Cameron Green stood up when it mattered the most as his unbeaten half-century guided Australia to a nervy 3-wicket win over West Indies in the fourth T20I at Warner Park St. Kitts. Cameron Green had to watch his partners depart from the other end but saw to it that the Aussies eventually got over the line in a rain interrupted game. West Indies put up 205/9 in 20 overs with starts from many players, but no one going past 31. Australia bowled decently with everyone except Ellis picking up wickets.
Chasing 206 for the win, Australia lost Mitchell Marsh for a silver duck. But they rode on Glenn Maxwell’s 47 off 18 balls, Josh Inglis’ 51 off 30 balls, Cameron Green’s 55* off 35 balls alongside a crucial 23 off 16 balls from Aaron Hardie to eventually get over the line with 4 balls left. They were helped by 18 extras given by the West Indies team.
All-round batting display propels West Indies to 205/9
Put into bat first once again, Brandon King and Shai Hope came out to bat for the West Indies. King made his intentions clear straightaway by hitting a couple of boundaries in the first over bowled by Aaron Hardie. Xavier Bartlett was hit for four leg byes first up, before Brandon King launched him for a boundary and then a six off consecutive balls. But Bartlett had his revenge as he picked King off the very next ball for 18 off 10 balls with 3 fours and a six to his name.
Bartlett dragged his length back and bowled it around off-stump. King looked to flick it away but failed to keep it down. All he did was chipping it straight to Aaron Hardie at short midwicket who made no mistake. Roston Chase came out to bat next. Shai Hope continued his merry ways as he hit consecutive boundaries off Aaron Hardie. But Bartlett had other ideas as he ended Hope’s stay at 10 off 9 balls with 2 boundaries to his name.
Bartlett bowled a short of a good length on the stumps from over the wicket angling in and cramping Hope for room. Hope looked to muscle it over long-on and ended up chipping it to Maxwell to his right. Maxwell moved swiftly to take a sharp catch inches from the ground. Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway with a boundary. He then launched Bartlett for a maximum to end the over.
Aaron Hardie then had a wicket thanks to a brilliant catch from Maxwell as Roston Chase departed for a golden duck. Hardie bowled a fuller length around off from over the wicket, Chase looked to chip it over mid-on but failed to time it. Maxwell timed his jump to perfection and plucked it out of thin air to complete a one-handed stunner at mid-on. Rovman Powell walked out to bat next. Rutherford managed to get another boundary away off Hardie.
Sean Abbott was introduced into the attack and was dispatched for two consecutive boundaries by Rutherford. At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 58/3 as Adam Zampa came into the attack. Zampa was launched by Rutherford for a maximum before the wily leg spinner hit back and picked up a wicket next ball as Rutherford went for 31 off 15 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Zampa bowled full and wide outside off googly. Rutherford stayed rooted in his crease and sliced it away uppishly straight to Mitchell Marsh at backward point. Shimron Hetmyer was the next batter coming in and he too got off the mark straightaway with a boundary.
Nathan Ellis was greeted by a boundary from Rovman Powell. Powell survived a close LBW appeal as the ball hit the bat before pad and so, the Aussies lost a review. Powell then took matter into his own hands as he hit Adam Zampa for 3 sixes in the over to put the pressure on the spinner. Powell then launched Abbott for the maximum as the 100 came up in 9.1 overs. Powell hit a boundary through the covers before going off strike. Abbott finally struck as he got rid of Shimron Hetmyer for 16 off 6 balls with a boundary and six to his name.
Abbott bowled a fuller length on off-stump angling across. Hetmyer threw the kitchen sink at that and got a thick outside edge. Mitchell Owen from deep backward point ran to his right and dived full length to pull off a stunner. Romario Shepherd came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway as West Indies at the completion of 10 overs at the halfway stage were 111/5. Shepherd got a boundary away off Ellis. Aaron Hardie came back into the attack and got rid of Rovman Powell for 28 off 22 balls laced with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name.
Hardie bowled a good length delivery outside off from over the wicket. Powell looked to heave it over the on side but mistimed as the bat tilted in his hands. The ball flew to midwicket where Jake Fraser-McGurk the substitute fielder took the simple catch. Jason Holder walked in next to join Shepherd. Shepherd then took Abbott to the cleaners by hitting him for two consecutive boundaries in the 13th over. He also bowled a no ball that went away for a boundary before Shepherd hit the free hit for the maximum. 22 runs came off this over from Abbott.
