Clinical West Indies take 2-0 lead in T20 series against Australia
Published:Saturday | July 10, 2021 | 11:09 PMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer -
The West Indies put in a clinical performance with both bat and ball to secure a 56-run win over Australia, to go 2-0 up in the five-match Twenty20 (T20) International series, after game two in St Lucia on Saturday night.
Shimron Hetmyer and Dwayne first starred with the bat, and then Hayden Walsh Jr continued where he left off with the ball, as the home side dismissed the Aussies for 140 after putting up 197 runs on the board.
Once again, the home side was asked to take the first strike, and it was a workmanlike performance with bat from Hetmyer, who hit a top score of 61 from 36 balls with two fours and four sixes.
The left-hander shared in a record 103 run fourth-wicket partnership with Dwayne Bravo, who made an unbeaten 47 from 34 balls.
Andre Russell came in towards the back end of the innings and smashed 24 from eight balls to ensure the West Indies got to their highest T20 score this season.
Opener Lendl Simmons also weighed in with 30 from 21 balls as Mitchell Marsh was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies with one wicket for 18 runs.
With a formidable total on the board, the Australians had to go hard from the first ball, but instead, it took just two balls for the West Indies to get their first wicket, when Sheldon Cottrell had Matthew Wade caught by Andre Russell for nought.
After Fidel Edwards bowled captain Aaron Finch for six, at 19 for two in the fourth over, it was then time for Walsh to step in and work his magic as he did in game one.
He picked up three crucial wickets to knock the stuffing out of the Australian batting.
Once again, it was Marsh who posed the biggest threat with a fighting 54 from 42 balls, but the visitors could not counter the clinical bowling from the West Indies and eventually folded for 140.
Cottrell finished with two wickets while there was a wicket each for Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle.
Man of the Match Hetmyer was pleased with his efforts.
"I think it was one of my best T20 innings,” he said. “I think I paced it quite well. It really worked out well for me with the guys backing me to be the guy to just take it as deep as possible. Kudos to my team for giving me that role. I didn't do much different tonight. It was just having a partnership in the middle to set a platform for us.”
Finch lamented his team’s poor performance with the bat once again on a good batting track.
"I don't think the wicket changed a huge amount again,” he said. “It played pretty well. Chasing 190, you have to get off to a pretty good start and when your two openers get out cheaply, it puts a lot of pressure on our reasonably inexperienced middle order.”