Cliff Notes – “Enough chances being created” – quicks could call the shots on third day in Barbados too
- Mitchell Starc anticipates variable bounce on the Kensington Oval pitch, suggesting that batting may remain challenging despite a lead of 82 for Australia.
- West Indies coach Daren Sammy expressed frustration over dropped catches, emphasising the need for improved fielding to meet the team’s goals.
‘Enough chances being created’ – quicks could call the shots on third day in Barbados too
Deputy Editor Andrew arrived at ESPNcricinfo via Manchester and Cape Town, after finding the assistant editor at a weak moment as he watched England’s batting collapse in the Newlands Test. Andrew began his cricket writing as a freelance covering Lancashire during 2004 when they were relegated in the County Championship. In fact, they were top of the table when he began reporting on them but things went dramatically downhill. He likes to let people know that he is a supporter of county cricket, a fact his colleagues will testify to and bemoan in equal quantities.
Mitchell Starc does not see the surface at Kensington Oval going the same way as Lord’s did in the World Test Championship final as Australia look to set a big enough run chase to avoid back-to-back defeats to West Indies for the first time since 1999.
In the Lord’s final earlier this month, Australia and South Africa traded low first-innings scores before batting became significantly easier on the third day under sunnier skies where, initially, Starc himself was able to make a half-century, and then Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma marshalled South Africa’s historic chase.
But though the wickets’ tally on the second day in Barbados dropped to ten compared to 14 on the first, Starc thought it unlikely that batters would suddenly start to dominate over the latter stages of this game. Travis Head and Beau Webster will resume on the third day with a lead of 82.
“I think the wicket at Lord’s was very flat when the sun came out,” Starc said. “I certainly found it easy to bat on. This [one], we’ve seen these two days, there’s so much variable [bounce] there. We saw yesterday on day one the ball shoot low and then the next over it jumped up and created a wicket. I think that’ll probably be the same tomorrow. And some good bowling that creates enough chances.
“There was a little bit of a partnership there with Beau and Trav [27 so far] there at the end, so hopefully that can continue in the morning and then push it as far as we can [with] some lower-order runs and then go from there. I think there’s enough chances [being created] as we’ve seen for the last two days, that you’re never quite in and you never know what total is going to be enough.”
When West Indies coach Daren Sammy was asked what he thought was chaseable, he joked: “I would love to chase 82. Somebody get a double-hat-trick or something.”
It was a moment of levity from a clearly frustrated Sammy, who raised questions about the umpiring and was left exasperated by his team’s catching. They dropped Sam Konstas twice on 0, taking their tally of misses in the match to six, five of which have come off Shamar Joseph. Konstas, however, was only able to make 5 before falling to Joseph for the second time in the game.
“Pretty sure they are going to get a nice bollocking. Not too angry, but for sure, it’s an attitude,” Sammy said. “The same way you practice your batting and your bowling, fielding and catching becomes equally important. Catching at slip is a skill. As somebody who fielded there, it’s a skill we constantly have to work on, putting time in it.
“Good teams will make you pay. So far, it’s not been too costly, but this is something that in order for us to improve on the goals that we have for this team, this is going to continue. Our catching efficiency has to go up.”
Regardless of the chances they have spurned, though, West Indies – and, in particular, Shamar Joseph – have left a significant early dent on Konstas’ series aspirations after scores of 3 and 5 with the innings on the second day proving especially awkward.
“I think he had three chances and still scored five,” Sammy said. “Credit to our boys. The plans that we had against their top order and the areas that the guys bowled at him, they made it very difficult. Kudos to Shamar, [because] before the Test started, he did say he’s ready for Konstas when they asked about him.”