
Why Aussie Test skipper Pat Cummins was left FUMING at umpire as Sam Konstas' miserable tour of the West Indies continues
Teenager Sam Konstas continued his miserable tour of the Carribean, forced to trudge off for a fifth-ball duck off the bowling of Shamar Joseph.
But the main talking point of the first session was a potential missed chance to run out John Campbell on 15.
After the right-hander dropped the ball to Cummins at mid-off and took a quick single, Australia's captain threw down the stumps with just one to aim at.
There was a minimal appeal from the Australians, as Campbell had looked to have made his ground easily before replays showed he had bounced his bat.
Cummins remonstrated with umpire Nitin Menon after the next ball, and could be heard to say 'I appealed', while asking while it was not referred upstairs.
'Check it out. Why wouldn't you just check it out?' he added during a heated conversation that lasted around 30 seconds.
The call would have been a difficult one for third-umpire Richard Kettleborough, with it unclear whether Campbell's bat passed the crease before it bounced up.
Cricket's laws state a batter has made their ground once either their body or bat touches the ground past the popping crease when completing a run.
Campbell went to the tea break unbeaten on 31, aided by four overthrows from Steve Smith just before the break.
A win in Jamaica would hand Australia a 3-0 series whitewash, and give the tourists the best possible start to trying to win back the World Test Championship in 2027.
Having left out spinner Nathan Lyon while fit for the first time in 12 years, Australia's four-strong pace attack still got plenty of seam movement on day two.
Hazlewood removed Brandon King for 14 in that fashion, seaming one back into the right-hander's front pad to have him lbw.
Cummins then made use of extra bounce to have Roston Chase (18) caught at slip, with one that reared up and took the outside edge.
Boland justified his call up ahead of Nathan Lyon with three wickets, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood claimed two each as Australia took an 82-run lead.
Boland made most use of it in his 3-34, removing the Windies' two top scorers in John Campbell (36) and Shai Hope (23).
The Victorian first had Campbell lbw leaving a ball that angled into the left-hander, before nipping a ball back between Hope's bat and pad to bowl him.
Boland then finished the job by bowling Shamar Joseph, wrapping up the 36-year-old's best Test figures outside of Australia.
Hazlewood had earlier trapped opener Brandon King lbw with another ball that seamed in at the right-hander, before knocking over Mikyle Louis for seven.
And while it means Australia are in the box seat to claim a 3-0 series sweep in the Frank Worrell Trophy, it isn't all good news for the tourists' under-fire top order.
Louis' ugly attempt at an across-the-line slog prompted a collapse of 6-48 for West Indies, after having fought hard for the first half on Sunday (Monday AEST).
The capitulation was best summed up by Justin Greaves (18) being run out by Sam Konstas from the deep-cover boundary, after the allrounder didn't sprint the first two runs.
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
Glos dig in against Lancs after Hartley's heroics
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Cheltenham (day three)Lancashire 557: Green 160, Hartley 130, Hurst 106; Akhter 4-85Gloucestershire 381 & 98-0: Charlesworth 61*, Bancroft 35*Glos (5pts) trail Lancs (6pts) by 78 runs with ten second-innings wickets remaining Match scorecard Tom Hartley produced another stellar performance to put the skids under Gloucestershire as Lancashire made the running on day three of the County Championship match at the College Ground, posted a career-best innings of 130 with the bat on day two, the England slow left armer returned notable figures of 6-116 - his best for Lancashire - to again steal the show. Replying to Lancashire's mammoth 557, the home side were dismissed for 381, conceding a first-innings deficit of Charlesworth staged an outstanding season's-best knock of 160 and Joe Phillips weighed in with 64 as Gloucestershire advanced confidently to 296-3. But Hartley then induced a collapse which saw the hosts lose their last seven wickets for 85 runs in 26 captain Jimmy Anderson enforced the follow-on and Gloucestershire made a better fist of things second time around, Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth safely negotiating 30 overs to stage an unbroken opening stand of 98. Gloucestershire still trail by 78 runs and Bancroft (35*) and Charlesworth (61*) will be called upon to muster further resistance on a pitch offering some assistance to spin when they return in the day had begun full of hope for Gloucestershire. Resuming on 179-1, Charlesworth and Phillips set a new county record partnership for the second wicket in matches against Lancashire, eclipsing the 160 registered by Bill Athey and Paul Romaines at Bristol in 1984. Phillips perished soon afterwards, superbly held at short square leg by Keaton Jennings off the bowling of Chris Green as Lancashire effected an early breakthrough and terminated a profitable alliance of 171 in 47.3 and Ollie Price applied themselves diligently to the task of cussed defiance and, in between performing the hard yards, these two took advantage of sufficient poor balls to post a half century stand from 104 to make something happen, Lancashire were indebted to Hartley, who persuaded Price to slice a cut shot to Luke Wells at backward point