Australia rallies past Japan to secure semifinal spot
Down by nine points at halftime, Australia bounced back strongly in the second half, outscoring Japan 37-16 to secure a dramatic win.
Four Australian players scored in double figures, with Stephanie Reid leading the way with 15 points. Zitina Lusia Aokuso and Sara Blicavs added 14 and 13 points, respectively.
"We know how good they are in transition and on the 3-point line. We did a poor job on that in the first half, but holding Japan to 16 points in the second half is a credit to the players' toughness," said Australia coach Paul Goriss.
Both teams remained unbeaten after two rounds, and the clash between them lived up to the hype, with a nip-and-tuck first quarter ending in Australia's favor at 26-22.
The two sides traded baskets from beyond the arc early in the second quarter, with the score knotted at 35-35 at the midpoint of the quarter. Stephanie Mawuli scored seven straight points as Japan began to take a stranglehold of the game en route to a 51-42 halftime lead.
Struggling against the lower-ranked Lebanon and the Philippines in the past two games, Japan rediscovered its offensive groove in the first half, nailing nine 3-pointers on 17 attempts for an impressive 52.9%, compared to Australia's 3-of-11 effort from beyond the arc.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
5 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Starc inspires Australia as West Indies all out for 27
KINGSTON: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc produced a devastating opening spell as the West Indies were demolished for 27, the second-lowest score in Test history, to suffer a humiliating 176-run defeat on the third day of the third and final game at Sabina Park on Monday. Australia swept the series 3-0 after earlier victories in Barbados and Grenada to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy. Starc reached the landmark of 400 Test wickets and Scott Boland completed a hat-trick but the hosts just avoided New Zealand's record low of 26, set in 1955. 'We didn't think things would start going our way with the ball today until the sun went down a bit,' Starc said after collecting the player of the match and series awards. 'But anyway our bowling attack has been pretty much on the money throughout the series,' he added. West Indies captain Royston Chase warned his side must improve with the first of five T20 internationals on Monday. 'Assessing this series is simple: the bowlers kept us in the contest and the batting let us down time after time,' he said. 'We need to put in some serious work on our batting moving forward if we really want to compete,' he added. West Indies were set a victory target of 204 after the tourists lost their last four wickets within 45 minutes of the start of play to be dismissed for 121 in the second innings, their lowest Test innings total against the West Indies for 30 years. Alzarri Joseph led the effort with his best Test innings figures of five for 27 while Shamar Joseph claimed four for 34 to finish with 22 wickets in the series and go past the 50-wicket mark in Tests along the way. Everything else in the frenetic first session faded into irrelevance though in the face of Starc's wrecking ball-type performance as he reached the break with figures of five for six off five overs, finishing with six for nine when he bowled last man Jayden Seales half an hour into the second session to seal the win. In his 100th Test, the left-armer made up for a luckless first innings, when he picked up just one wicket, by dismissing John Campbell with the first ball of the second innings and adding two more victims — debutant Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King off successive balls — before the opening over was completed. Starc's 400th wicket came at the start of his third over when the other opener, Mikyle Louis, was palpably leg-before. At that stage, the West Indies were five for four and Starc boasted the astonishing figures of four wickets for no runs. The 35-year-old eventually conceded two runs via the outside edge of Shai Hope's bat but then promptly trapped the same batsman lbw for his fifth wicket. He had taken just 15 deliveries, the fewest ever in Test history, to complete a five-wicket haul. Skipper Chase was then caught behind off Josh Hazlewood to make the score an eye-popping 11 for six. Boland then stole the honours at the start of the second session when he dismissed Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican off successive deliveries to complete the rare feat of a Test hat-trick. 'I was a bit nervous bowling that last ball (to Jomel Warrican),' Boland said. 'I was just trying to concentrate and keep bowling balls in good areas,' he added. Australia were without first-choice wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who suffered a concussion when hit on the helmet by Alzarri Joseph late on day two. Josh Inglis replaced him behind the stumps. — AFP
