Tim David batted like a man on a mission as his maiden T20I ton literally obliterated the West Indies. Tim David walked into bat at Number 5 at the score of 61/3 in 5.5 overs and literally took the game away from West Indies single-handedly. After the bowlers did well in the end overs to keep West Indies down to 214, Australia came out all guns blazing.
Chasing 215 for a series win, Glenn Maxwell provided the ideal start with 20 off 7 balls with Mitchell Marsh scoring 22 and Josh Inglis 15. But then it was the Tim David show as the right-hander dazzled under the St. Kitts lights and scored 102* off 37 balls laced with 6 fours and 11 hits to the fence. He was ably supported by Mitchell Owen who scored 36* off 16 balls laced with 2 fours and 3 sixes as Australia got over the line with 6 wickets and 23 balls to spare.
Shai Hope’s unbeaten century propels West Indies to 214/4
Brandon King and captain Shai Hope walked out to bat after Australia won another toss and decided to bowl first. King got things going early on after hitting a maximum in the first over bowled by Ben Dwarshuis. Sean Abbott bowled a tight opening over before King hit Dwarshuis for another maximum. Shai Hope joined in the party by hitting his first boundary down the ground off Dwarshuis.
Hope then took Abbott to the cleaners by hitting him down the ground for the maximum. Nathan Ellis was not spared either as he too was hit for a maximum by Shai Hope. Glenn Maxwell came to bowl the final over of the powerplay and he was hit for a boundary which was a streaky one. What followed was two huge sixes down the ground off Maxwell as West Indies rounded off the powerplay scoring 66 runs for the loss of 0 wickets.
Adam Zampa was introduced into the attack after the powerplay and even he was not spared as King hit him for a boundary and maximum in his opening over. Mitchell Owen then was hit for a lovely boundary by Shai Hope before Brandon King hit him for a maximum down the ground over long-on.
Soon, Shai Hope brought up his half-century off 26 balls. Shai Hope didn’t stop here as he hit Glenn Maxwell for a boundary and King followed that up with a maximum in the same over as the 100 came up for the West Indies in 9.5 overs and of the partnership as well. At the end of 10 overs, West Indies were 106/0 with Hope on 57* and King on 47* when the players took Drinks.
After the Drinks Break, King completed his half century off 30 balls by hitting a boundary off Adam Zampa. King hit another boundary next ball and survived a stumping appeal at the end of the over. Mitchell Owen was once again hit for a maximum by King but Owen had the last laugh and provided the breakthrough for Australia. Owen bowled it full on the leg stump, King looked to whip it over deep midwicket and didn’t time it well enough. The ball went straight into the hands of Sean Abbott at deep midwicket fence as King fell for 62 off 36 balls with 3 fours and 6 sixes to his name. Shimron Hetmyer walked out to bat next.
Shai Hope was continuing his merry ways as he smashed Zampa for a boundary and then later on in the over hit two consecutive sixes to put the pressure on the leg spinner. 19 runs came off it while Nathan Ellis was also greeted with a boundary from Shai Hope. Shimron Hetmyer joined the party by hitting Adam Zampa out of the park for the maximum. But Zampa had his revenge next ball. Zampa bowled it full on the leg stump, Hetmyer looked to whip it over deep midwicket. He didn’t time it well and goes straight down the throat of Cameron Green who takes a simple catch in the deep as Hetmyer fell for 9 off 6 balls with a six to his name. Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat at 4.
At the end of 15 overs, West Indies were well-placed at 165/2. Hope then played a innovative shot off Dwarshuis and got it away for a boundary before Rutherford hit his first boundary by slapping Dwarshuis away. Rutherford got a streaky boundary away off Sean Abbott as well. Hope then hit Nathan Ellis for a lovely boundary and moved closer to his hundred. Soon, the moment came when Hope drove Dwarshuis to sweeper cover for a single and got to his maiden T20I hundred off 55 balls.
A wicket fell next ball courtesy of a run out. Rutherford had hit the fuller ball to mid-off and went for a single. Tim David with the bulls eye hit the target at the bowler’s end and Rutherford was not even in the frame as he departed for 12 off 13 balls with 2 boundaries to his name. Rovman Powell came out to bat next. Powell then got off the mark with a boundary and then brought up the 200 for West Indies in 18.5 overs with another boundary. Powell survived a dropped catch as Marsh dropped him at the edge of the circle as West Indies reached 204/3 in 19 overs.
But Powell’s luck ran out as Nathan Ellis got him in the final over of the innings. Ellis bowled a back of a length delivery outside off, Powell looked to pull but got a top edge that went straight up in the air towards short third. Zampa settled underneath it and took a good catch. Powell made 9 off 5 balls with 2 boundaries to his name as Romario Shepherd walked out to bat next.
Shepherd got off the mark and hit the last two balls of the innings for a boundary to finish with 9* off 3 balls while Shai Hope carried his bat for his unbeaten 102 off 57 balls laced with 8 fours and 6 sixes to his name. 11 extras given by Australia as West Indies finished with a competitive 214/4 in 2o overs.
Sean Abbott bowled a miserly spell of 0/21 in 4 overs. Nathan Ellis picked up a wicket in his 1/37 in 4 overs. Adam Zampa picked up a wicket but went for 51 runs in 4 overs. Mitchell Owen’s 2 overs costed 23 runs and he picked up a wicket as well. Ben Dwarshuis went for 46 in 4 overs while Glenn Maxwell’s 2 overs went for 31 runs. It meant that Australia needed 215 to win the match on a belter of a pitch and seal the series.
