ADAM VOGES became the oldest man to score a century on Test debut as Australia took control on the second day in Dominica. It was a day of frustration and missed opportunities for West Indies, who had the chance to run through Australia but allowed the tail to wag and found themselves facing a 170-run first-innings deficit after Australia turned in 318 all out.
They then lost both their openers cheaply late in the afternoon.
Devendra Bishoo had given West Indies the perfect start by spinning out three batsmen before lunch and he finished with 6 for 80, but Voges remained a calm presence at the crease throughout Australia’s innings.
The 97-run stand that he and Josh Hazlewood compiled for the last wicket could prove to be the difference, although Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon also provided useful support.
By stumps, West Indies were in an even bigger hole. Shai Hope edged Johnson to second slip and was sharply taken by Michael Clarke, and next ball Mitchell Starc swung one in to rattle the stumps of Kraigg Brathwaite.
It left West Indies on 25 for 2 at stumps, still 145 runs behind, with Darren Bravo on 3 and Shane Dowrich on 1. A mountain of work remained for them on day three.
For Australia, it was a day to celebrate the achievement of Voges, who at 35 replaced Zimbabwe’s David Houghton as Test cricket’s oldest debut centurion. Patience is no problem for Voges – he has had to wait 160 first-class matches for this opportunity – and he displayed impressive concentration throughout this innings, bringing up his hundred from his 187th delivery.
Having made a brisk start on the first afternoon, Voges took a more steady approach on the second day, waiting for his opportunities to work runs through gaps and taking few risks. Rarely did he play a loose shot, although just after reaching his half-century he pulled Marlon Samuels and a diving Jermaine Blackwood at midwicket put down a tough chance.
It was an example of the difference in fielding between the two sides: Australia grasped nearly everything in West Indies’ first innings, but West Indies let opportunities slip. Voges received another life on 104 when Hope dropped one at gully off Taylor, and Hazlewood was put down on 33 as the afternoon wore on.
West Indies seemed unable to find the intensity they needed to finish the Australians off: the seventh-, ninth- and tenth-wicket partnerships were Australia’s best of the innings.
They were six down when Voges nudged them past West Indies’ total of 148 but Johnson, Lyon and then Hazlewood all offered vital support to Voges, who never looked flustered as wickets fell.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES 1st innings 148
AUSTRALIA 1st innings (o/n 85 for three)
D. Warner c Blackwood b Taylor 8
S. Marsh c Bravo b Holder 19
S. Smith stp. Ramdin b Bishoo 25
M. Clarke c wkp. Ramdin b Bishoo 18
A. Voges not out 130
S. Watson c Holder b Bishoo 11
B. Haddin b Bishoo 8
M. Johnson c Samuels b Bishoo 20
M. Starc b Bishoo 0
N. Lyon lbw b Gabriel 22
J. Hazlewood b Samuels 39
Extras: (b-9, lb-3, w-1, nb-5) 18
Total: (all out, 107 overs) 318
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-38, 3-61, 4-97, 5-112, 6-126, 7-178, 8-178, 9-221.
Bowling: Taylor 20-0-72-1 (nb-3), Gabriel 15-3-38-1 (w-1, nb-2), Holder 14-3-30-1, Bishoo 33-10-80-6, Samuels 22-2-71-1, Blackwood 3-0-15-0.
WEST INDIES 2nd innings
K. Brathwaite b Starc 15
S. Hope c Clarke b Johnson 2
D. Bravo not out 3
S. Dowrich not out 1
Extras: (lb4) 4
Total: (2 wkts, 11 overs) 25
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-21.
Bowling: Johnson 3-0-11-1, Starc 3-1-6-1, Hazlewood 3-1-4-0, Lyon 2-2-0-0.
Position: West Indies trail by 145 runs with eight second innings wickets intact.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Richard Kettleborough; TV – Ian Gould.