Warner, Starc consign West Indies to 2-0 series defeat
SUMMARY: Australia 178-7 from 20 overs (David Warner 75, Tim David 42; Alzarri Joseph 3-21) beat West Indies 147-8 in 20 overs (Johnson Charles 29, Akeal Hosein 25; Mitchell Starc 4-20) by 31 runs
Led by David Warner’s 41-ball 75 and Mitchell Starc’s four wickets, Australia completed a comfortable 31-run win over West Indies at the Gabba on Friday, to finish the two-match series with a 2-0 victory.
How good was Warner?
Well, for most parts, he was almost single-handedly responsible from ensuring the momentum wasn’t seized by the visitors. He began his innings by putting away two balls gently for boundaries in the opening over.
West Indies did manage to trouble the batters at the other end. In fact, by the time Warner brought up his half-century in the eighth over, Cameron Green was dismissed for a 4-ball one and Aaron Finch had tottered away to a 13-ball five.
Warner spared no one, and Yannic Cariah – playing only his third T20I – was welcomed into the attack with a six over long-off followed by two boundaries later in the over.
West Indies, however, clawed their way back by dismissing both the batters in successive overs. Finch’s struggle ended on 15 when he flatbatted a hit to mid-off while Warner perished in attempting a pull of Odean Smith only to top edge it.
What followed after Warner’s dismissal?
A carnage by Tim David. Before David came to the crease, Australia had lost another wicket – Glenn Maxwell getting run out while attempting a quick single. The hard-hitting David took his time to settle in, barely five balls before clearing his front leg and hitting Cariah for a six down the ground.
However, it was in the 17th over when he accelerated to the fifth gear, tonking Obed McCoy for two fours and two sixes off the first four balls of the over before getting pinged on his pads off the fifth.
His 20-ball 42 proved pivotal as the rest of the batters failed to maintain a similar tempo. Steven Smith, Matthew Wade and Pat Cummins’ efforts could only take Australia to a competitive 178.
How were West Indies in the chase?
Never looked the part.
Right after putting away Mitchell Starc’s fourth ball over the ropes, Kyle Mayers drilled a low full toss straight back to the bowler. The early strike notwithstanding, West Indies struggled to find momentum early on. Johnson Charles, who was dropped two, threatened to make Australia pay by putting away a couple of short deliveries by Green in the next over for boundaries.
However, just when the second wicket partnership promised to threaten Australia’s total, Australia struck twice in quick succession. Brandon King stepped out and was tricked by Adam Zampa to be stumped while Nicholas Pooran pulled Mitchell Starc to the mid-wicket fielder.
Could West Indies claw back?
Never.
Wickets continued to tumble as Charles fell to Green while Starc bagged two more. A brief assault by Akeal Hosein on Adam Zampa in the 16th over didn’t prove enough as West indies were limited to 147-8 eventually. (cricbuzz)
