West Indies bowl Australia out for 286 in Grenada
Australia's top-order batting issues continued as they were bowled out for 286 by West Indies on day one of the second Test in Grenada.After electing to bat, Australia were reduced to 110-5, with the returning Steve Smith dismissed for three by Alzarri Joseph, who took 4-61.Half-centuries from Beau Webster and Alex Carey in a stand of 112 steadied the innings before Australia lost their last five wickets for 64 runs.The West Indies openers made their way out to start their reply but bad light prevented the innings from beginning at the National Stadium in St George's.
Australia won the first Test by 159 runs but were bowled out for 180 on day one and the top order struggled again in the second innings. They slipped to 65-4 before Travis Head, Webster and Carey bailed them out.In Grenada teenage opener Sam Konstas and veteran partner Usman Khawaja put on 47 before both were dismissed without another run added.Smith top-edged a pull shot to fine leg, trying to take the attack to fast bowler Joseph, as Australia lost three wickets for three runs.Smith, who has replaced Josh Inglis, missed the first Test after dislocating his right little finger during defeat by South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord's last month.Cameron Green fell to Jayden Seales off the final ball before lunch to leave the tourists in trouble at 93-4.Following a brief delay for rain, Head was dismissed for 29, caught behind off Shamar Joseph, with the third umpire ruling wicketkeeper Shai Hope's take low to his left was clean.All-rounder Webster and wicketkeeper Carey responded brilliantly to steer Australia to 209-5 at tea.Carey was more scratchy and was dropped on 46 by Hope but also hit 10 fours and one six in his 63 off 81 balls, before he tamely picked out mid-wicket off Justin Greaves.Webster was firm in defence in making 60 off 115 but misjudged a risky second run to deep point and was run out by Keacy Carty as Australia's lower order subsided.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Porter and his cauliflower ears could be quote of the Lions tour so far
If there was a competition for the most quotable Lion then Pierre Schoeman with his chat about Vikings, gladiators, bison and the secret world of the prop forward would be a landslide in terms of single best quote of the tour so far, his fellow loosehead Andrew Porter is running him close. What is it about all these charismatic props?In the aftermath of the Lions' win over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, Porter spoke about his cauliflower ears - "nothing I can do about them now, they're too far gone" he said about possible surgery later in life - while also speaking about whether his newborn son might one day become a prop."He's already getting huge, but I'm not sure my wife would want him being a prop," said Porter, before adding: "Looking at my ears, he's lucky he didn't come out with them."Quite an image, that.
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
No form, but Owen Farrell picked to drive Lions standards like no other
Surprise, surprise! Owen Farrell is en route to join the British & Irish Lions; a development that has been trailed from the moment he was omitted from the original squad on fitness grounds. When coaches out here in Australia are talking privately about what Farrell could add to this squad, it felt inevitable that the former England captain would be parachuted in to join his fourth Lions tour. The trigger for Farrell's call-up was the fractured arm sustained by Elliot Daly in a cruel twist of fate during the Lions' 52-12 victory over Queensland Reds on Wednesday. Daly was not supposed to be playing, but he answered the call after Hugo Keenan fell ill and is now heading home, his arm in a cast. Daly's final act on tour was to announce to the players the team for Saturday's game against NSW Waratahs. Heading in the opposite direction, and bound for a fourth Lions tour, is his club-mate Farrell, a selection made on faith, not form; experience, not evidence. In performance terms, it defies logic. Farrell barely played for Racing 92 last season because of a groin operation and then concussion, from which he has not yet received the official all-clear. The former England captain has not played Test rugby in 20 months, since stepping back after the 2023 World Cup in order to prioritise his mental health. But the Lions coaching staff are prepared to overlook the fact that Farrell has no recent body of work and to trust that his experience gleaned from a 112-cap Test career, his rugby intelligence and his leadership, will enhance the squad. It is quite the leap of faith. No other player in the home nations would receive a Lions call-up in these circumstances. The same could have been said in 2021 of Alun Wyn Jones, who was recalled to the Lions tour three weeks after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the opening game of the campaign. Some people just operate by different rules. Farrell will join Jones in the elite club of Lions to have been on four tours, alongside Willie John McBride, Brian O'Driscoll and Mike Gibson. 