Kavem Hodge and Joshua Da Silva put on 149 for the sixth wicket against Australia at the Gabba on Thursday.
Getty Images
The West Indies faced a tumultuous opening day at Brisbane in the second Test against Australia, with the score standing at 266-8 at stumps. The day/night match showcased the brilliance of Mitchell Starc, who claimed four crucial wickets, including his 350th Test scalp, to rattle the West Indies top order.
The day began with the West Indies winning the toss, offering them a golden opportunity. However, Starc had different plans, dismantling the top order in the opening session. He took three wickets, while Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins each contributed with one. The West Indies' top six struggled to adapt to the extra bounce, with five of them nicking deliveries that could have been left alone.
Just when it seemed like the West Indies might squander their chance, Kavem Hodge and Joshua Da Silva orchestrated a remarkable fightback during the middle session. They batted through the twilight period, frustrating the Australian bowlers on what was considered a good batting pitch at the Gabba. The duo forged a resilient partnership of 149 for the sixth wicket, showcasing excellent defense and decision-making.
As the pink ball softened and the pitch flattened out, Da Silva and Hodge capitalized on any overpitched deliveries, driving with control through cover and down the ground. Despite Australia cycling through seven bowlers in the session, including Marnus Labuschagne, the West Indies' batsmen stood firm, forming the highest and longest stand of the series to date.
Da Silva's valiant effort eventually came to an end when he fell for 79 to a delivery from Nathan Lyon. Attempting to flick the ball, he missed and was adjudged plumb in front. Hodge, on the other hand, continued his impressive innings, reaching 71 before edging to slip off Mitchell Starc.
The lower order then contributed, with Kevin Sinclair and Alzarri Joseph adding a valuable 41 runs. Joseph played the aggressor, striking seven fours in his quick 22-ball knock. However, Josh Hazlewood induced a thick edge off the last ball of the day, dismissing Joseph for 32. Kevin Sinclair was not out on 16 at the close.
Earlier in the day, the top order struggled to display the same discipline. Kraigg Brathwaite was the first to fall, enticed into a half-hearted drive by Hazlewood. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kirk McKenzie steadied the ship briefly, but McKenzie's aggression led to his downfall as he nicked to slip while trying to cut Cummins off the front foot.
Starc returned before the first break to claim three wickets in quick succession. Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze, and Justin Greaves all fell victim to Starc's skillful bowling. Athanaze's dismissal marked a milestone for Starc, as he secured his 350th Test wicket, becoming the fifth Australian to achieve this feat and leaving him just four wickets behind Dennis Lillee on Australia's all-time list. The West Indies will look to regroup and build on their total on the second day of this captivating Test match.
Australia move to two from two with comprehensive win over New Zealand
Australia became the only unbeaten team in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with an impressive 60-run win over New Zealand on Tuesday.
The defending champions made an imposing 148 for eight in Sharjah despite Amelia Kerr's four for 26.
In reply, Megan Schutt took three for three runs from 3.2 overs, dismissing Kerr for 29 before getting the final New Zealand wicket as they crumbled to 88 all out.
Having chosen to bat first, Australia skipper Alyssa Healy followed successfully overturning an lbw decision, by hitting 11 runs off Fran Jonas to also pass 3000 T20I career runs.
A fourth boundary for Healy came in the final over of the powerplay before she was caught by Georgia Plimmer for 26.
From there, Ellyse Perry slowly built the Australian innings alongside Beth Mooney, with the former surviving being dropped on the boundary while on four.
The partnership ended in the 12th over as Mooney was unable to carry her bat for a third successive T20 World Cup game, departing for 40 with Australia at 86 for two.
Perry began to motor on as she passed 2,000 T20I runs before she was dismissed for 30 to be Kerr’s second wicket of the day.
Kerr took her third with the very next ball as she bowled Grace Harris through the gate with a googly, to mark the power-hitter's return from injury with a duck.
Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu and Brooke Halliday each got the chance to bowl before Kerr could attempt to achieve a hat-trick, with Halliday dismissing Phoebe Litchfield for 18 to continue her fine run of form against Australia.
Kerr’s googly on the hat-trick ball did not deceive Georgia Wareham but she got another wicket two balls later, as Tahuhu held on to a firm shot from Wareham to leave Australia teetering at 129 for six.
Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland departed in the final two overs as Australia progressed to a total of 148, comfortably the highest score made at Sharjah in this World Cup.
The White Ferns’ opening partnership of Plimmer and Suzie Bates impressed in the powerplay of their win over India, but the partnership lasted only 14 balls this time around before Plimmer was out.
