Australia wrapped up the Frank Worrell Trophy with a commanding 133-run victory over the West Indies in the second Test in Grenada on Sunday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Set 277 to level the series, the hosts crumbled to 143 all out in just 34.3 overs on the fourth morning, never threatening the target. It was the second successive match in which West Indies failed to mount any serious resistance in a chase of over 250.
Australia captain Pat Cummins was delighted with how his side fought through difficult moments across both Tests.
Both were tight matches. We had to graft our way in each of them. I’m pretty proud to win against a pretty strong West Indies side. The new ball has been tricky for both teams—just finding a way of weathering that good spell and then being really clear about where to score.
Mitchell Starc (3-24) and Nathan Lyon (3-42) did most of the damage on Sunday, backed up by Josh Hazlewood (2-33), Cummins himself (1-26), and Beau Webster (1-15).
Earlier, Shamar Joseph had briefly kept West Indies in contention. Resuming on 221 for 7, Australia lost their last three wickets for just 21 runs, with Shamar removing Cummins and Alex Carey to finish with 4 for 66. Alzarri Joseph (2-52) bowled Hazlewood to end the innings 45 minutes into the day, leaving a target that was challenging but not impossible on paper.
Reflecting on Australia’s batting, Cummins said the decisive stand between Steve Smith and Cameron Green was critical. "That partnership was probably the difference. We were behind at one stage, but those two took the game away."
Smith scored 71 and Green contributed 52 in a vital 93-run stand that ultimately proved insurmountable for the home side.
West Indies, however, were quickly undone by another top-order collapse. From 30 for 2, they slid to 99 for 7 as John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Keacy Carty, Brandon Taylor, Roston Chase, and Shai Hope all fell cheaply.
Captain Roston Chase admitted his team’s batting frailties cost them any chance of levelling the series.
We never really got those partnerships going. The new ball was the biggest challenge — we lost too many wickets early. If we could have avoided a few wickets in the first 10-15 overs, we’d have had a better chance.
"Chasing 270 was always going to be tough, but as a team, you have to believe, no matter the conditions or what happened in the last game."
Despite the defeats, Chase praised his bowlers for their commitment. "Those guys are really hungry. They’re always eager to bowl, even when I want to take them off—they ask for one more over," he said with a smile. "Makes it tough as a captain to rotate them. But they’re world-class, and they gave everything."
Brief Scores: Australia 286 & 243 (Smith 71, Green 52; Shamar Joseph 4-66) West Indies 253 & 143 (Chase 34; Starc 3-24, Lyon 3-42) Australia won by 133 runs to seal the series 2-0.
