West Indies vs Australia: Australia has smashed West Indies by six wickets after bowling the opposition out in 45.1 rounds only for 155.
Australia’s diverse bowling attack again dominated a suspicious West Indies battle range on the way to a seasonal six-wicket triumph at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Monday, which marked the decisive last stage of the three-game One Day International series. Opening batsman Evin Lewis was playing a lone hand with an unscathed 55 when tourists stormed home for 152 against 45.1 bats, with Mitchell Starc leading the way with three figureheads for 43. That effort increased his wicket train series to 11 and established the left-arm bowler as “Man of the Series.”
“It is my duty in the team to use every pace and swing I have through my spells consistently,” Starc said in placing his work in context in the match and the series. “It helps if I have Josh (Hazlewood) at the other end and the spinning quality we support.”
Hazlewood was one of his new-ball bowlers who claimed two for 18 when Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar and Ashton Turner teamed together for the other five bowls.
Matthew Wade’s unbeaten 51 (52 balls, 2 six, 5 o’clock) took Australia to the goal with over 20 overs. After the Western Indies seized the openers early and Akeal Hosein’s slow bowlers, Alex Carey (35) and Mitchell Marsh (29) threatened to give their team a fighting chance to defend that little goal.
But the “Man of the Match” title was not given to Starc or Wade, but to the Agar, the all-rounder spinning left-arm. After being chosen to replace younger brother and pacer Wes on a surface that is expected to be in favor of slow bowlers in the final eleven, he responded with figures two for 31 out of 10 allocations, contributing 19 to a fifth and fifth partnership of 54 not to take his side through what might have been a tough challenge.
Batting challenges were the defining characteristics of the match, which Lewis’ efforts at the top of the West Indies order demonstrated when his captain, Kieron Pollard, decided to fight to win the bat for the first time in the series.
Forced into retiring from his helmet at the beginning of his innings, Lewis returned at fall fifth to avert a disgusting capitulation as he finished on 55, not off 66 balls with 3 six and 5 fours.
He struggled because there was no assistance, albeit only four others were in double numbers and no one else was 20 years old.
It caused the skipper to evaluate size not only for the decision-making match but also for the other two matches in the series.
“I think international cricket is unacceptable,” was Pollard’s frank verdict. “We’re not here to apologize. We know we have fought terribly, but I thought it was disgraceful to look at the scores throughout the series with two top international teams. I think it is totally ridiculous from St. Lucia (where West Indies won the T20 International 4-1 series).”