'He should be proud of himself,' Andy Farrell, the Lions head coach, said. 'But it's the here and now that matters.' Multiple sources told The Times that Owen Farrell would have been in the original 38-man squad had he not been injured at the time of the announcement, because he has multiple acolytes among the coaching staff. Farrell forged a close relationship with Johnny Sexton, now a Lions assistant coach, on the 2013 and 2017 tours. Last November, before he took up his role with the Lions, Sexton told The Times that Farrell would be his Test fly half. 'If Owen Farrell was Irish, he'd be considered the greatest player that we've had,' Sexton said. 'An amazing competitor. He's one of the best team-mates I've ever had. He's one of the best players I've ever played with. It's tough to see him not playing international rugby. He's someone that should be playing international rugby still and captaining England. I have nothing but admiration for him. When you know him as a person, you see the real Owen Farrell.' Farrell won multiple Premiership and European titles at Saracens alongside Richard Wigglesworth, also a Lions assistant coach. And nobody understands his winning mentality and desire to drive standards better than his father, Andy, the Lions head coach, because it is a quality they share. So, to that extent it is no surprise at all that Farrell is heading down under. And yet many are stunned by the decision. For example, a Welshman, working as a hotel receptionist in Sydney, reacted to the news with a series of expletives. Safe to say, he was not impressed. And he was not alone. Dan Biggar, the Lions Test fly half in 2021, struggled to comprehend the decision. Others in the game described it as appalling, questioned whether he was good enough any more to compete at the highest level, or saw the whole thing as a needless distraction that could disrupt the balance of the squad. How will Finn Russell, who finally gets the chance to be the Lions Test fly half, and Fin Smith respond to this new competition, having spent a combined total of six weeks working on shaping the attack? If Marcus Smith did not already know his place within this squad, then he does now. So why risk the disruption and the distraction? Why is Owen Farrell flying to Sydney instead of George Ford, who will win his 100th England cap in Argentina on Saturday and is now destined to never be a Lion. Why not turn to a player of similar positional versatility to Daly, such as Scotland's Tom Jordan? The first clue that something was afoot came in the post-match press conference on Wednesday, when Andy Farrell was asked about his options at No15 without Daly, who had been the form candidate on the tour. 'We have plenty of full backs,' he said. Keenan and Blair Kinghorn both make their first tour appearances on Saturday, but they can comfortably slot into the role. Plus Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones and Mack Hansen can fill in. What is harder to replace is Daly's experience as a three-tour Lion, who had played in 18 of a possible 22 games in New Zealand (2017), South Africa (2021) and Australia. Maro Itoje and Tadhg Furlong are the only Lions in this squad who would have experienced the challenges of a proper tour, having also been in New Zealand in 2017. 'He [Daly] knows how it is and what it's like to tour,' Andy Farrell said. So too does Owen Farrell. Only Alun Wyn Jones, Matt Dawson and Mako Vunipola have played more Lions games in the professional era. Sexton's comment about Owen Farrell's qualities as a team-mate also came racing to mind — because they chime exactly with a theme that Andy Farrell has been striking on this tour, in multiple addresses to his players. 'If we get competition for places like we know we can, and if we team that with being the best team-mates we possibly can be, we are in for a hell of a ride,' Andy Farrell said. Owen Farrell will tick both of those boxes. He has been brought to Australia predominantly as an inside centre, the position he played for two Tests on the 2017 Lions tour. His ability to also play fly half has the potential to immediately change the dynamic of the selection conversation. Instead of selecting three specialists on the bench — such as Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith and Bundee Aki — the Lions could cover more bases with Mitchell, Farrell and a Freeman or Hansen. All of that, of course, is predicated on the assumption that Farrell is fit enough to play. He needs to complete the contact elements of the concussion return protocols to play when he lands. 