Smith and Head build Australia’s lead over West Indies after Green steadies ship
Finally, in a helter-skelter series, something approaching a normal day’s Test cricket took place.In the second Test against West Indies in Grenada, Australia added 209 for five after resuming at a vulnerable 12 for two, taking their overall lead out to 254.The normality of the score is masked by the fact that several tropical rain delays kept play to 58.3 overs, so a full day’s play would likely have seen Australia bowled out and West Indies at least commencing the fourth innings.As it is, this match will now make it into a fourth day.
It was Cameron Green and Steve Smith who created that sense of normality, after the nightwatch Nathan Lyon hung around for almost an hour before nicking Alzarri Joseph to third slip on eight,The fact that John Campbell held the catch in a faulty cordon was a boost for West Indies, but Green and Smith tamped that back down,Green had the occasional problem, with an inside edge past the stumps or a sharply lifting ball, but produced the most convincing innings of his brief foray to No 3 in the batting order, moving to 52 with the occasional powerful cut shot, and otherwise a lot of forward defence and working the ball around,It was after lunch when he played a perfect straight drive, his shot of the innings, to reach his fifty, then next ball chopped the ball on to his stumps attempting a late cut,Feeling he had wasted the hard work to the stage, he lost his bat as he swung it in frustration.
But at 121 for four, Travis Head walked out to crash his first ball through cover for four, and his free scoring seemed to ease some pressure on Smith.To that point Smith had looked more twitchy and unsure, playing conservatively but spasmodically trying an overly big shot that didn’t work with the variable bounce of this pitch, balls scooting under or jumping over the bat.With Head periodically smoking a drive, Smith’s aggressive shots came off, slotting Justin Greaves’ medium pace over mid on for four, and Roston Chase’s off spin over long off for six.Half century number 44 in his career came and went, but he couldn’t turn it into century number 37.It was shortly after tea, on 71, when Greaves got his own back, angling the ball in to smash pad, then bat, the on-field umpire ruling correctly.
Australia have relied on Beau Webster of late, but Greaves got on a roll, drawing a hearty drive that Webster nicked to Chase for another successful slip catch.Head had a little flurry with fellow South Australian Alex Carey for seven overs, then was bowled for 39 by a ball angled in at the left-hander around the wicket.By that stage it was past the scheduled close, but two overs later, added time was ended when the umpires decided that the light was insufficient.Without light towers on the small island ground, nature must be respected.Sign up to The SpinSubscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s actionafter newsletter promotionWest Indies, then, remain in the game, but only just, due to resume with Carey on 26, Pat Cummins on four, and Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to come.
Australia’s lead of 254 would already be a testing chase on a pitch with enough inconsistencies, and the leading likelihood of those getting worse.The home side can’t afford to let those last three wickets add anything substantial on morning four, whereas Australia know that even another 50 runs will deflate their opponents.Showers may continue having an effect, but there is all the time in the world left for a result in a match this far along.
AI helps find formula for paint to keep buildings cooler
AI-engineered paint could reduce the sweltering urban heat island effect in cities and cut air-conditioning bills, scientists have claimed, as machine learning accelerates the creation of new materials for everything from electric motors to carbon capture.Materials experts have used artificial intelligence to formulate new coatings that can keep buildings between 5C and 20C cooler than normal paint after exposure to midday sun. They could also be applied to cars, trains, electrical equipment and other objects that will require more cooling in a world that is heating up.Using machine learning, researchers at universities in the US, China, Singapore and Sweden designed new paint formulas tuned to best reflect the sun’s rays and emit heat, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the science journal Nature.It is the latest example of AI being used to leapfrog traditional trial-and-error approaches to scientific advances
Google undercounts its carbon emissions, report finds
In 2021, Google set a lofty goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Yet in the years since then, the company has moved in the opposite direction as it invests in energy-intensive artificial intelligence. In its latest sustainability report, Google said its carbon emissions had increased 51% between 2019 and 2024.New research aims to debunk even that enormous figure and provide context to Google’s sustainability reports, painting a bleaker picture. A report authored by non-profit advocacy group Kairos Fellowship found that, between 2019 and 2024, Google’s carbon emissions actually went up by 65%
‘A billion people backing you’: China transfixed as Musk turns against Trump
Few break-ups have as many gossiping observers as the fallout between the once inseparable Donald Trump and Elon Musk.The ill-fated bromance between the US president and the world’s richest man, which once raised questions about American oligarchy, is now being pored over by social media users in China, many of whom are Team Musk.The latest drama comes from Musk’s pledge to found a new political party, the America party, if Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill, which Musk described as “insane” passed the Senate this week (it did). Musk had already vowed to unseat lawmakers who backed Trump’s flagship piece of legislation, which is expected to increase US national debt by $3.3tn
AI companies start winning the copyright fight
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. If you need me after this newsletter publishes, I will be busy poring over photos from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding, the gaudiest and most star-studded affair to disrupt technology news this year. I found it a tacky and spectacular affair. Everyone who was anyone was there, except for Charlize Theron, who, unprompted, said on Monday: “I think we might be the only people who did not get an invite to the Bezos wedding. But that’s OK, because they suck and we’re cool
China hosts first fully autonomous AI robot football match
They think it’s all over … for human footballers at least.The pitch wasn’t the only artificial element on display at a football match in China on Saturday. Four teams of humanoid robots took on each other in Beijing, in games of three-a-side powered by artificial intelligence.While the modern game has faced accusations of becoming near-robotic in its obsession with tactical perfection, the games in China showed that AI won’t be taking Kylian Mbappé’s job just yet.Footage of the humanoid kickabout showed the robots struggling to kick the ball or stay upright, performing pratfalls that would have earned their flesh-and-blood counterparts a yellow card for diving
Whitehall’s ambition to cut costs using AI is fraught with risk
A Dragons’ Den-style event this week, where tech companies will have 20 minutes to pitch ideas for increasing automation in the British justice system, is one of numerous examples of how the cash-strapped Labour government hopes artificial intelligence and data science can save money and improve public services.Amid warnings from critics that Downing Street has been “drinking the Kool-Aid” on AI, the Department of Health and Social Care this week announced an AI early warning system to detect dangerous maternity services after a series of scandals, and Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said he wants one in eight operations to be conducted by a robot within a decade.AI is being used to prioritise actions on the 25,000 pieces of correspondence the Department for Work and Pensions receives each day and to detect potential fraud and error in benefit claims. Ministers even have access to an AI tool that is supposed to provide a “vibe check” on parliamentary opinion to help them weigh the political risks of policy proposals.Again and again, ministers are turning to technology to tackle acute crises that in the past might have been dealt with by employing more staff or investing more money
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