Five quick hits: Josh Hazlewood snares five and Shamar Joseph goes long with the bat

Australia Broadcast Center

4 hours ago

Australia completed a massive 159-run first Test victory over the West Indies on an action-packed third day.
A wearing pitch, another terrible West Indies drop in the slips and Josh Hazlewood's rapid-fire "five-fa" all combined for a memorable day's cricket.
Here are five quick hits from day three in Barbados.
Although the West Indies had dropped seven catches over the first two days in Barbados, none of them had proved to be too consequential.
Sooner or later, however, one was bound to come back to bite them.
And when, during just the fourth over of the day, Justin Greaves shelled yet another chance in the cordon, that moment had finally come.
Travis Head hung his bat out to a wide Alzarri Joseph delivery, looping one in the direction of a diving Greaves at a comfortable speed and height.
The ball went in, and then out, and Head was given a life on 21.
From there he went on to score 61 as part of a 102-run partnership with Beau Webster, Australia's lead 157 and well on the way to being enough to secure victory on a pitch showing increasingly variable bounce.
Joseph has had rotten luck this Test.
A questionable third umpire call robbing him of a five-fa in the first innings, and five dropped catches off his bowling costing both him and the West Indies plenty more.
He's had to do it all himself at times, as was the case when Head eventually fell for 61.
Joseph's delivery was a peach but, crucially, virtually unplayable, barely bouncing and cleaning up Australia's best batter.
It was far from the only time the pitch played a role in taking a wicket.
Mitch Starc was cleaned up by a ball that jagged in a huge distance from outside off, again Joseph the bowler.
Yes, it was a crucial breakthrough that the West Indies desperately needed.
But it made Australia's bowlers sit up a little straighter as they contemplated bowling on a wearing and cracking pitch.
Batting at number seven, you often have to be everything to everyone.
Joining an established upper-order player in the middle, your role is to sit quietly and make sure your partner is confident they won't have to worry about farming the strike, and just continue to bat as they were.
Batting with the tail, you have to show composure with one hand to farm the strike and extend the innings as long as possible, while also flashing any loose deliveries away to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
It's Jekyll and Hyde.
Alex Carey showed he was perfectly adapted to it.
Starting with Webster, Carey made 10 runs in 25 balls.
After his dismissal he scored 40 in 15, blasting the ball to all corners of the ground to record his fastest ever Test half century.
As Pat Cummins and Starc fell, Carey went back into his shell, masterfully steering the ball around the field, selecting his running options and shielding Nathan Lyon as much as possible — while also ramping Joseph for a one-bounce four.
The game was very much gone.
But Joseph sure wasn't going to go quietly.
At one stage he was on track to score the fastest ever Test half century as he smashed Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon to all corners of the famous Kensington Oval.
Having already taken 9-133 in the match with the ball, Shamar's fireworks were astonishing — especially given the West Indies were 8-86 and facing a monster defeat.
He hit four 4s and four 6s in his 22-ball innings but ultimately fell just short of a maiden Test half century.
But it was fun while it lasted.
All it took was two Hazlewood deliveries.
The West Indies, a first over Starc strike aside, had made a promising start to their run chase.
John Campbell had played expressively for his 23, but he took things a step too far when he got down to scoop Hazlewood over the slips on one knee in the 11th over.
The ball glanced off the glove, looping high into the air but, crucially, not far.
Carey cantered back a couple paces and took an easy catch.
Then, the very next ball, Brandon King edged onto his pads only to see the ball balloon to Cameron Green at gully.