in the 72nd over. Price had contributed 31 to a stand of 58 for the third wicket, and Gloucestershire were 249-3, still 308 runs behind and with further graft required. Charlesworth was joined by Cheltenham-born Miles Hammond and these two advanced the score to 259-3 by the new ball available upon the resumption, Anderson returned at the Chapel End, only for Hammond to greet him with an off-driven four and another boundary behind square. Charlesworth then crunched the former England man through the covers off the back foot to bring up his 150 from 233 balls with his 20th Charlesworth's resistance ended soon afterwards, the 24-year-old left hander inexplicably advancing down the pitch to Hartley and being stumped by Phil Salt with the score 296-4. His dismissal sparked an alarming collapse in which the home side lost six wickets for the addition of 62 runs in 21.1 oversHammond had traded almost exclusively in boundaries, his brisk 36 including six fours and a six, when he miscued an attempted drive and offered a return catch to Hartley. On a roll by now, Hartley struck again in his next over, dismissing Graeme van Buuren lbw without scoring, before persuading James Bracey to pop a catch up to short square leg to complete a remarkable five-wicket seen their middle order blown away by Hartley, Gloucestershire's tail end fared no better against Lancashire's back-up spinners. Zaman Akhter fell lbw to Green and Ajeet Singh Dale succumbed in near-identical fashion to Wells' leg breaks. Hindered by a hamstring strain, Marchant de Lange emerged with Phillips as a runner and the big man suggested a possible escape route for Gloucestershire by smiting two huge sixes. But Hartley returned to have the South African held in the deep, leaving Todd Murphy high and dry on 22 not out, as the hosts fell 27 short of saving the follow and Charlesworth restored calm during a final session that, in stark contrast to what had gone before, failed to yield a single dismissal. Watchful in the face of a new-ball examination at the hands of Anderson, Gloucestershire's openers initially focused their efforts on occupying the crease and taking up time. But as Lancashire's bowlers began to tire, so the opening partnership up where he left off in the first innings, Charlesworth went to 50 from 64 balls with seven fours and a six, his antics causing the threat of further collapse to recede into the distance. His captain proved rock-solid, Bancroft chiselling an unbeaten 35 from 86 balls to serve notice that Gloucestershire remain in the fight. Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Rain keeps Essex win at Sussex on hold
Rothesay County Championship Division One, 1st Central County Ground, Hove (day three)Sussex 204 & 245-7: Coles 99*; Critchley 3-33Essex 504: Cox 132, Critchley 123; Hudson-Prentice 3-78Sussex (2 pts) trail Essex (8 pts) by 55 runsMatch scorecard James Coles led Sussex's resistance with an unbeaten 99 but his efforts seem unlikely to deny Essex victory over Sussex at was on the verge of a third successive County Championship century when rain arrived at 17:20 BST and play was abandoned shortly afterwards with Sussex 245-7 in their second innings, still trailing by 55 after conceding a first-innings deficit of is Sussex's man in form. He made 148 not out at Durham and 150 in Sussex's last home match against Warwickshire and he top scored in their first innings with 52. Only five batters have scored more Championship runs this season than the 21-year-old, and he didn't offer a chance here after arriving in the seventh over with Sussex he and Tom Alsop (72) were adding 141 in 72 overs for the third wicket Sussex harboured hopes of stalling Essex's push for Alsop was lbw to Matt Critchley in the leg-spinner's second over and after tea Sussex lost four wickets for 26 in 40 balls including their leading run scorer John Simpson, calamitously run out going for a second run on an the start of the day Essex skipper Simon Harmer clubbed three sixes to reach a half-century before he was last out for 53 as Essex's first innings ended on 504, a lead of new-ball pair Sam Cook and Jamie Porter soon made inroads. Tom Haines nibbled at Cook's first ball and edged it to third slip beforePorter struck in the seventh over to remove Daniel Hughes, courtesy of a fine low catch at second slip by from 33-2 Coles and Alsop rebuilt patiently. Alsop's fourth fifty of the season came off 104 balls and the normally more attacking Coles took 117 deliveries for his, but neither offered a chance as the Kookaburra ball quickly lost its effectiveness and Essex had to settle for had little success himself, Harmer turned to Critchley in the 47th over and with his first ball he nearly won an lbw verdict against Alsop. But the fourth delivery of his next over straightened enough to beat Alsop's defensive push. He faced 150 balls and hit nine had a breakthrough and after tea they rammed home their superiority, aided once again by some pretty poor shot selection by the Sussex middle and lower Ibrahim (19), who had helped Coles add 48 for the fourth wicket, got a leading edge in the first over after the resumption and Khaleel Ahmed took the catch in his follow through, while Simpson was run out by Cook's throw looking for a second run on an overthrow after a moment's hesitation between him and then struck in successive overs. Fynn Hudson-Prentice's mistimed drive was caught well in the covers by Harmer and Jack Carson tamely picked out mid-wicket aiming to hit Critchley over the the clouds rolled in, Ari Karvelas defied Critchley and Harmer for 33 balls but it would need a lot more resistance from him, Coles and Sussex's tail to keep Essex at bay on the final day. Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay


