West Indies have won the toss and decided to bowl first. Australia team played well with 265 runs fall off seven wickets in 50 overs. UT Khawaja new shining star of Australia cricket team played a brave inning with scoring 98 runs off 123 balls and run out. He completed his innings with four 4s and three maximums. Over an unexpectedly careless Australian team in St. Kitts, West Indies won their second game of the triangular series.
Thanks to a boisterous opening partnership and a Marlon Samuels spectacular. The visitors’ innings faltered after reaching 139 for 1 after 27 overs, and the 266 mark was exposed to an early attack on Warner Park’s short boundaries. Following two missed catches by Usman Khawaja, Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher dutifully launched themselves at a bowling attack that was without Mitchell Starc.
With West Indies cruising to an opening stand of 74 inside 10 overs thanks to those misses, Samuels was able to carve out an innings in his trademark fashion, punctuated by extended stretches of inaction interspersed with sharp spurts of inspiration and power. Support came from Darren Bravo and Denesh Ramdin, but it was too late to save Australia from losing.
Despite missing out on what would have been his first ODI century, Khawaja guided Australia’s innings by utilising his promotion to the top of the order. He was eventually run out when attempting to score a third run for his partner George Bailey, as he was hampered by the 90s. The skipper, Steven Smith, made 74 without always appearing to be in total control of the situation or his game, and Bailey then played sanely to take the visitors beyond 260.
After getting off to the greatest possible start by taking Aaron Finch at slip for a duck in the opening over of the match, Jason Holder went on to produce an excellent session for the West Indies. While Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite both took two wickets, Sunil Narine was similarly economical. It was evident that Fletcher and Charles had set limits for themselves before they began their chase, which was aided by the absence of Starc as a distraction.
In the first seven overs, the rope was approached or cleared nine times; after that, it seemed unlikely that the needed pace would go over six runs per over. Following Khawaja’s errors, in which he dismissed both Fletcher and Charles in the opening eight overs, James Faulkner produced a superb cutter that tricked Fletcher, and Adam Zampa struck with a skidding delivery in his opening over that trapped Charles in front of middle stump.
But because of their early work, Bravo and Samuels had more time to establish themselves, and Smith was unable to put pressure on the scoreboard with his bowlers. The boundaries tapered off to a trickle for a little while, but neither batsman lost his concentration, and by the time Zampa claimed Bravo with a bouncing legbreak that brushed glove and pad before looping up for Matthew Wade, the goal had been reduced to 99 from 115 balls.
As the equation got smaller, Ramdin kept Samuels company. In the 41st over, the veteran batsman was able to almost guarantee the outcome by hitting three sixes off Zampa. Travis Head, making his debut, came close to catching the first one. He managed to catch the ball cleanly, but the rope’s close proximity knocked him off balance, making it impossible for him toss it in for a successful juggle. He was easily cleared by the following two.
To balance off his brilliance, Samuels would not remain Samuels for long. In the same over, Wade scampered around and hit a dead-eye throw at the non-striker’s stumps, ending Samuels’ innings with a sluggish single. With more over four overs remained, Nathan Coulter-Nile managed to get past Ramdin and get Holder to give the slightest of edges, keeping the audience on edge. However, Pollard and Brathwaite held their nerve to secure the victory.
With David Warner out for the remainder of the tournament with a fractured finger, the Australians handed the cap to left-hander Head for his ODI debut. As a middle-order batsman who can also bowl offspin, Head’s selection sent a clear message to the struggling Glenn Maxwell, who was dismissed before to Australia’s most recent game, a win over South Africa.
Strong batting in the afternoon had laid the foundation for that result, and Smith saw similar things as he came out to the middle. Holden won the toss and, rather surprise, put the Australians in, but he was all grins when he got Finch with a crisp bounce and slight away movement. Early flying deliveries from Holder and Jerome Taylor smacked both Smith and Khawaja on the splice of the bat, but they were able to gradually construct a base that.
By the end of 24 overs, had grown to be 103 for 1. Smith and Khawaja decided to pick up speed at that moment, and they amassed 36 runs in the following three overs. The batters of West Indies were eager to attack, but Holder put an end to their worries with a miserly spell, giving up only 13 from three overs. Holder’s introduction of Brathwaite, who benefited from Smith’s wayward charge and failed return catch, was the indirect source of reward.
After that, there was even more inaction, with Bailey attempting to get going and Khawaja, who had previously played with ease, stuck in the 1990s. In the end, Khawaja was unable to get three figures, and as he was unable to reach a third run from Bailey’s reverse sweep to third man, his running between the wickets may be examined further.
Head was replaced at bat by Mitchell Marsh, who added 49 runs with Bailey in six overs before hitting Brathwaite to mid-off. Australia did not completely waste their early platform since Bailey’s innings was full of customary common sense and the odd big blow. Australia appeared satisfied with 265; nevertheless, they did not have the flashy displays of Fletcher and Charles, nor the deft carelessness of Samuels.
Watch West Indies Tri-Nation Series 2016 Complete HD Highlights Today, 5th Match: WI v Aus at Basseterre, Monday, June 13, 2016.
ODI no. 3745 | 2016 season
Played at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
13 June 2016 – day/night match (50-over match)
Umpires – GO Brathwaite and RK Illingworth (England)
TV umpire – NJ Llong (England)
Match referee – JJ Crowe (New Zealand)
Reserve umpire – JS Wilson