Tim David’s maiden T20I hundred seals an easy win for Australia
Glenn Maxwell came out to open the batting with his captain Mitchell Marsh for Australia. Marsh started off with a bang by getting off the mark with a boundary while Maxwell made his intentions clear by hitting a six and a boundary off debutant Jediah Blades as 16 came off the opening over. Jason Holder was not even spared as Maxwell hit him for consecutive boundaries before Marsh hit him for a boundary as 14 came off this over as well.
Akeal Hosein came into the attack and then a miscommunication between Maxwell and Marsh results in Maxwell being run out for 20 off 7 balls with 3 fours and a six to his name. Josh Inglis came out to bat at 3. Inglis made his intentions clear by hitting consecutive boundaries off Hosein to get himself going. Romario Shepherd was greeted by a maximum from Josh Inglis. But Shepherd had his revenge soon as Inglis was dismissed for 15 off 6 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name.
Shepherd bowled a short of a length delivery on the stumps. Inglis swivelled around and pulled it away but ended up hitting it flat towards deep square leg where Brandon King made no mistake. Cameron Green walked out to bat at 4. Marsh got a streaky boundary away off Hosein as 50 came up for the Aussies in 4.4 overs. Marsh then hit Jason Holder for two boundaries in 3 balls before Holder had his man for 22 off 19 balls which includes 5 boundaries.
Holder bowled a fuller length delivery near the wide guideline, Marsh threw his bat at it and got the outside edge of the bat to the keeper Shai Hope who did the rest. Tim David came out to bat next and made his intentions clear by hitting a boundary through deep square leg to get off the mark. At the end of the powerplay, Australia were 65/3. Akeal Hosein bowled a tight 7th over while Tim David broke the shackles by smashing Gudakesh Motie for a maximum to end the 8th over.
Cameron Green managed to hit a low full toss off Romario Shepherd to the fence. But Shepherd had his man in the end as Green departed for 11 off 14 balls with a boundary to his name. Shepherd bowled a short of a length delivery angling across outside off-stump, Green stood tall and threw his bat at it by lifting his back leg but got the thick top edge. The ball ballooned up in the air and Shai Hope took a sitter behind the stumps as Green fell with Australia in a spot of bother at 4 down. Mitchell Owen came to the crease next and got off the mark with a boundary through deep extra cover.
Tim David then unleashed his power as he hit Motie for a boundary first ball of the 10th over. Then he hit a maximum over deep midwicket to bring up the 100 for Australia in 9.3 overs. He followed that up with a hat-trick of sixes meaning a total of 4 sixes in 4 balls to end the over. David was on the charge as 28 came off the over. Australia after 10 overs were 120/4 needing a further 95 off 60 balls when Drinks was called into action.
Akeal Hosein bowled a no ball next over and Tim David obliged by hitting a maximum off it over deep midwicket and then hit a boundary to complete his fifty in just 16 balls which became the fastest ever T20I half century for Australia. He followed that up with another maximum as 20 runs came off this over. Roston Chase was introduced into the attack and he was clobbered for back-to-back sixes before he bowled a no ball under pressure. The free hit was hit for a boundary and the final ball was hit out of the ground for a maximum as 23 runs came off the over.
The debutant Blades managed to sneak in a quiet over of 5 runs. Mitchell Owen joined in the party by hitting a maximum off Shepherd before going off strike. Tim David then hit another maximum to move into the 90s. Then in the 5th ball off the 14th over, David got a reprieve as Brandon King at deep midwicket dropped a sitter to make matters worse for the West Indies. Owen hit a boundary through deep third man off Holder as Australia reached 192/4 in 15 overs needing a further 23 runs off 30 balls.
Mitchell Owen then smashed Blades for a maximum and soon the 200 came up for Australia in 15.2 overs. David then hit a boundary over the bowler’s head before Owen hit a maximum off Blades to take Australia closer to the win as Powell while taking the catch stepped onto the ropes. Australia needed 4 to win off 4 overs and David a brace for his hundred at this stage.
The winning moment and the 100 came in the first ball off the 17th over when Tim David hit Romario Shepherd for a boundary by flicking it to deep fine leg and reaching the milestone in 37 balls and the Aussies got over the line to seal the series with 23 balls to spare. David remained unbeaten on 102 off 37 balls laced with 6 fours and 11 sixes while Owen remained unbeaten on 36 off 16 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name. 9 extras given by West Indies.
A tough day for the West Indies bowlers with Romario Shepherd picking up 2/39 in 3.1 overs and a wicket to Jason Holder in 3 overs where he gave away 35 runs. The rest went for runs and were wicketless as we saw a run out in the innings. So, Australia win by 6 wickets with 23 balls to spare and for his breath-taking innings, unsurprisingly Tim David was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
Australia have sealed the series 3-0 with 2 games left and all 3 have been convincing wins. There is a quick turnaround between games as the next clash will be tomorrow morning IST at Warner Park, St. Kitts as the venue will remain the same for the remainder of the series. Can West Indies redeem themselves and play for pride or will Australia continue their dominant run?
Both teams may experiment a bit with the series sealed with an eye on the T20 World Cup in early 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The stage is set for the 4th game on Sunday morning and if the pitches are anything to go by, we could have another high-scoring game looking at the dimensions of the ground as well.
Also Read: WI vs AUS: Josh Inglis’ Fiery Knock Decimates West Indies