'We are a little bit vulnerable in and around the No12 position and obviously Owen can play No10 as well. He's the right man at this moment in time for us,' Farrell Sr said. 'If he didn't have a chance of the Test, then what is the point? The experience Owen brings, the support that you need for the group and how you make the room feel. We have said from minute one that the only thing we want is competition. 'I understand all the questions. I know the players on the inside, their characters. You're talking about the No10s [and how they might react]. They're great characters, professionals, people and understand what it is to be a great team-mate on a tour like this.' Farrell Sr had the unique honour of calling Owen to invite him on the Lions tour after a turbulent couple of years, during which he was abused on social media, booed at the World Cup and relocated to Paris in a club move to escape England that didn't really work out. It is quite the comeback. They would have both known how this selection would kick up a storm. But Farrell Jr did not hesitate in accepting the opportunity; indeed, he had been in regular touch with the Lions medics over his fitness. 'He didn't cry like Finlay Bealham did [at his call-up],' Andy Farrell said. 'The timing had to be right for him. We feel that the timing is right now and that we can all move on and push on, not just with Owen's career, but what we're trying to achieve here with the Lions. We see him adding to the group and injecting a bit of life and experience into the squad.' Waratahs v British & Irish Lions Allianz Stadium, Sydney Saturday, 11am TV Sky Sports Main Event
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Wallabies Valetini, Skelton omitted from Fiji test
MELBOURNE, July 4 (Reuters) - Australia loose forward Rob Valetini and lock Will Skelton were omitted from the match-day squad for Sunday's one-off Fiji test in a blow to the Wallabies' preparations for the British & Irish Lions series. The pair have been struggling with injuries, local media have reported, leaving coach Joe Schmidt short of experience and power for the match in Newcastle, the Wallabies' only warmup for the Lions series starting in Brisbane on July 19. Valetini, who was starting blindside flanker against Ireland in the Wallabies' last test in November, has been replaced by Langi Gleeson, while lock Jeremy Williams will partner Nick Frost in the second row in the team released on Friday. The Wallabies' season-opening test sees number eight Harry Wilson retained as captain and Joseph Suaalii resume his midfield partnership with Len Ikitau. Noah Lolesio remains at flyhalf but Tate McDermott will be starting scrumhalf in place of Jake Gordon, who has also been under an injury cloud, according to reports. Rugby Australia made no mention of any injuries to players in its team release, with Schmidt set to appear at a press conference later on Friday. With hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa released from the squad, Dave Porecki starts in the number two jersey in his first test since the 2023 World Cup. He lines up next to veteran props James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa. Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter are the starting wingers, with Fiji-born Filipo Daugunu to provide pace off the bench. Under Eddie Jones, Australia were shocked 22-15 by Fiji at the World Cup before crashing out of the group phase of the tournament for the first time. "The whole squad has worked hard on and off the field and reconnected well with a short runway from our assembly through to the test on Sunday against Fiji," Schmidt said in the squad release. "I think the players and the wider management are keen to get underway, especially in front of a big crowd here in Newcastle." Mick Byrne-coached Fiji are looking for their first win in Australia in over 70 years. Team: 15-Tom Wright, 14-Harry Potter, 13-Joseph Suaalii, 12-Len Ikitau, 11-Max Jorgensen, 10-Noah Lolesio, 9-Tate McDermott, 8-Harry Wilson (capt), 7-Fraser McReight, 6-Langi Gleeson, 5-Jeremy Williams, 4-Nick Frost, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-David Porecki, 1-James Slipper. Replacements: 16-Billy Pollard, 17-Angus Bell, 18-Zane Nonggorr, 19-Tom Hooper, 20-Carlo Tizzano, 21-Nic White, 22-Ben Donaldson, 23-Filipo Daugunu
