Mon, Dec 28, 2015 page20

• Australia declare on 551-3 as West Indies limp to 91-6

  • AFP, MELBOURNE, Australia
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  Skipper Steve Smith and Adam Voges yesterday reached more career milestones as Australia tightened their grip over the hapless West Indies in the second Test in Melbourne.

  Smith reached his sixth Test century of the year and 13th overall with 134, while Voges remained unbeaten on 106 when the skipper declared Australia’s first innings on 551-3.

  In reply, the Caribbean tourists unraveled again and were 91-6 and trailing by 460 runs with three days left.

  

  Australia’s Steve Smith, left, and Adam Voges score centuries in the second day of the second Test against the West Indies in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday.

  Photo: AFP

  Hobart Test centurion Darren Bravo was on 13, with debutant Carlos Brathwaite three not out.

  Smith called a halt to Australia’s run plunder midway through the second day while he was at the crease with Voges in an unbroken 223-run stand.

  In the process, Smith, recently named the International Cricket Council cricketer of the year, took over as the current leading run-scorer in Test cricket for this year.

  At the declaration he had scored 1,404 runs, ahead of Alastair Cook’s 1,357, with England currently playing South Africa in Durban.

  Voges also moved past 1,000 Test runs in his debut year with a total of 1,028 runs in his 18th Test innings.

  Only two other batsmen have scored 1,000 or more Test runs in their debut year: Australia’s Mark Taylor with 1,219 (1989) and Cook with 1,013 (2006).

  Voges, who has yet to be dismissed in the series after scoring an unbeaten 269 in Hobart, lifted his average to an astonishing 542 in four Tests against the West Indies this year alone.

  The 36-year-old late bloomer was on 56 when Darren Bravo in the slips put down a low chance from him off Carlos Brathwaite.

  Australia had four century-makers among their top five batsmen following Usman Khawaja’s 144 and Joe Burns’ 128 on Saturday’s opening day. Only David Warner missed out with 23.

  Khawaja and Burns posted a second-wicket stand of 258 on Saturday.

  It was the first time that four Australia batsmen had scored tons in a single Test innings in Australia. The last time Australia had four centurions in an innings overseas was against England in Cardiff in 2009.

  So far in the series, Australia have amassed 1,134 runs for the loss of just seven wickets against the wretched Caribbean tourists.

  Australia’s batting average in the one-sided series is 162, which is easily the highest for any team in a series. The next best is Pakistan’s 125 average in two Tests against Sri Lanka in 2009.

  Australia, who overpowered the West Indies by an innings and 212 runs in the first Hobart Test, wasted no time slicing through the tourists’ batting.

  Kraigg Brathwaite was first to go, popping a catch to Burns at short leg off spinner Nathan Lyon for 17. His opening partner Rajendra Chandrika was LBW without playing a shot to paceman James Pattinson for 25.

  Senior batsman Marlon Samuels went LBW to Pattinson for a three-ball duck to continue his miserable series.

  Jermaine Blackwood had a successful review for a disputed low catch by Burns off paceman Peter Siddle when he was on 18.

  However, Blackwood was out 10 balls later for 28, offering Lyon a return catch.

  Denesh Ramdin swiftly followed, caught by Burns off Siddle for a duck, and skipper Jason Holder followed him the next ball — bowled off-stump for a duck.

  Carlos Brathwaite saw off the Siddle hat-trick attempt with a three down the ground.
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