Australia regain initiative as West Indies dismissed for 190

  • Hosts rue controversial dismissals at crucial moments

  • Beau Webster impresses with two wickets in fight back

Australia’s bowlers have hit back after a poor morning session to bowl out West Indies for 190 and regain the initiative in an absorbing and fluctuating first Test at Bridgetown.

But while the hosts grabbed a 10-run first-innings lead, they were again left unimpressed by two controversial dismissals of their key batters, captain Roston Chase and white-ball skipper Shai Hope, which may have tipped the game in Australia’s favour.

Continue reading...

England call Jofra Archer into squad for second Test against India at Edgbaston

  • Bowler last in Test setup in February 2021

  • Archer played first red-ball match in four years this week

England have fast-tracked Jofra Archer into their squad to face India in the second Test at Edgbaston next week despite the misgivings of the bowler’s coach at Sussex.

The 30-year-old fast bowler returns to the Test setup for the first time since March 2021 after successfully coming through his first red-ball match for 1,501 days in Sussex’s match at Durham this week.

Continue reading...

New-look top order blown away by West Indies as Australia dismissed for 180

  • Batting ripped apart by Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales

  • Travis Head top scores with 59 in first Test

Australia’s new-look top-order has been shredded by a familiar West Indian tormentor Shamar Joseph as life without Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith began in wholly unconvincing fashion in Bridgetown.

Joseph, playing against the Aussies for the first time since his brilliance at Brisbane 17 months ago bowled the West Indies to their first Test triumph down under in 27 years, ripped through the new-look vanguard with four wickets as Pat Cummins’ men were dismissed for 180 in Barbados on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

England ease off Bazball big talk but continue to embrace thrill of the chase

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’s side have developed clarity in the final innings and never seem to give up

Sports writers love a Churchillian speech that precedes a mind-bending feat. Take three years ago, when word got back that Brendon McCullum had told his England players to “run towards the danger” at Trent Bridge before Jonny Bairstow vaporised a target of 299 against New Zealand. It was like ruddy catnip for the press corps.

This time, after reeling in 371 at Headingley on Tuesday at a breezy 4.5 runs per over and with 14 overs to spare? Apparently very little was said in the dressing room beforehand beyond “bat the day, win the game” or Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett deciding between them to ignore the target and just “play like it was day one”.

Continue reading...