Shaun Marsh remained unbeaten on 139 on day one of the first Test against West Indies in Hobart.
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Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh hundreds grind West Indies
Australia 438-3 (Voges 174no) v West Indies
First Test, Hobart, day one
Scorecard
A massive 317-run stand featuring unbeaten hundreds from Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh ground West Indies into submission as Australia amassed 438 for three on day one of the first Test match in Hobart.
Australia won the toss on a flat Hobart pitch and opted to bat first. In the second over of the day, Kemar Roach (0-64) found David Warner’s (64) edge but Dinesh Ramdin was unable to catch it despite putting in a full length dive.
Along with Joe Burns (33), Warner played a positive game as Australia raced away to 70 for naught in just 10 overs.
In the 11th over, a full length delivery from Shannon Gabriel (1-59) sneaked past Burns’ defences and clattered into the stumps.
A few overs later, Warner reached his fifty in just 40 balls. Steven Smith (10) failed to push on after a start and was caught in the slips by Jermaine Blackwood (0-25) off Jomel Warrican (2-111).
At the stroke of lunch Warrican got Warner to flick a delivery down the leg side only to be caught by Ramdin. Australia went into lunch with the score at 121 for three after 24 overs.
Marsh (139 not out) hit the first boundary in the second session in the 29th over. In the next over, Voges (174 not out) struck four boundaries off Warrican.
The boundaries continued to flow off Voges’ blade and he brought up his fifty in just 55 deliveries.
Marsh on the other hand played the role of an anchor to perfection at the other end.
West Indies struggled to maintain a tight line and length as Voges kept the scoring rate high and his partnership with Marsh raced went the three figure mark.
In the 50th over of the innings, Voges brought up his run-a-ball hundred at the stroke of the tea break. It was the fastest Test hundred at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart as Australia were positioned at 257 for three.
Four overs post tea, Marsh reached a well composed fifty in 86 balls and he began to accelerate as Australia reached the 300-run mark in just 58 overs.
It wasn’t long before the partnership between Voges and Marsh soared past the 200-run mark in just 236 deliveries.
Marsh completed a century of his own in the 73rd over with a pull to the square leg boundary off Roach.
In the next over, Voges crossed the 150-run mark for the first time in his Test career. There was no respite in sight for West Indies as Australia breached the 400-run mark in the 78th over.
With a single to long-on, Marsh brought up the 300-run stand for the fourth wicket with Voges.
As the end of the day approached, both Voges and Marsh began to consolidate and took Australia to 438 for three at stumps on day one.
Warrican picked two wickets while Gabriel accounted for one. Except Jason Holder (0-45), none of the West Indian bowlers had an economy rate below four runs per over.
© Cricket World 2015
