West Indies V Australia Test series 2015

The tour consists of
1 scratch match
2 Test matches

The 3 day scratch match ended up in a draw
West Indies Board 382 + 4/161
Australia 250

That is the only lead of game leading into the first test
The biggest disappointment is perhaps a 2 Test Series

HEAD TO HEAD Australia v West Indies
If my maths is correct
111 Tests
54 Australian wins
32 West Indies wins
24 Draws
1 Tie

Ricky Ponting as captain never lost a Test match v West Indies
9 matches
7 wins
0 losses
2 draws

Kim Hughes as captain never won a Test match v West Indies
7 matches
0 wins
2 draws
5 losses

Last tour of West Indies , 3 Test series
2 Australia
1 Draw
0 West Indies

Runs were hard to come by in general

The only Australian to score a ton for the series was Matthew Wade [106] in the 3rd test
If I recall the pitches were low and slow
Highest amount of wickets in an innings was 5 wickets
Nathan Lyon 5/68
The other was a haul of 5/86 in the last test by Michael Clarke !

barring rain it'll be a whitewash, these days unfortunately the West Indies are useless at the longest form of the game, yet have a very good T20 list of players

Stumps day 1

148 WI
3/34 MJ
3/33 HAZELWOOD
2/48 STARC
1/20 LYON
1/2 SMITH

3/85 AU
17* SMITH
20* VOGES

148 is a competitive score in 20/20 cricket , but in a Test match well below par
It is the first time since 3/3/2014 Australia has bowled a test team out for less than 400 in the first innings

INDIA 2014-2015
444
408
465
475

PAKISTAN 2014
454
570

SOUTH AFRICA 2014
3RD TEST
287

ADAM VOGES
Speaking of 400s, congratulations on Adam Voges on being test cricketer 442 for Australia
It continues a vogue of Australian selectors in picking the best available team despite age
10834 First class runs at 45.52 is quite impressive
52 wickets @ 33.42 is handy bowling
1358 runs last SS season , that is the 4th most runs scored in a SS season , that is  phenomenal
Adam Voges will be 36 In October
Good on him, well deserved , hope he makes a ton on debut

Think I heard Voges is the 2nd oldest player to debut for Australia?

Voges gets his ton

aussies lead by around 170

Windies were 2/21 in second dig

ADAM VOGES
In  my last post I hoped Adam Voges would make a ton , you bewdy
Adam Voges becomes the oldest Test cricketer to make a test 100 on debut
His 130 not out is the highest score made on the at this venue

JOSH REGINALD HAZELWOOD
Made 39 batting eleven
Thats his highest Test score
Also the first time he has been dismissed in Test cricket
If my sums are correct Josh is averaging 69 at present

DEVENDRA BISHOO
Bats left hand
Bowled right arm grenades this match
6/80[33] superb effort
WILL be the most prolific West Indian wicket taking leg spinner soon
Gary Sobers cousin , David Holder 51 wickets @39.39 has that record
Bishoo is on 50 wickets at present


WI 148
AU 318 [were 6/126]
WI 2/25

Australia leads by 145
It appears very  likely that Hazelwood wont get another bat in this Test match
WI will need to make about 400 to be competitive
I doubt that

Aussie win by 9 wickets

42
22
29
17
50
11
8
28

207 runs
25.83 average

Thats the batting of David Warner in the West Indies
He is due for BIG score

WI 148
AU 318
WI 216[were 3/181]
AU 1/47

Australia cant lose this 2 Test series

2nd Test
Stumps day1
AU 4/258

AU were 2/16
Warner 0
Marsh 11
Steve Starmith saved the day making 135 not out
Taylor 3/18 [15] exceptional with the ball

A total of about 400 will just about win this series

Stumps day 3
399 Australia
220 West Indies
2/212 dec Australia
2/16 West Indies

West Indies have been set 393 runs to win
So WI need a further 377 runs
Australia need 8 wickets

However
Why declare with about 10 overs and  2 days left ?
Should have batted into day 4 and set the Windies closer to 450-500 runs

Scrappy wrote:Stumps day 3
399 Australia
220 West Indies
2/212 dec Australia
2/16 West Indies

West Indies have been set 393 runs to win
So WI need a further 377 runs
Australia need 8 wickets

However
Why declare with about 10 overs and  2 days left ?
Should have batted into day 4 and set the Windies closer to 450-500 runs

why not bat on you ask, they put them in for 3 reasons & in no particular order, they don't need 450-500 run lead to win, they could (and did) get wickets late in the day, the players want a day off & go sightseeing on what would be the fifth day

West Indies all out for 114 on day 4
New South Wales and Western Australia win by 277 runs

Poor declaration by New South Wales and Western Australia
Should have declared just after Lunch on day 3 with a lead of 200
Could have had 2 days off instead of 1

Australia win 2-0
The 2 test series was played over 7 days

The Windies really showed they've got nothing in batting stocks over these 2 tests. Highest score in 4 innings of 220. That's pretty ordinary.

Are their supposed more experienced and better batters too focused on the short forms of the game maybe?

when the West Indies best players are travelling the lucrative T20 circuit they will always struggle, it's about time the world of cricket instigate/demand changes & help them prosper

I don't think that's true Bayman. The cash that T20 throws up provides an incentive for kids from those islands to keep playing cricket. There are too many other sports that compete with cricket and the "West Indies" is a coming together of nations that are very different, we have states that contribute to our national team that we all identify with but I'm not sure that too many Jamaicans or Trinidadians actually identify as West Indians in the same way. Whatever the cause of the decline, it's sad because we have seen some of the most talented players and most exciting cricket come out of that region over the years.

It would be interesting to know what development programs the WI Board of Control have in place.

They have been competing against other sports for quite a long time, even back to their halcyon days.

My point wasn't so much about forms like T20 taking them away from test Cricket, as perhaps their ability to convert mentally to it from the short forms.

Their better players are out here for Big Bash, the IPL among other comps.
How much can you squeeze in before it affects the Test arena.

Here are the ages of the West Indies players that played the 2nd Test

25 Chandrika
22 Howzat Braithwaite
26 Bravo
23 Dowrich
21 Hope
23 Blackwood
30 Ramdin
23 Holder
25 Permaul
26 Roach
30 Taylor

They are in the rebuilding phase
Might be better to judge them when this core of players have played together for a while longer

Hope and Dowrich might be decent Test batsmen from what Ive seen
Holder looks a genuine Test allrounder now

I was impressed with Holder looks to be a very good cricketer. Their batting was very ordinary but I suppose that is to be expected when most of the team average in the 30's in first class cricket. It isn't likely that they will become test stars.

IAmTheWarrior wrote:I don't think that's true Bayman. The cash that T20 throws up provides an incentive for kids from those islands to keep playing cricket. There are too many other sports that compete with cricket and the "West Indies" is a coming together of nations that are very different, we have states that contribute to our national team that we all identify with but I'm not sure that too many Jamaicans or Trinidadians actually identify as West Indians in the same way. Whatever the cause of the decline, it's sad because we have seen some of the most talented players and most exciting cricket come out of that region over the years.

your points are valid, however your missing my point, just off the top of my head, Pollard & Gayle would STRENGTHEN the present team & without googling up their players there are plenty of them travelling the T20 circuit because they can earn a living, we all remember their tour of India & that disgraceful debacle, the decline has more than just one reason but the almighty dollar is a big reason because the West Indies cricket board (or whatever their title is) has no money & off course the politics that go with it