Quantcast

Match Report:

Scorecard

Australia cruise to series clean sweep

All-round quality display from bowling group wraps up a one-sided contest in Jamaica

Scorecard: West Indies v Australia

Australia will head into the first Ashes Test full of confidence after they demolished the West Indies on the fourth day of the second Test and secured a comprehensive 2-0 series victory.

The gulf in class between the two teams was there for all to see in the morning session as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood led the rout of the home side for 114 to complete the win by a whopping 277 runs.

It is Australia's second-largest margin of victory over the West Indies in the Caribbean and their fifth-largest in Frank Worrell Trophy Tests.

"To win the first one in three days and this one in four days is a fantastic achievement," Clarke said.

"We've obviously played really well here. We've got another tough series coming up in England but right now it's about enjoying the success we've had here in the West Indies.

"I think we played some really good cricket throughout this series in both Test matches.

"It was nice to see the batters make the runs and the bowlers bowl as well as they have.

"The bowlers were exceptional throughout this series on wickets that were quite slow. There wasn't much pace and bounce there for the fast bowlers but I thought they worked really hard."

The home side started the day at 2-16 having been set an improbable 392 for victory and lost 5-56 in the morning session.

Starc started the rot in the fifth over of the day in typical fashion, a full inswinger squeezing between the bat and pad of Shane Dowrich (4) and cannoning into off stump.

Hazlewood joined the party soon afterwards when he forced Darren Bravo (11) into a firm push outside off stump and Shaun Marsh took a brilliant low catch at gully for the second time in the innings.

Image Id: ~/media/AB69A62209C645FCB04BA6397470C19F

Josh Hazlewood won Player of the Series // Getty Images

It was Hazlewood's 11th wicket of the series, one more than Starc, and he stretched his lead to two in his next over when Jermaine Blackwood was cleaned up by one that moved in and kept a little low.

Blackwood was the third duck of the innings and his departure left the home side in tatters at 5-33 from 19 overs.

Promising youngster Shai Hope and captain Denesh Ramdin resisted for nine overs and 22 runs before the former was bowled by Mitchell Johnson with a delivery from around the wicket that jagged in, kept low and went between bat and pad.

The home side were six down for just 55 and the collapse continued seven runs later when first innings hero Jason Holder spooned a simple catch to Starc at midwicket to hand Shane Watson his first wicket of the series and have the tourists seven down at lunch.

Ramdin and Veerasammy Permaul pushed the total past the 100 mark after the break, thanks in part to two outside edges in four balls that flew to Michael Clarke's right at second slip and down to the third man boundary.

But Ramdin couldn't squeeze his next edge wide enough, Clarke taking the catch to give Johnson his second and end the partnership at 49.

Image Id: ~/media/AE20DE2BFD6F4B2EA22AE25EE17A6FF3

Johnson's second scalp equalled Craig McDermott's mark of 291 Test wickets // Getty Images

It was Johnson's 291st Test wicket, drawing him level with fast-bowling coach and former Test quick Craig McDermott, but the left-armer diddn't get a chance to surpass him as Nathan Lyon wrapped up the tail with two wickets in two balls.

The off-spinner had Kemar Roach caught by Steve Smith at short leg for three before Jerome Taylor was bowled first ball after throwing everything at a well-flighted delivery.

Steve Smith was awarded man of the match for his superb double of 199 and 54 not out, while Hazlewood's 12 wickets earned him Player-of-the-Series honours in his first overseas Test tour.

Image Id: ~/media/CB931D7304F446A0A3F52302F9FB845A

Smith was an easy choice for man of the match // Getty Images

Australia: David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke (c), Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Shane Dowrich, Rajendra Chandrika, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin (c), Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach.