Windies make history in whirlwind win
WEST Indies quick Shamar Joseph fired his side to a historic Test win in Brisbane on Sunday – the visitors’ first on Australian soil in 27 years. Despite being hampered by a toe injury, the 24-year-old claimed 7-68 to halt the hosts’ chase eight runs short of the 215 required.
Playing in just his second Test, Joseph was maimed by a Mitchell Starc yorker while batting the previous evening, and had initially resigned to not bowling on the decisive fourth day. He hadn’t even brought his playing kit to the Gabba, as Australia required 156 runs with eight wickets in hand.
At the end of Joseph’s unchanged 11.5-over spell came the match winning moment, skittling Josh Hazlewood without scoring before setting off on a raucous celebration of raw emotion. It was a far cry from conceding 10 off his first set of six deliveries, and limping off the field at tea.
Despite becoming just the second team to beat Australia at the Gabba in the last 35 years, and the first to beat Australia in a day-night Test, the West Indies could not get their hands on the Frank Worrell Trophy. Australia retained it with the 1-1 series result, going 4-1 over the Test summer.
At one point, Australia looked to be cruising to victory, chugging along nicely at 2-113 with half the required runs ticked off. That changed in a flash when Joseph prized the wickets of Cameron Green and Travis Head with consecutive deliveries and sparked the beginning of the end.
Newly instated opener Steve Smith carried his bat for a valiant 91* but could not quite do enough to protect the tail as wickets fell around him. In the end, it was a remarkable victory for the side which fielded four debutants over two Tests and was widely written off.
Next on the agenda for both teams is a trio of one-day matches, starting on Friday in Melbourne. They’ll then compete in three T20s to round out the tour, before Australia jets off across the ditch to face New Zealand in multiple formats.
SCORECARD
RESULT: West Indies (311 & 193) def. Australia (9d-289 & 207) by 8 runs.
POTM: Shamar Joseph (West Indies)
TOSS: West Indies won & elected to bat.
1ST INNINGS: West Indies 10-311 (108)
Joshua Da Silva 79 (157), Kavem Hodge 71 (194), Kevin Sinclair 50 (98)
Mitchell Starc 4-82 (24), Josh Hazlewood 2-38 (20), Nathan Lyon 2-81 (28)
2ND INNINGS: Australia 9d-289 (53)
Usman Khawaja 75 (131), Alex Carey 65 (49), Pat Cummins 64* (73)
Alzarri Joseph 4-84 (14), Kemar Roach 3-47 (11), Kevin Sinclair 1-53 (8)
West Indies led by 22 runs.
3RD INNINGS: West Indies 10-193 (72.3)
Kirk McKenzie 41 (50), Alick Athanaze 35 (72), Justin Greaves 33 (60)
Josh Hazlewood 3-23 (14), Nathan Lyon 3-42 (22), Cameron Green 1-37 (10)
West Indies led by 215 runs.
4TH INNINGS: Australia 10-207 (50.5)
Steve Smith 91* (146), Cameron Green 42 (73), Mitchell Starc 21 (14)
Shamar Joseph 7-68 (11.5), Alzarri Joseph 2-62 (17), Justin Greaves 1-46 (12)
West Indies won by 8 runs.
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