Times
an hour ago
- Times
Jac Morgan on Lions bench proves form does at least count for something
Thank the Lord for Jac Morgan's selection. Or thank Lord Farrell, at least. Morgan's selection can give you faith. Legions of British & Irish Lions fans will be relieved and delighted that Morgan has been promoted to the bench for the second Test against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday. And, yes, a majority of them may be Welsh, but what is crucial here is to remember the position held by Andy Farrell, the head coach: that he won't allow his selection process to be swayed by national interests or any desire to keep all four nations represented. Rightly so, of course. Yet Morgan's selection for the second Test is important for reasons far more weighty than any kind of PR. It is only a bench spot, but it is representative of far more. It proves that it has still been possible to play your way into the team. This is essential to how the Lions operate. Indeed, if they do not operate this way, then the Lions do not work — and that was, worryingly, how the class of 2025 had been looking. Every Lions coach will set out on tour with a likely or possible Test team in his head. Farrell did that and there were surely lots of Irishmen in there. But that's OK if the other players in the squad can change his thinking by the quality of their performances. In the Lions' rich history, there are long chapters on this very subject. Tom Smith and Paul Wallace, the two first-choice props in 1997: they are a chapter in themselves because they were no one's idea of a pair of Test props when the squad left for South Africa, but because of the way they played in the matches in the weeks before the Tests, their quality won them their starting spots. Here in Australia, though, one has wondered: does form still count? Is it actually possible to do a Smith, a Wallace? That was why the selections of Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne a week ago were deemed controversial — because they hadn't notably excelled in the pre-Test games and Morgan had. Of all the back-row forwards in the squad, in those pre-Test games, Morgan was arguably the best of the lot. And yet he didn't even make the bench. It thus became clear how much Farrell had always wanted to start Curry. After Morgan's omission, the appropriate questions then were: what more could he have done? And: is there actually a way in? You do not have to extrapolate much further to then be asking: what was the point of Morgan coming? Not just Morgan, but all those others who boarded the plane more than a month ago and were not in the forefront of Farrell's selection plans. Why were they here if they didn't actually have a chance of breaking in? And once you get to that, you are questioning the very fabric of the touring Lions. But Morgan is in now. He has replaced Ben Earl on the bench. His form demanded it and the demands have been met. There is a spectrum here between being a very flexible selector and one whose opinion is hard to shift. Call it the selector's flexibility scale. For this Lions tour, Farrell's position on the flexibility scale is close to one end, the hard-to-shift end, though Morgan's selection at least shows that it is not at the complete extreme. There are circumstances that come in to play here. The opposition in the pre-Test matches has been subpar. This has lowered the value of a good performance; it has meant you could have a blinder and still not really turn Farrell's head. Morgan was man of the match against the Queensland Reds and that didn't seem to do him much good in the selection conversation for the first Test. You could say that Farrell's position on the selector's flexibility scale was then vindicated because he wasn't swayed by Morgan's form and instead picked Curry on account of the vast body of work in his international career to date and his record for showing up strong for big games — and Curry repaid his faith. Curry was magnificent. For the second Test, what is particularly fascinating about Farrell's team selection is his midfield. Due to injury, he has ended up with Bundee Aki and Huw Jones but he had wanted to go with his Irish duo of Aki and Garry Ringrose. He said that Sione Tuipulotu was suffering from a tight hamstring. Nevertheless, it would appear that, had everyone been fit, he would have gone with the Irish pair, despite the quality of the Scots in the first Test. Yes, even though Jones and Tuipulotu had proved their worth, Farrell would not have been persuaded by their form. That makes his position on the flexibility scale even more extreme. You may wonder, then, what it would take to unseat James Lowe from his Test position on the left wing. Lowe has very much not been in form here in Australia and it would appear he has been fortunate that the rivals to his position in the Test team have been unfit. But what of Blair Kinghorn, returning from injury in the game against a First Nations & Pasifika XV on Tuesday night? What if he'd had a good game? (he didn't). Would his form have forced his way in? That we will probably never know. All we can be sure of is that if you do happen to play outstandingly well over a period of time, then, as Morgan has proved, it is actually possible to change Farrell's mind after all. Second Test, MelbourneSaturday, 11amTV Sky Sports