Obed McCoy and Hayden Walsh on Friday combined for seven wickets to trigger a stunning Australia collapse as the West Indies pulled off an 18-run victory in the opening fixture of the five-match Twenty20 international series at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia.
Seamer McCoy (4-26) and leg-spinner Walsh (3-23) turned the match on its head as the tourists, replying to the home side’s 145-6, lost their last six wickets for 19 runs to be dismissed for 127 off 16 overs.
Mitchell Marsh’s 51 off 31 deliveries with two sixes and five fours appeared to have tilted the match decidedly in his team’s favor until he fell to Walsh at 117-6 in the 13th over.
Photo: AFP
The West Indies were indebted to Andre Russell’s explosive 51 off 28 balls — his first T20I half century — in reaching a total of some respectability.
Opening bowler Josh Hazlewood produced the outstanding figures of 3-12 off four overs and it required Russell’s power-hitting, which brought him five sixes and three fours, to give the innings late impetus after the home side’s top-order batting struggled after they were put in.
The West Indies went into the match without regular captain Kieron Pollard, who is nursing a hamstring injury sustained in the final match of the preceding T20I series against South Africa, which the Proteas clinched 3-2 with victory in the final match just six days earlier in Grenada.
Fittingly it was the stand-in skipper, wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran, who effected the match-winning dismissal when Hazlewood was caught behind off McCoy to trigger celebrations among the home side, who looked completely out of the game with Australia cruising at 108-4 in the 11th over.
“I felt we always had a chance if we could pick up a couple wickets and when it started going for us we were able to pull it off,” McCoy said after receiving the Man of the Match award. “I’m really enjoying my bowling and I am glad I can just make a contribution to this team.”
ZIMBABWE-BANGLADESH
AFP, HARARE
An unbeaten 115 yesterday by opener Shadman Islam helped Bangladesh set Zimbabwe 477 to win their one-off Test at the Harare Sports Club.
The tourists made 284-1 declared in their second innings after lunch on day 4, with Najmul Hossain Shanto making 117 not out after Saif Hassan departed for 43.
Bangladesh took a 192-run lead into their second innings having won the toss and posted 468.
In reply, Zimbabwe collapsed after Takudzwanashe Kaitano (83) fell and made 276.
The only wicket of the third innings came from the second ball of the 30th over when new cap Dion Myers reacted quickly to take a two-handed catch at gully after a reckless cut from Saif.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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