous start to proceedings after lunch. Josh Hazlewood with a couple of rank looseners to Kraigg Brathwaite before the West Indies get off the mark with four leg-byes down to the fine-leg boundary.
Well, that answers the first question. Steve Smith has declared at lunch on day two of the first Test at Hobart. Adam Voges will not make a triple century after all. Time for Australia’s pace attack to see what this pitch is really like.
Thank you very much Rob Smyth for guiding us through another Australian run-fest. It was a procession this morning for Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges as they checked off a series of Australian and international Test records. There are only a few thousand at Blundstone Arena but they can say they witnessed feats even Bradman couldn’t accomplish.
So what’s in store this afternoon? An Australian declaration, presumably. Shane Warne has floated 800 on TV and we know the home brains trust listens in on those in-ground earpieces. Perhaps an Adam Voges triple century? If we’re lucky, the West Indies fielders might take their hands out of their pockets.
114th over: Australia 583-4 (Voges 269, M Marsh 1) Voges cover-drives Warrican for yet another boundary. For all the poverty of the bowling, Voges has batted like a million dollars. He is playing unbelievably well. That’s the end of another run-drenched session, in which Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh gave statisticians a never-ending knee-trembler. It’s been so remarkable as to almost numb the senses. Either that or it’s 1.31am over here. Either way, that’s all from me - Jonathan Howcroft will be with you after lunch to report on Adam Voges’ triple century. Bye!
113th over: Australia 578-4 (Voges 264, M Marsh 1) A couple of minutes to lunch.
112th over: Australia 576-4 (Voges 263, M Marsh 1) Voges gets his 32nd four, slog-sweeping Warrican to the fence. A few months ago he was in danger of being dropped. Now he’s 263 not out in a Test match. That partnership of 449 is the sixth-highest in Test history.
The partnership ends at 449, two short of the Bradman/Ponsford record. Marsh is the man to go, hoicking Warrican straight to deep midwicket. What a 24 hours Marsh has had. That could be a life-changing innings; it will almost certainly be a career-defining one.
111th over: Australia 570-3 (Voges 258, S Marsh 182) Now Voges survives a referral to the third umpire, this time for a run-out. He was just home when the throw from mid-off hit the stumps at the striker’s end. The drizzle has cleared, though there’s no point declaring now as there are only 10 minutes to lunch.
110th over: Australia 566-3 (Voges 257, S Marsh 180) Shaun Marsh survives a review for caught behind. He tried to work Warrican to leg, and the keeper Ramdin was sure there had been an inside edge. It was given not out, so they reviewed, but replays showed the ball only hit the flap of the pad. The partnership is now 445, six short of Australia’s highest for any wicket, the legendary Ashes-winning stand between Bradman and Ponsford in 1934.
109th over: Australia 563-3 (Voges 256, S Marsh 178) Voges drives Warrican high over extra cover for a one-bounce four, which takes him to 249. I can’t keep up with all these records. There’s Voges’ 250. If that isn’t startling enough, he has faced just 269 balls. It’s all pretty remarkable – and now this is the highest fourth-wicket partnership in Test history! Voges tucks four off his pads, and that takes them past Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera of Sri Lanka. Voges and Marsh, who were supposed to be finish after the Ashes, have now set a world record. Is this actually happening?
107th over: Australia 548-3 (Voges 243, S Marsh 176) This has turned into a recordwatch. Voges takes a single to pass Doug Walters’ record for the highest score by an Australian against the West Indies, and this pair are also closing in on both the highest fourth-wicket partnership in Tests and the highest partnership for Australia in Tests.
@robsmyth0@danbrettig fast forward to Boxing Day. Lowest crowd since 1993 (day one washout v Sth Africa) of 15,604 a chance of being broken
106th over: Australia 545-3 (Voges 241, S Marsh 176) Voges drags Warrican from outside off stump for consecutive boundaries through midwicket. Warrican goes even wider next ball, so Voges skips down to drive over extra cover for another four, the 29th of his innings. This is wonderful batting, and Marsh joins in by driving six more over long-on. Nineteen from the over!
105th over: Australia 526-3 (Voges 228, S Marsh 170) Another over, another milestone: the 400 partnership, from just 491 balls! The strange thing is that there have been plenty of plays-and-misses this morning – and there’s another from Marsh, who recoils as a delivery from Roach gets unexpectedly big on him. Later in the over Voges pulls a single. “That sounded nice,” says Michael Slater on Channel 9. But not as nice as this. Has bat on ball ever sounded so good?
104th over: Australia 520-3 (Voges 226, S Marsh 167) The left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican assumes the position for the first time today. Marsh rocks back to smear a short ball over midwicket for four. They have definitely gone into one-day mode since the drinks break, which suggests Steve Smith wants a bowl before lunch.
