ST. GEORGE’S: Australia defeated the West Indies by 133 runs before tea on the fourth day of the second Test in St George’s on Sunday.

Set the daunting target of 277 in a low-scoring match on a two-paced pitch which made free strokeplay almost impossible, the home side were bundled out for 143 off 34.3 overs for the visitors to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead and extend their 20-year hold on the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Australia now have the chance to complete a clean sweep of the three-match series when the final Test, a day/night fixture, gets underway next Saturday in Kingston, Jamaica.

Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon led the rout with three wickets each, the left-arm fast bowler lifting his overall Test tally to 394 to fuel the tantalising prospect of reaching the 400-wicket mark in his 100th Test in the series finale.

Captain Roston Chase top scored with 34 while Shamar Joseph made 24 when the writing was already on the wall.

Joseph had taken two of the final three Australian second innings wickets to fall at the start of the day to finish with 4-66 as the visitors were dismissed for 243.

That haul included Alex Carey for 30 following his first innings effort of 63, important contributions lower down the order which earned him the man of the match award.

Captain Pat Cummins said experience in Australia’s ranks helps them find solutions in difficult situations.

Australia’s squad for the Test series features seven cricketers who have played more than 50 Tests and is largely made up of players in their 30s, with Sam Konstas (19), Cameron Green (26) and Matthew Kuhnemann (28) the only exceptions.

That experience shone through in the second Test as Steve Smith scored a crucial knock of 71 to rescue them from a worrying 28-3 in the second innings, while Lyon and Starc took timely wickets.

“I think [experience] is a big part of it, we spoke about someone like a Steve Smith coming back,” Cummins told reporters.

“He might not have played at Grenada but he’s played on lots of wickets where you’ve got to find a different way to score.

“It might not be big drives, you’ve got to scrap your way to a 50 and I think that comes through experience.”

Once again it was the effectiveness of the Australian attack with the new ball.

Josh Hazlewood, Starc, Beau Webster and Cummins claimed a wicket each before lunch to have the West Indies reeling at 33 for four.

Chase and Shai Hope started the afternoon session positively but when Hope miscued an ambitious heave at Hazlewood to give the bowler a simple lobbed catch, the match was essentially over.

“We never really got those partnerships going with the new ball up front,” Chase observed. “It was always a challenging task but you have to believe. They guys have to try and stay confident.”

That quartet of early West Indian victims included Kraigg Brathwaite, the former captain enduring a miserable 100th Test as he was caught behind off Webster for just seven to follow on his first innings duck.

Before his demise he had seen the departure of opening partner John Campbell, trapped by Hazlewood while Keacy Carty’s stay was ended via a catch to wicket-keeper Alex Carey off Starc.

Brathwaite was the third wicket to fall but he was to be joined in the dressing on the stroke of the lunch interval as Brandon King, dropped by Cameron Green at third slip off Cummins earlier, ran out of luck when he was comprehensively bowled to leave the West Indies innings in ruins.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 286 (A. Carey 63, B. Webster 60; A. Joseph 4-61)
WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 253 (B. King 75; N. Lyon 3-75)

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 221-7):
S. Konstas b Seales 0
U. Khawaja lbw Seales 2
C. Green b Joseph 52
N. Lyon c Campbell b A. Joseph 8
S. Smith lbw Greaves 71
T. Head b S. Joseph 39
B. Webster c Chase b Greaves 2
A. Carey lbw S. Joseph 30
P. Cummins c Hope b S. Joseph 4
M. Starc not out 13
J. Hazlewood b A. Joseph 4

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-8, NB-4, W-1) 18
TOTAL (all out, 71.3 overs) 243
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Konstas), 2-4 (Khawaja), 3-28 (Lyon), 4-121 (Green), 5-179 (Smith), 6-181 (Webster), 7-212 (Head), 8-222 (Cummins), 9-234 (Carey)
BOWLING: Seales 16-6-29-2, S. Joseph 16-1-66-4 (2nb), A. Joseph 16.3-2-52-2 (1w), Phillip 9-0-32-0 (2nb), Chase 5-0-29-0, Greaves 9-0-22-2

WEST INDIES (2nd Innings):
K. Brathwaite c Carey b Webster 7
J. Campbell lbw Hazlewood 0
K. Carty c Carey b Starc 10
B. King b Cummins 14
R. Chase lbw Starc 34
S. Hope c&b Hazlewood 17
J. Greaves lbw Starc 2
A. Joseph c Green b Lyon 13
S. Joseph c Webster b Lyon 24
A. Phillip not out 11
J. Seales c&b Lyon 8

EXTRAS (LB-3) 3
TOTAL (all out, 34.3 overs) 143
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Campbell), 2-15 (Carty), 3-29 (Brathwaite), 4-33 (King), 5-71 (Hope), 6-86 (Chase), 7-99 (Greaves), 8-103 (A. Joseph), 9-131 (S. Joseph)
BOWLING: Starc 8-2-24-3, Hazlewood 8-2-33-2, Cummins 8-1-26-1, Webster 5-1-15-1, Lyon 5.3-1-42-3
RESULT: Australia won by 133 runs.
PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Alex Carey

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025