Match overview
Australia beat West Indies by 176 runs in the Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, on 12 July 2025. Batting first after winning the toss, Australia posted 225 all out. West Indies replied with 143, giving Australia a lead of 82. Australia were then dismissed for 121 in their second innings, setting West Indies 204 to win. The hosts were bowled out for 27, their lowest total of the series, handing Australia their fifth consecutive victory over West Indies in 2025. Mitchell Starc was named Player of the Match.
The margin tells the story, but the manner of it was even more striking. West Indies' fourth-innings capitulation to 27 all out was not a close-run collapse; it was a systematic dismantling. Australia's pace bowling on a surface that had been used for four innings proved impossible for the hosts to handle. For context, the fourth-innings target of 204 was not an insurmountable one at this ground, yet West Indies never threatened it.
Shamar Joseph offered a brief counterpoint to West Indies' struggles. His match figures of 8 wickets for 67 runs across 30.5 overs were the best of the game for either side and restricted Australia's second innings to 121 all out. Without those wickets, the target and the margin would both have been considerably larger.
Venue and conditions
Sabina Park has staged 75 Test matches, and the numbers here broadly favour the side batting first. The average first-innings score is 213; the average second-innings score drops to 179. Australia's first-innings total of 225 therefore exceeded the ground's typical benchmark, giving them a modest but meaningful cushion going into the second innings.
Teams winning the toss elect to field 67 per cent of the time at this venue, suggesting captains generally prefer to bowl in the conditions on offer. Australia's decision to bat first was therefore a departure from the norm, and one that paid off. The pitch is known to offer assistance to pace bowlers throughout the match, with conditions typically worsening as the game progresses. West Indies' 27 all out in the fourth innings reflects how dramatically the surface can deteriorate.
The chase success rate at Sabina Park sits at 45 per cent across those 75 matches. West Indies faced not just a difficult target but a ground and a surface that historically makes chasing harder than average.
How to watch
West Indies home Tests are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can stream live coverage through Sky Go, and non-subscribers can access matches on a day-pass basis via NOW TV. For those who prefer radio, BBC Test Match Special provides commentary on selected West Indies home series; check the BBC Sport website for scheduling details ahead of any remaining fixtures.
Given that Sabina Park is in the GMT-5 time zone, day-one play typically begins around 15:00 UK time, with the close of play falling in the early evening. Five-day scheduling means evening viewing is the norm for UK audiences following this series.
Recent form
Australia arrive at this result off a mixed 2025. Their five most recent results show three wins against West Indies and England alongside two losses, against South Africa and India. The defeats against those two sides suggest vulnerability in certain conditions, but against West Indies in the Caribbean this year they have been consistently clinical.
West Indies' recent form makes grimmer reading. Four losses from their last five matches, with only a win over Ireland providing relief, paints the picture of a side struggling to compete at the top level. Defeats in both Tests against England earlier in 2025, now followed by five straight losses to Australia, suggest the gap in resources and depth between West Indies and the leading Test nations remains considerable. The bright spot is Joseph's bowling, which has shown the quality still present in their attack when conditions assist.