Disclosure: i am drunk @robsmyth0
103rd over: Australia 513-3 (Voges 224, S Marsh 162) Four more to Voges, deflected skilfully to third man off Roach. That brings up the 500 in only the 103rd over. Voges is having some fun now, and tries to belabour the next ball back over Roach’s head. Instead it flies over the wicketkeeper’s head for four. He makes it three consecutive boundaries with a muscular clatter through mid-off. They must have been given a message at drinks. A single makes this the highest fourth-wicket partnership in Australian Test history, surpassing Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman at Headingley in 1934. Madon.
“I missed reporting at lunch, because I was having… ummm… lunch, but Sri Lanka are playing old school cricket at 1.98 an over to reach 43/2,” says Paul Cockburn. “Boult looked OK, and Wagner picked up Jayasundera caught behind for 1, but there’s not a lot in it for the bowlers that I can see. It’s not likely Dunedin will match Hobart for runs today.” Wagner is an underrated bowler isn’t he?
102nd over: Australia 496-3 (Voges 211, S Marsh 159) Things you didn’t think you’d ever, ever see in a Test match, ever, part 1 in a short series: Adam Voges charging a 6ft 8ins fast bowler and smashing him for four through mid-off. Those are his first runs through mid-off in the whole innings I think, and makes this the highest Test score at Hobart. It’s time for drinks.
This is brutal stuff @robsmyth0. Even in the mid-90s this was difficult but it feels like uber-Hussain. I love the Windies. This is awful.
101st over: Australia 490-3 (Voges 206, S Marsh 158) Kemar Roach replaces Jerome Taylor and angles a cracker past the outside edge of Shaun Marsh. There have been plenty of jaffas this morning, to go with the bad deliveries. If the ball does this much for the Aussie bowlers, it could get messy later today.
100th over: Australia 488-3 (Voges 205, S Marsh 157) Holder beats Voges with a sensational delivery that starts to swing in and then snaps the other way off the seam. Don Bradman might just have nicked that. Nobody else would have got close. The next ball also goes past the edge, with Voges pushing down the wrong line. He has bowled with admirable discipline and pride at a time when it would have been so easy to spray it everywhere or duck responsibility by giving the ball to someone else.
Say what you like about what will bring fans in for Test cricket but what's certain to drive them away is non-competitive matches @robsmyth0
99th over: Australia 488-3 (Voges 205, S Marsh 157) A wide half-volley from Taylor is squirted to third man for four by Marsh, who is then beaten by a good one. I suspect Steve Smith will keep going, certainly while these two are batting, but I do like the idea of a declaration when they reach 500 in about four balls’ time.
98th over: Australia 483-3 (Voges 205, S Marsh 153) Marsh cover-drives Holder sweetly for a couple, with the cover sweeper doing the necessary, and then flicks a hooping inswinger for a single. Australia will be happy with how much it has swung this morning. The Channel 9 commentators are nailing Marlon Samuels for setting a poor example as a senior player. He was yawning a moment ago, although as Larry David will tell you, that’s a bodily function! Samuels does, however, have the look of a man who is dying to check his smartphone.
@robsmyth0 What's all this declaration talk? I've never seen 1000 scored before :)
97th over: Australia 480-3 (Voges 205, S Marsh 150) Marsh has his concentration briefly disturbed by a magpie loitering at leg slip, but from the next ball he takes a single off Taylor to reach his first Test 150. Voges then drives beautifully through mid-on for four more. This is a procession. Australia are scoring are five an over without breaking sweat, and the partnership has reached 359. They are 29 away from Australia’s highest fourth-wicket stand in Tests, between those overrated buffoons Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman during the 1934 Ashes.
“In reply to Ian Forth (90th over),” begins Raymond Reardon, “England have the opportunity to increase their number of drawn Test matches (currently 339) in pursuit of their number of Test wins (currently 344) with the four-match Test series in South Africa starting later in the month.”
96th over: Australia 473-3 (Voges 200, S Marsh 149) Marsh flicks Holder off the pads for three, which makes this his highest Test score, and then Voges takes consecutive twos to move to 199. And there it is! He pushes a single into the covers to reach a storming double-hundred, from only 226 balls. The bowling has been poor but Voges has played unbelievably well. Cricket is one of the few sports in which life can begin at 35. That was Voges’s age when he made his Test debut earlier in the year, and at the moment he has an average of 71.08.
95th over: Australia 466-3 (Voges 195, S Marsh 146) Taylor curves a lovely outswinger past Voges. This is definitely a better day on which to bowl, and you wonder whether Steve Smith might consider an early declaration – half an hour before lunch, or perhaps something even funkier. Why not declare when Voges gets his 200? What would Steve Waugh have done? Voges is now five away from his first Test double-hundred after driving a half-volley to the cover boundary.
“In the unlikely event that anyone would possibly tire of listening to the Channel 9 commentators,” begins Bruce Russell, “I have discovered that it is actually possible to listen to the radio commentary and watch the TV at the same time. It only works if you can actually pause your TV, but if so, you can listen online to the ABC commentary which is about 40 seconds behind the TV. I usually try to sync the sound of the ball via the radio with when I see it hit the bat, and find it works really well.”
