“Once we do that we will be in good stead for this first Test match”. His fellow thirtysomething Western Australian Marsh reached his first test 150 with another single soon afterwards and looked to be heading for a double century of his own as lunch approached.
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If there’s one way to silence a growing band of critics, it’s to come out and perform above expectations from the outset of a Test series.
“I definitely feel comfortable at this level”. He’s now got that monkey off his back, and as I pondered earlier this week, his unbeaten 139 now makes for an interesting discussion when the selectors gather before Boxing Day.
West Indies snared David Warner (64) and Steve Smith (10) before lunch, but failed to press on after the break.
But the duo fell two runs short of Australia’s all-time highest partnership for any wicket of 451 held by Bill Ponsford and Bradman against England at The Oval in 1934. “The only disappointing thing from our point of view is that you’ve got to get the product right and if the product’s not right, it’s hard to go out there and play the game”, said Warner. I think they batted very well.
After that little glimpse of promise, the crushing reality came to be.
Four overs post tea, Marsh reached a well composed fifty in 86 balls and he began to accelerate as Australia reached the 300-run mark in just 58 overs.
The Australians for their part are wary of the nothing-to-lose attitude of the West Indies. Moreover, the visitors only managed to bowl 50 overs in two sessions of play and will likely face disciplinary action from Chris Broad, the match referee, at the end of the day.
Australia were playing Untest Cricket against a sadly inept West Indies, who conceded over 400 runs in a day for the first time since 1931.
Warner, in particular, was in a sublime form as he blasted 64 off just 61 balls with 11 fours, thereby completing his 11th fifty of the year, which is the most by any Australian opener in a calendar year.
In the 11th over, a full length delivery from Shannon Gabriel (1-59) sneaked past Burns’ defences and clattered into the stumps.
Warrican then had Smith caught by Jermaine Blackwood at first slip for 10.
West Indies faced another setback when Gabriel left the field with ankle trouble, and the official word from the team management was that he would be further assessed overnight.
Steve Smith’s team are hot favourites to win the three-Test series in dominant style against the tourists.
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Speculation has risen over Hobart’s future as a Test venue amid fears that just 10,000 fans are to attend the first four days of Australia’s first Test against the West Indies, starting today.