The youngster was bowled by Schutt, who became the outright most successful bowler in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups with 44 wickets.
Kerr and Bates rotated the strike well without worrying Australia as the required run rate climbed to 8.57 at the end of the powerplay.
By the halfway stage of the innings, the run rate had grown further before a struggling Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux for 20 from 27.
Kerr departed soon after before three wickets fell in five balls as Sutherland took two in two deliveries to see the White Ferns slump to 60 for six.
Sophie Devine departed for seven from 15 after attempting a big swing against Sophie Molineux. Schutt completed her big day with the final wicket of Eden Carson as New Zealand fell well short in Sharjah, all out for 88 in 19.2 overs.
Scores in brief
Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Australia 148/8 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 40, Ellyse Perry 30; Amelia Kerr 4/26, Brooke Halliday 2/16)
New Zealand 88 all out in 19.2 overs (Amelia Kerr 29, Suzie Bates 20; Megan Schutt 3/3, Annabel Sutherland 3/21)
Result: Australia win by 60 runs
England debutant Carse hopeful of closing ground on Pakistan
Brydon Carse is confident England can catch Pakistan after making a strong start to their chase on day two of the first Test in Multan.
Test debutant Carse took 2-74 but could not hold Pakistan back as the hosts scored 556 in their first innings.
It left England, shorn of opener Ben Duckett due to an injury, facing a daunting task. But despite Ollie Pope going for a duck in the second over of their chase, the tourists were steadied by the excellent Zak Crawley and Joe Root.
Crawley got to 64 from as many deliveries, while Root moved onto 32. He is now on 12,434 Test runs, meaning he is only 39 short of surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as England's all-time leading run scorer in the longest format.
With the pitch having been kind to batters so far, Carse believes England are well in contention.
"We spoke last night. To have them 328 for 4, I think if you had that score back home in England you're probably behind the game a bit," he said.
"We've scored nearly 100 there in 20 overs.
"If we could come here tomorrow and bat positively and put their score under pressure, let's see where we're at at the end of the day, with two days still to go."
Reflecting on his first innings as a Test bowler, Carse said: "It's been hard work and hard toil over the last two days. But I've thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and being out there with this group of lads.
"I've had loads of messages over the last two days, from friends and family, from people that have supported me over the last 10 years since I moved to England.
"A couple of the guys and Stokesy [Ben Stokes] said to me after we fielded, 'Look Brydon, it's not going to get tougher than these first two days.' They promised!"
Carse also offered an update on Duckett, who sustained a thumb injury while fielding.
"Ben’s OK. He's just taken a knock," Carse said via BBC Sport. "He'll be assessed overnight and he'll be back batting tomorrow."
Crawley and Root leading England fight after Pakistan cement dominance
Zak Crawley and Joe Root's assured start with the bat gave England hope on day two of their first Test against Pakistan, after the hosts had again impressed with the bat.
Just like on day one, the tourists struggled in the field as Pakistan racked up an impressive total of 556, before overcoming setbacks to steady the ship late in the day.
England were unable to build on their strong finish to day one, which saw them take three late wickets to halt Pakistan at 328-4, but Brydon Carse (2-74) got a wicket on his debut to end Naseem Shah's stand of 33.
Saud Shakeel's 82 put the hosts further out of reach, but it was Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten 104 off 119 balls that kept the momentum firmly with Pakistan, though it almost turned out differently.
Chris Woakes made a spectacular boundary catch with Salman on 15, but it was ruled not out as Woakes was judged to have stepped beyond the rope, denying England a chance to drop the hosts to 420-7.
Though England at one point took four wickets for 76 runs, it did little to end the onslaught, and they finished Pakistan's innings on a low note as opener Ben Duckett hurt his thumb taking the catch on the final wicket.
Ollie Pope then opened in his place, but the stand-in captain was taken for a duck on just his second ball.
However, Crawley (64 not out) and Root (32 not out) managed to calm any nerves as they reached stumps at 96-1, though they still trail by 460 runs.
Data Debrief: Pakistan race out of the blocks again
After making a flying start on day one, Pakistan caught England out with a similar tactic on Tuesday, adding 64 to the fifth wicket before Naseem was made to walk.
Jack Leach (3-160) was the pick of England's bowlers as they struggled in the heat, but for the most part, the tourists had no answers as Salman became the third centurion in the Test so far.
They will be hoping Crawley and Root can continue defying Pakistan with their stand on day three, with the latter now just 39 runs away from overtaking Alistair Cook as England's all-time leading run-scorer.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