94th over: Australia 462-3 (Voges 191, S Marsh 146) Remember when Allan Border used to grind England’s nose into the dirt by batting on until lunch on the third day before declaring on 600-odd for four? Well at this rate Steve Smith will be able to declare on the same score at lunch on the second day. Holder beats Marsh with a gorgeous legcutter, the highlight of another good over. He is standing alone on the burning deck.
93rd over: Australia 462-3 (Voges 192, S Marsh 146) Taylor beats Voges with a fine lifting leg-cutter. Good balls have never really been an issue for the West Indies fast bowlers. It’s the amount of filth that is the problem. Anyway, this is now a record fourth-wicket partnership for Australia against the West Indies, surpassing Bill Lawry and Doug Walters in 1969. The stand almost ends at 338 when Marsh, attempting to leave Taylor at the last minute, deflects the ball just wide of the stumps.
“Interesting point you made about away Tests. New Zealand were made to look ordinary by Australia, but already they look streets ahead of SL. How much of this is down to sides playing two or three match series with no preparation at all. NZ are playing SL, Pakistan and Australia this summer… why not play two sides and have decent series?” Yeah I agree, though there are many other issues too. NZ v Australia should be a brilliant series.
92nd over: Australia 456-3 (Voges 187, S Marsh 144) A rare bad ball from Holder is cut for four by Marsh, though it went through the left hand of the leaping fielder at gully. The next ball brings a pretty big LBW appeal from Holder, although it was clearly swinging down leg. Holder has started well; he looks a proper cricketer.
91st over: Australia 451-3 (Voges 186, S Marsh 140) Jerome Taylor (12-0-75-0) picks up where he left off last night. His first ball drifts miserably onto the pads and is flicked easily for four by Voges. Taylor is a much better bowler than this. The farce has started already. When Voges takes a quick single to cover, he gets four bonus runs when the throw whistles past the stumps and goes to the boundary. Marlon Samuels wasn’t backing up properly.
90th over: Australia 440-3 (Voges 175, S Marsh 140) It’s a cloudy morning in Hobart, so theoretically this should be a good time to bowl. The captain Jason Holder demonstrates his faith in Taylor and Roach by taking the new ball himself. Holder was easily the most economical bowler yesterday, with figures of 15-1-45-0. There’s a little bit of inswing to Marsh, who gets going with a single off the pads. Voges then does the same. A decent start from Holder.
“Well, not so fast,” says Ian Forth. “Let’s throw our minds back to Brisbane 2002, 1st test of The Ashes. End of Day 1, Australia, 364/2. But end of Day 2, Australia all out 492, England 158/1. From then until now England 5 series wins, Australia just 3. So let us see what we shall see.” Fair point. Let’s not mention the fact that England eventually lost that Test by 384 runs.
“Morning Rob, morning everyone,” writes my old colleague Paul Cockburn. Who now lives in New Zealand. The b*”!)($£”$”!. “While those slacker Australians have failed to put a single run at all on the board this morning, I am here to report that in sunny Dunedin New Zealand were all out for 431, and that in reply Sri Lanka are 20 for 1, with Mendis caught behind off Boult for 8. It’s going to be a long day for SL, I feel.”
Indeed. What started as an interesting trend - the inability of teams to win away from home - is now becoming a serious problem. I can never remember it being this bad, and I’ve been watching Test cricket since the 1740s. Even in the days of doctored pitches and dodgy home umpires it wasn’t this bad.
Pointless stat of the day AdamVoges currently averages 341 against West Indies – a record for a Test batsman against one country. I had it in my head that Jacques Kallis averaged 9471.24 against Zimbabwe but apparently not: the figure was actually 169.75, though he did average 503 in Tests in Zimbabwe.
@robsmyth0@plalor Today in history: Adam Voges has the single largest drop in Test average against one country
“And I guess that’s what they call it Test cricket – cause it’s a test.” This, as well as being the most rousing chorus Elton John never wrote, is an observation that has been made regularly since the concept of test cricket was first discussed in 1861-62. It’s a cliché for sure, but one that reflects the uniquely arduous nature of this superior sporting format. It’s fair to say, however, that nobody was reaching for the cliché yesterday. Australia were playing Untest Cricket against a sadly inept West Indies, who conceded over 400 runs in a day for the first time since 1931.
Australia will resume in Hobart on 438 for three, with Adam Voges on 174 and Shaun Marsh on 139, nine short of his highest Test score. Even that might not be enough to stay in the side for the Boxing Day Test, with Usman Khawaja likely to be available. He could survive at the expense of his brother, of course, if Australia decide to go with four bowlers for a few Tests
until Shaun presents an irresistible case for dropping him yet again . Either way it’s an intriguing subplot, and we need to embrace those with every fibre of our being because, even after one day, the main plot is a foregone conclusion.
Rob will be here shortly for the first session. In the meantime, remind yourselves how day one went with yesterday’s report.
Related: Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh tons put Australia in control against West Indies
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