The West Indies 257 for 4 (Pooran 75, Powell 52, Zampa 2-62) batting Australia 222 for 7 (Inglis 55, Ellis 39, Motie 2-31) for 35 runs
Centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell helped West Indies make a statement ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup as they beat an underperforming Australia in their final warm-up match in Trinidad.
Australia fielded a team with only nine players and coaches playing sub fielders, as they did two days ago against Namibia. Pooran and Powell hit 12 sixes between them as the left-hander hit 75 off 25 balls and the skipper hit 52 off 25 as West Indies made 257 for 4 in their overs there are 20. Sherfane Rutherford also scored 47 not out in just 18 balls to finish the innings.
Allrounder Marcus Stoinis arrived in Trinidad on Wednesday meaning Australia have 10 players in camp but his kit was delayed in Miami so he did not make an appearance. Chairman of selectors George Bailey and assistant coaches Brad Hodge and juniors Andre Borovec also chipped in at various stages with Borovec dropping Pooran.
After being sent in to bat, Pooran departed the crease at 38 for 1 in the third over following a quick start by Shai Hope and Johnson Charles. The left-hander scored the first three goals he faced in six and did not take his foot off the gas. He favored Australia’s spinners in Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa who hit five sixes in six balls in the first two overs without a powerplay after West Indies had made 78 for 1 in the first six.
Pooran reached his century in just 16 balls. Borovec dropped a high jumper but it didn’t cost as Bailey held on for one shortly after taking off from Zampa.
Powell picked up where Pooran left off. Zampa and Agar conceded 120 runs in their eight overs together. Surprisingly, Tim David was Australia’s cheapest bowler with 1 for 40 in his four part-time overs, the most expensive against Namibia.
Nathan Ellis also continued to say that he is part of the first team of Australia selected for the World Cup, he scored 42 overs and Josh Hazlewood was defeated by 55 runs. Rutherford faced Zampa towards the end of the innings giving away 22 runs in the legspinner’s last over. . Ellis kept the damage to just 14 in the final as Rutherford got the call three times but couldn’t clear it.
Josh Inglis hit a 30-ball 55 in Australia’s reply but they never got into the hunt with nine batsmen. Australia sprung a surprise opening the batting through Agar, something he had done twice before in T20I cricket, and scored 28 off 13 in the powerplay which included two fours and two sixes off the left-arm orthodox spin of Akeal Hosein. . But Agar ended up misfiring one and caught it at mid-on to Obed McCoy.
Shamar Joseph gave David Warner a glimpse of what he missed during the recent Australia-West Indies Test series, smashing his stumps for 15 runs despite hitting two fours and a six in the last three matches.
Skipper Mitch Marsh fell while David and Matthew Wade managed 25 apiece as the required run rate waned. Gudakesh Motie put Australia in the middle overs, taking on Inglis and David to finish with 2 for 31.
Ellis added to the respectability of scoring Australia 39 runs from 22 balls in the seventh wicket with 51 runs and Zampa finishing with 21 not out as Australia managed to bowl their 20 overs. .