Finally, in a helter-skelter series, something approaching a normal day’s Test cricket took place. In the second Test against West Indies in Grenada, Australia added 209 for five after resuming at a vulnerable 12 for two, taking their overall lead out to 254. The normality of the score is masked by the fact that several tropical rain delays kept play to 58.3 overs, so a full day’s play would likely have seen Australia bowled out and West Indies at least commencing the fourth innings. As it is, this match will now make it into a fourth day.
It was Cameron Green and Steve Smith who created that sense of normality, after the nightwatch Nathan Lyon hung around for almost an hour before nicking Alzarri Joseph to third slip on eight. The fact that John Campbell held the catch in a faulty cordon was a boost for West Indies, but Green and Smith tamped that back down. Green had the occasional problem, with an inside edge past the stumps or a sharply lifting ball, but produced the most convincing innings of his brief foray to No 3 in the batting order, moving to 52 with the occasional powerful cut shot, and otherwise a lot of forward defence and working the ball around.
It was after lunch when he played a perfect straight drive, his shot of the innings, to reach his fifty, then next ball chopped the ball on to his stumps attempting a late cut. Feeling he had wasted the hard work to the stage, he lost his bat as he swung it in frustration.
But at 121 for four, Travis Head walked out to crash his first ball through cover for four, and his free scoring seemed to ease some pressure on Smith. To that point Smith had looked more twitchy and unsure, playing conservatively but spasmodically trying an overly big shot that didn’t work with the variable bounce of this pitch, balls scooting under or jumping over the bat.
With Head periodically smoking a drive, Smith’s aggressive shots came off, slotting Justin Greaves’ medium pace over mid on for four, and Roston Chase’s off spin over long off for six. Half century number 44 in his career came and went, but he couldn’t turn it into century number 37. It was shortly after tea, on 71, when Greaves got his own back, angling the ball in to smash pad, then bat, the on-field umpire ruling correctly.
Australia have relied on Beau Webster of late, but Greaves got on a roll, drawing a hearty drive that Webster nicked to Chase for another successful slip catch. Head had a little flurry with fellow South Australian Alex Carey for seven overs, then was bowled for 39 by a ball angled in at the left-hander around the wicket. By that stage it was past the scheduled close, but two overs later, added time was ended when the umpires decided that the light was insufficient. Without light towers on the small island ground, nature must be respected.
West Indies, then, remain in the game, but only just, due to resume with Carey on 26, Pat Cummins on four, and Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to come. Australia’s lead of 254 would already be a testing chase on a pitch with enough inconsistencies, and the leading likelihood of those getting worse. The home side can’t afford to let those last three wickets add anything substantial on morning four, whereas Australia know that even another 50 runs will deflate their opponents. Showers may continue having an effect, but there is all the time in the world left for a result in a match this far along.
