Alex Carey and Michael Neser (centre) were key players on Day Four at Adelaide Oval (Picture: Cricket Australia)
Australia wrapped up the Second Test before lunch on Day Four with bowling that left the West Indies reeling. Taking out the match by a massive 419 runs, the Australians will go into the series against South Africa with growing confidence.
The West Indies started the day with six wickets in hand to chase down a mammoth 459 for the win but were eventually bowled out inside 20 overs. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey and bowler Michael Neser featured heavily in the day’s highlights, making the most of the home ground that they have both shared over the years in the limited-overs formats.
Here are the moments that mattered from Day Four at Adelaide Oval.
Starc swings into action to claim two
Opening the bowling on Day Four, Mitchell Starc was on early. The first ball of the day was an in-swinging delivery that hit the pad of Devon Thomas, prompting an appeal for LBW.
The ball was going on to miss the stumps on height which gave Thomas another life and lost a review for Australia. Thomas only managed a boundary after this lifeline, heading back to the sheds two overs later, after an Alex Carey catch off an outside edge.
The wicket brought wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva to the middle to combine with Jason Holder. Holder’s fighting innings (11 off 61 balls) was ended three overs later after Starc knocked over his stumps to send them cartwheeling.
After a fruitful opening burst, Starc and Scott Boland were taken out of the attack to be replaced by Michael Neser and Nathan Lyon.
Da Silva and Chase fight back
There was a bit of resistance to the Australian bowlers in their attempts to finish off the West Indian tail-enders, this came in the form of Da Silva and Roston Chase. The duo managed three boundaries off the bowling off Neser and Starc, which was solid considering the stranglehold that the bowlers possessed over the game.
Australian off-spinner Lyon came into the attack with Da Silva starting well with 11 off 12 deliveries alongside Chase who was batting to keep his side alive as long as possible. A glimmer of hope eventuated for the Aussies with an outside edge seemingly traveling to Travis Head off Lyon’s bowling in his fourth over, however, there was no bat involved.
After a 20-run partnership, Chase fell first after hitting 13 runs off 29 deliveries, following him five balls later was Da Silva who defended a ball from Neser that Carey caught brilliantly up to the stumps off the paceman Neser.
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Neser and Carey strike twice in a row
Neser and Carey were focal points in the last portion of play on Day Four with the wicketkeeper Carey taking six catches in an innings. This is the second time he has taken over five catches in an innings, a feat that sees him join esteemed company of Wally Grout, Rod Marsh, Ian Healy, and Brad Haddin in holding the record for the most dismissals in a Test innings by a wicketkeeper.
The three grabs in the last few overs were the highlight of this feat with Carey taking the wickets of Marquino Mindley, Da Silva, and Chase in this fashion. His partner in crime Neser joined Starc in taking three wickets on Day Four with the former relishing the opportunity to play at the Test level again.
The collapse is completed by the Goat
With the West Indian collapse incoming, it was Lyon that notched up a milestone after taking down Alzarri Joseph. By hitting Joseph’s stumps, Lyon became the third Australian bowler to reach 450 Test wickets after Glenn McGrath and the late Shane Warne.
Lyon kept the bowling tight, producing a wicket maiden which ensured Joseph was taken out two balls after the wicket of Da Silva. After managing one run off the first four balls of Neser’s final over of the day, Mindley defended with an outside edge headed to Carey.
The screamer was taken and the match was complete with Australia taking out the series with two wins from two games. In the second innings, the West Indies only managed 77 runs which paled in comparison to the feats completed by both Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
The Australians look towards their upcoming series with South Africa to start on Saturday at the Gabba.
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