Dominant West Indies Overpower Nine-Man Australia in T20 World Cup Warm-Up
West Indies secured a convincing victory over an undermanned Australia in their final warm-up game ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 led by blistering half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell.
In a ferocious assault on the spinners, the West Indies amassed 257, but Australia, shorthanded, responded creditably.
Australia’s 222 for 7 (Inglis 55, Ellis 39, Motie 2-31) lost to West Indies 257 for 4 (Pooran 75, Powell 52, Zampa 2-62) by 35 runs.
In their final warm-up match in Trinidad, West Indies crushed an undermanned Australia, with to blistering half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell. This was a statement made ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Just like they did against Namibia two days prior, Australia fielded a side consisting of just nine players plus coaches for substitute fielders. West Indies struck 257 for 4 from their 20 overs, with Powell and Pooran hitting 12 sixes apiece. The left-hander cracked 75 from just 25 balls, while the captain hammered 52 from 25. To end the innings, Sherfane Rutherford also struck 47 off just 18 balls without giving up.
Australia had ten players in camp when all-rounder Marcus Stoinis arrived in Trinidad on Wednesday, but he was not used because his equipment had been delayed in Miami. George Bailey, the chair of selectors, and assistant coaches Brad Hodge and Andre Borovec substituted at different points in the game, with Borovec benching Pooran.
Pooran was summoned into bat, and after a fast start from Shai Hope and Johnson Charles, he had strolled to the crease at 38 for 1 in just the third over. The left-hander never let up, hitting the first three fair offerings he encountered for six runs. After West Indies had scored 78 for 1 in the opening six overs, he took a special like to Australia’s two best spinners, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, who blasted them for five sixes in six deliveries in the first two overs outside the powerplay.
In just 16 balls, Pooran reached his half-century. A tall skier was dropped by Borovec, but it did not cost much because Bailey grabbed onto one off Zampa shortly after. Powell continued in Pooran’s footsteps. Together, Zampa and Agar let up 120 runs in their eight overs. Tim David, who was Australia’s most costly bowler against Namibia, was remarkably their least expensive bowler, taking 1 for 40 from his four overs of part-time off-spin.
Nathan Ellis, who gave up 42 runs in his four overs while Josh Hazlewood was hit for 55, also persisted in staking his claim to be in Australia’s starting lineup for the World Cup. Late in the innings, Rutherford faced Zampa and hit 22 off the legspinner’s last over. Rutherford discovered the fence three times but was unable to get past it, so Ellis limited the damage to just 14 in the final round.
With only nine batters available, Australia’s reply, which featured a 30-ball 55 from Josh Inglis, was never in the hunt. Agar opened the batting for Australia, surprising everyone as this is something he has done twice in Twenty20 international cricket. After the game, coach Andrew McDonald stated that Mitchell Marsh had returned to the number three spot and that he had been moved there to allow others to revert to their favorite places.
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In the powerplay, Agar hit 28 from 13 balls, including two sixes and four fours off Akeal Hosein’s left-arm orthodox spin. Eventually, though, Agar misplayed one to mid-on off Obed McCoy.
While allowing two fours and a six off the previous three deliveries, Shamar Joseph rattled his off stump for fifteen, giving David Warner a taste of what he was missing out on during the recent Australia-West Indies Test series.
Marsh was dismissed cheaply, and David and Matthew Wade each scored 25, as the necessary run-rate went out of hand. In the middle overs, Gudakesh Motie applied pressure to Australia, dismissing David and Inglis to end with 2 for 31.
Australia managed to play out their 20 overs, and Ellis gave their total some respectability by scoring 39 off 22 balls in a 51-run seventh-wicket stand with Zampa, who finished 21 not out.
