Smith, Voges steamroll WI

Melbourne, December 27

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Skipper Steve Smith and Adam Voges reached more career milestones as Australia tightened their grip over the hapless West Indies in the second Test.

Smith reached his sixth Test century of the year and 13th overall with 134 and Voges remained unbeaten on 106 when the skipper declared Australia’s first innings on 551/3 .

In reply, the Caribbean tourists unravelled again and were 91/6 and trailing by 460 runs with three days left.

Hobart Test centurion Darren Bravo was on 13 with debutant Carlos Brathwaite three not out. Smith called a halt to Australia’s run plunder midway through the second day, while he was at the crease with Voges in an unbroken 223-run stand.

In the process Smith, recently named the ICC cricketer of the year, took over as the current leading run-scorer in Test cricket for 2015.

At the declaration he had scored 1,404 runs, ahead of Alastair Cook’s 1,357 with England currently playing South Africa in Durban.

Voges also moved past 1,000 Test runs in his debut year with a total of 1,028 runs in his 18th Test innings.

Only two other batsmen have scored 1,000 or more Test runs in their debut year: Australia’s Mark Taylor with 1,219 (1989) and Cook with 1,013 (2006). Voges, who has yet to be dismissed in the series after scoring an unbeaten 269 in Hobart, lifted his average to an astonishing 542 in four Tests against the West Indies this year alone. The 36-year-old late bloomer was on 56 when Darren Bravo in the slips put down a low chance from him off Carlos Brathwaite.

The Australians had four century-makers among their top five batsmen following Usman Khawaja’s 144 and Joe Burns’ 128 on the opening day. Brief scores: Australia: 551/3 decl (U Khawaja 144, J Burns 128, S Smith 134*, A Voges 106*); West Indies: 91/6 (J Blackwood 28, R Chandrika 25). — AFP