Bartlett was welcomed back into the attack by Holder as he hit him for a boundary. Holder hit him for another boundary as the 150 came up for West Indies in 13.5 overs. Adam Zampa came back and cut Shepherd’s innings against the run of play as he fell for 28 off 18 balls with 4 fours and a six to his name. Zampa bowled a short of a length delivery outside off-stump. The ball stayed a touch low but Shepherd went for the swat over long-on. Glenn Maxwell covered the distance to his left from long-on and hopped up to take the ball. Maxwell understood he was going to land over the fence, so he flicked it back and Cameron Green took the rebound. TV umpire checked it and the catch was clean.
Matthew Forde came out to bat next and got off the mark. Holder was in no mood to settle down as he hit Zampa for a boundary and followed it up with a maximum to end the over as West Indies reached 164/7 in 15 overs. Ellis was hit for a boundary by Holder. Abbott soon was greeted by Forde as he hit him for two consecutive sixes to put more pressure on Australia. But Abbott hit back by getting rid of Forde for 15 off 7 balls with 2 sixes to his name.
Abbott bowled a slower ball into the pitch at the fourth stump line, Forde rode the bounce and looked to play it over short midwicket. He got deceived by the lack of pace and mistimed it. Cameron Green hopped up timely and took the catch at short midwicket. Akeal Hosein came out to bat next. Hosein hit a streaky boundary off Bartlett to get himself going. But Adam Zampa came back to bowl the 19th over and got rid of the well-set Jason Holder for 26 off 16 balls with 4 fours and a six to his name.
Zampa bowled a short of length ball just around off-stump from over the wicket. Holder cleared his front leg and swung at it. The ball stays low and ricocheted off the inside half of the bat and crashed onto his off-stump. Jediah Blades came out to bat at 11. Hosein then hit Zampa for the maximum as the 200 came up for the West Indies in 19 overs.
Rain came and interrupted play for 55 minutes after 19.2 overs but no overs were lost. Upon resumption, Blades survived a run-out scare as only 2 runs were added in the final over of the innings. West Indies finished with 205/9 in 20 overs 14 extras given by Australia. Hosein remained unbeaten on 16 off 10 balls with a boundary and a six to his name.
For Australia’s point of view, Aaron Hardie was the pick of the bowlers economy wise as he finished with 2/24 in 4 overs. Adam Zampa picked up 3/54 in 4 overs. Xavier Bartlett finished with 2/39 in 4 overs. Sean Abbott had a night to forget with figures of 2/61 in 4 overs. Nathan Ellis was wicketless but finished with 0/21 in 4 overs, keeping things tight. It meant Australia needed 206 for the win and take a 4-0 lead in the series.
Cameron Green’s unbeaten half-century guides Australia to 3-wicket win
Captain Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell walked out to bat for Australia. It took just two balls for West Indies to strike as Jediah Blades dismissed Mitchell Marsh for a silver duck. Blades bowled a good length ball at the middle and it nipped back in. Marsh looked to play it on the on side but the ball hit his pads. Umpire raised the finger and Marsh decided not to review. On replays, the ball pitched outside leg and Marsh couldn’t believe his judgment. Josh Inglis came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary.
Inglis was in the mood as he hit Holder away for a boundary. Blades was not to be spared in the next over as Inglis took him on by hitting 3 boundaries in the over as the Aussies meant business. Romario Shepherd came into the attack and amidst a slight drizzle, Inglis hit him for 4 consecutive boundaries to keep Australia ahead of the rate. Matthew Forde was welcomed with a boundary by Josh Inglis and he brought up the 50 for Australia in style in 4.5 overs with a maximum. Soon, Inglis reached his fifty off 28 balls while Maxwell broke his shackles and hit Holder for a huge maximum.
At the end of the powerplay, Australia were 66/1 in 6 overs. Romario Shepherd gave West Indies the breakthrough after the powerplay. He bowled a low full toss on the pads, Inglis flicked it away but didn’t find the elevation. Sherfane Rutherford moved to his right and completed the catch at deep square leg. Inglis fell for 51 off 30 balls laced with 10 fours and a six in the innings. Cameron Green came into bat next. Maxwell decided to cut loose as he hit Shepherd for a maximum and followed that up with another boundary.
