BRISBANE: Shamar Joseph braved a toe injury and grabbed 7-68 as the young fast bowler inspired the West Indies to its first win in Australia in 27 years in a gripping conclusion to the day-night test at the Gabba on Sunday.
Joseph, who hobbled off the field late Saturday evening when he was struck by a searing Mitchell Starc yorker from the final ball of West Indies’ second innings, flattened Australia for 207 to give the West Indies a memorable win by eight runs.
Opening batter Steve Smith was left stranded with an unbeaten 91 off 146 balls as Joseph kept coming hard at the Australian batters with his pace.
“Shout out for my teammates for their support,” Joseph told broadcasters soon after masterminding West Indies’ memorable win. “I wasn’t even going to come to the ground today, but the doctor did something to my toe. I don’t know what he did, but it worked.”
The 24-year-old Joseph, who made his test debut at Adelaide where the West Indies lost by 10 wickets inside three days, sprinted toward boundary in joy as he clean bowled No. 11 Josh Hazlewood and leveled the two-match series 1-1.
“I just stuck to the basics,” Joseph said. “I feel like we win the entire series by winning this test ... I cried for my five-wicket haul but I’m so happy now. I’m not even tired. I would have kept bowling.”
West Indies had not beaten Australia in a test match since it won by 10 wickets at WACA in 1997, and Cameron Green and Smith well negotiated the first hour after they resumed the 216-run chase at 60-2 and raised Australia hopes of finishing the home test summer 5-0 after it routed Pakistan 3-0 and also won the first test against the West Indies in dominant style.
But Joseph returned with a stunning spell of fast bowling to breathe life when he grabbed 6-60 off an unchanged ten overs spell before the first session ended that left Australia still needing 29.
Joseph reached speeds of close to 150 kph (93 mph) and tore through the Australian middle order in a breathtaking spell. He bowled Green (42) to break a 71-run stand before blasting through Head’s defense with a superb yorker with his next ball while bowling the lefthander from around the wicket.
It was the second time in the match that Head was dismissed first ball.
Mitch Marsh (10) and Alex Carey (two) both came and went quickly as Australia wobbled and belief grew for West Indies of achieving a stunning upset.
Starc made a quickfire 21 before he became Joseph’s fifth wicket when he was caught by Kevin Sinclair at cover. Cummins, who scored a career-high 64 not out in the first innings, could only manage two before he edged a ball through to Joshua da Silva with Australia still requiring 41 runs to win.
Smith and Lyon brought down the target to 29, but Alzarri Joseph had Lyon caught behind soon after the break, one ball after he couldn’t grab a tough return catch.
Smith then played a superb lapshot for a six off Alzarri Joseph over fine leg and brought the target down to single digits.
But Shamar Joseph would have the final say as he uprooted Hazlewood’s off stump with another pacey delivery to seal West Indies’ famous win amid wild celebrations by the tourists.
“Obvious disappointment after a loss but that was a fantastic test match and a fantastic series,” Cummins said. “I thought in particular, Shamar, the way he bowled today, he was right up for it and unfortunately we weren’t good enough.
“I thought West Indies were fantastic. They outplayed us this week. Sometimes you always learn the lessons the hard way.”
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite said his team-mates got pumped up by former Australian cricketer Rodney Hogg’s criticism, heading into the Gabba test.
“I must say we had two words that inspired us in this test match,” Brathwaite said. “Mr. Rodney Hogg said that we were ‘pathetic and hopeless’. That that was our inspiration. We wanted to show the world we’re not pathetic. And I must ask him, are these muscles big enough for him?“
Brathwaite praised Joseph’s brilliant fast bowling and said he came to know about Joseph’s availability only an hour before fourth day’s play.
“The doctor said he got an injection and he’s quite good and then he told me he’s going to do it,” Brathwaite said. “I had to back him. He’s a superstar and I know he’ll do great things for West Indies in the future.
“We have to continue and play with heart and keep fighting for West Indies. I would love more test cricket for sure.”
Joseph’s 7-68 guides West Indies to stunning win, dashes Australia hopes after Pakistan rout
https://arab.news/zbx44
Joseph’s 7-68 guides West Indies to stunning win, dashes Australia hopes after Pakistan rout
- Cameron Green, Steve Smith raised Australia hopes of finishing home test summer 5-0 after it routed Pakistan 3-0
- But Shamar Joseph flattened the Australian side for 207 runs to give the West Indies a memorable win by eight runs
Football’s return to Syrian pitches brings fanfare — and friction
RIYADH: Just 10 days after the first anniversary of Syria’s Liberation Day, and one week after the historic performance of the country’s football team at the 2025 Arab Cup — where they reached the quarterfinals — domestic football returned as the Syrian Premier League kicked off its new season.
While league football has continued intermittently since a one-year suspension in 2011, this season represents a notable shift.
For the first time since 2017, the competition features 16 teams playing a full round-robin format — a return to structural normality after years of disrupted campaigns, withdrawals and operational challenges caused by conflict and deteriorating infrastructure.
Foreign players have also returned in significant numbers. A total of 25 overseas players are registered across the 16 clubs in what is now known as the “Prime TV” Syrian Premier League, following the broadcaster’s acquisition of domestic broadcasting rights for the season.
Yet despite the sense of renewal, the league’s reset has been far from smooth. Average attendances remain well below pre-war levels, while the season itself was delayed multiple times before eventually beginning in mid-December — a schedule that is now expected to extend deep into the summer months.
Concerns over facilities and fan safety have already sparked internal tension. The anticipated Matchday Two fixture between Tishreen and Hottin — also known as the Latakia Derby — was postponed by the Syrian Football Association until further notice. No official explanation was provided, but stadium readiness and crowd safety has been at the core of football discussion in Syria.
Supporters have also voiced their frustration over the newly announced ticket prices. Entry fees increased from 5,000 Syrian pounds ($0.45) to 15,000 SYP, a threefold rise announced by the SFA and widely cited as a factor behind subdued crowds.
Infrastructure remains a pressing issue. Historic venues such as Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Stadium in the city of Homs are still not cleared to host games due to pitch conditions and safety requirements, reinforcing the sense of uneven progress — advances made, but frequently offset by new obstacles.
Operational shortcomings were evident as early as the first game of the season. In the opening fixture between Al-Shorta and Hottin, a formal warning was issued to the former by the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee due to a breach in organizational arrangements for the match, including the failure to provide ball boys, which led to a five-minute delay to kick-off.
Political sensitivities have not been easy to navigate either. Al-Karamah were fined 1,500,000 SYP after fans directed verbal abuse at Al-Wahda player Milad Hamad, due to previous political posts made on his Facebook account.
Five days later, Al-Wahda announced Hamad’s suspension from all sporting activities pending review by the relevant committee at the SFA. “This decision comes in solidarity with all our beloved Syrian fans and as a reaffirmation of our commitment to the unity of our people and our land, and to the fact that the blood of our martyrs in the Syrian Revolution has not been shed in vain,” the club said in a statement posted via their official Facebook page.
Rebuilding a sustainable football system in Syria has proven complex. The league’s return has brought moments of excitement alongside renewed tension — a reminder that restoring domestic football is not simply about restarting competition, but about addressing the structures that support it. The Syrian Football Association was contacted for comment, but did not respond.