Arab Times
7 hours ago
- Arab Times
Takes 6 for 9 as Australia bowls out West Indies for 27
KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 15, (AP): Mitchell Starc took six wickets for nine runs and Scott Boland claimed a hat-trick as Australia dismissed the West Indies for 27 - the second-lowest total ever in test cricket - to win the third test by 176 runs on Monday. The West Indies missed the lowest score in test cricket by one run, due to a misfield. Starc's first 15 balls delivered the fastest five-wicket haul in test history, and his 15th five-wicket innings in tests. The tall left-arm paceman took a wicket with the first ball of the West Indies' second innings and three wickets in that first over - a triple-wicket maiden. Australia needed only 14.3 overs to rout the home team in the first day-night test at Sabina Park and complete a 3-0 series sweep. "It's been a fantastic series. I think we've seen some difficult batting conditions throughout,' said Starc, who claimed his 400th career test wicket in his 100th test, a memorable milestone. "It's been a good few days, very enjoyable, and I'll go home with a smile on my face.' Starc said he felt like his rhythm had been building for a month. "Today again just felt like everything was in sync,' he said. "Everyone who had the ball in hand today was on the mark straight away. "I don't think we imagined it was going to happen as quickly as it did, but when you've got an attack like ours, some things can happen like that.' Bowlers dominated the series, and the difference was batting, with Australia doing just enough to win the first two tests - by 159 runs in Barbados, then by 133 runs in Grenada - and then sweep the Frank Worrell Trophy. While Starc missed a hat-trick chance after dismissing Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King with consecutive deliveries, Boland completed his with the wickets of Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican. It was the 10th test hat-trick by an Australian, and the first in 15 years. Boland finished with three wickets for two runs. The West Indies was out for its lowest test score, eclipsing the 47 against England on the same ground in 2004. At 11-6 in the sixth over it was in danger of inheriting the lowest score in test history. A misfield by 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas in the 14th over allowed the West Indies to take a single and reach 27, narrowly avoiding New Zealand's 70-year-old record of 26 set against England at Auckland in 1955. Earlier, Alzarri Joseph took 5-27 as the West Indies bowled out Australia for 121 in its second innings, leaving a chase of 204 runs for victory. Australia began Day 3 at 99-6 but lasted only eight more overs. Cameron Green, who battled hard on Day 2 to reach 42, was out to the first ball of the day, and the Australian lower order followed quickly. When the West Indies replied, Starc produced an outstanding display of fast bowling on a responsive pitch.
Arab Times
7 hours ago
- Arab Times
Australia rallies past Japan to secure semifinal spot
SHENZHEN, July 15, (Xinhua): Australia rallied past Japan 79-67 to finish as Group B leader, securing a semifinal spot at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup here. Down by nine points at halftime, Australia bounced back strongly in the second half, outscoring Japan 37-16 to secure a dramatic win. Four Australian players scored in double figures, with Stephanie Reid leading the way with 15 points. Zitina Lusia Aokuso and Sara Blicavs added 14 and 13 points, respectively. "We know how good they are in transition and on the 3-point line. We did a poor job on that in the first half, but holding Japan to 16 points in the second half is a credit to the players' toughness," said Australia coach Paul Goriss. Both teams remained unbeaten after two rounds, and the clash between them lived up to the hype, with a nip-and-tuck first quarter ending in Australia's favor at 26-22. The two sides traded baskets from beyond the arc early in the second quarter, with the score knotted at 35-35 at the midpoint of the quarter. Stephanie Mawuli scored seven straight points as Japan began to take a stranglehold of the game en route to a 51-42 halftime lead. Struggling against the lower-ranked Lebanon and the Philippines in the past two games, Japan rediscovered its offensive groove in the first half, nailing nine 3-pointers on 17 attempts for an impressive 52.9%, compared to Australia's 3-of-11 effort from beyond the arc.