Akeal Hosein was welcomed with a boundary by Cameron Green. Green hit him for another maximum to put the pressure firmly on the spinner. Maxwell launched a maximum off Forde to bring up the 100 for Australia in 8.3 overs. Maxwell was in no mood to settle down as he hit another maximum off Forde in the same over. Romario Shepherd was next taken to the cleaners as Maxwell hit him for consecutive sixes and Green hit a boundary as well amidst so many wides given by West Indies. At the end of 10 overs, Australia were 129/2 with 21 coming off Shepherd’s over. Australia needed a further 77 runs off 60 balls with 8 wickets in hand.
Straight after Drinks, Akeal Hosein struck as he dismissed the dangerous Maxwell. Maxwell scored 47 off 18 balls with one four and six sixes to the fence. Akeal from around the wicket bowled a fuller length wide outside off turned away a fraction. Maxwell looked to go big down the ground but mistimed into the hands of Jason Holder who made no mistake at the ropes. Mitchell Owen came out to bat next.
Owen did not last long as Blades had his man for 2 off 5 balls. Blades bowled it full and outside off, Owen looked to smash it over covers but ended up slicing it straight down the throat of Romario Shepherd at deep cover. Cooper Connolly came next and was dismissed for a silver duck. Blades had two in the over as bowled full outside off, Connolly looked to chip it over mid-off but fails to get the timing right. He ended up chipping it straight to Holder who backtracked at the edge of the circle and took the simple catch. Aaron Hardie came to the crease next.
Green then hit Hosein for a boundary and hit a maximum as well to keep the momentum going for the Aussies. Hardie then took Jason Holder to the cleaners as he hit him for a huge maximum and then a boundary to keep the required rate under control. Cameron Green rotated the strike and then hit Forde for a maximum into the sight screen. At the end of 15 overs, Australia were 176/5 needing 30 off 30 balls.
Hardie then hit Blades for a boundary before Shai Hope dropped a tough chance while diving to his left but couldn’t hold on. Runs came in singles and twos, before Holder dismissed Hardie for 23 off 16 balls laced with 2 fours and a six to his name. Holder bowled a full toss outside off from around the wicket. Hardie tried to muscle it over long-off but mistimed it straight down the throat of Shimron Hetmyer who made no mistake and took it safely. Xavier Bartlett walked out to the middle next.
Soon, Cameron Green brought up his half-century off 30 balls and an important one at that as he held the innings together. Soon, Cameron Green was dropped by Sherfane Rutherford at cow corner, a tough opportunity of Shepherd’s bowling, but West Indies needed these chances to be taken. Bartlett hit a boundary as the 200 came up for Australia in 18.3 overs. Soon, Bartlett was run out at the non-striker’s end as Green’s drilled shot back at the bowler hit Shepherd’s finger and broke the stumps. Bartlett departed for 9 off 8 balls with a boundary to his name. Sean Abbott was the next batter to come in and got off the mark straight away.
Amidst the drizzle, the winning moment came off Abbott’s bat as he hit Hosein’s arm ball full on the pads by flicking it away to fine leg for a single to win it for the Australians by 3 wickets as they go 4-0 up with one match to play in the 5-match series. Green’s 55 off 35 balls was laced with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Abbott was unbeaten on 1*. 18 extras given by the West Indies as they contributed as well.
For the West Indies, Jediah Blades was the pick of the bowlers as the youngster finished with 3/29 in 4 overs. Jason Holder finished with 1/38 in 4 overs. Romario Shepherd went for 59 runs in 4 overs for 1 wicket. Matthew Forde went for 43 runs in 4 overs while Akeal Hosein finished with 1/36 in 3.2 overs. Just 5 bowlers used by West Indies with no usage of Roston Chase whatsoever. So, Australia win by 3 wickets to go 4-0 up and Glenn Maxwell for his breath-taking 47 off 18 balls was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
With this win, Australia have gone 4-0 ahead in the series with one match to spare. The next game takes place on Tuesday 29th of July at the same venue i.e. Warner Park, St. Kitts. Australia are winning tosses and winning matches as well. Will they complete a whitewash over the hosts West Indies or will the hosts fight back and salvage something from this series?
Only time will tell as we all look forward to the final match of this West Indies-Australia series and the climax will be at Warner Park, St. Kitts. Let’s see if West Indies can avoid the whitewash against Australia on Tuesday morning.
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