Australia have extended their 21-year hold over the West Indies in 50-over cricket thanks to a smothering bowling performance in another low-scoring clash on a turning Kensington Oval pitch.
The visitors recovered from a top-order wobble under lights as Matthew Wade (51 not out off 52 balls) spearheaded a tricky run chase to seal a six-wicket win in their one-day international series decider in Barbados.
The Aussies’ three-pronged spin attack had dominated the Windies in a middle-order collapse of 5-34, with only a brave return to the crease from Evin Lewis (55no off 66) after he had been forced to retire hurt saving the home side from complete capitulation.
It was Australia’s most complete bowling performance of the series, with the return of Ashton Agar (2-31 off 10 overs) from a hamstring injury and Josh Hazlewood (2-18 off eight) after a calf niggle, along with an extended bowling run for off-spinner Ashton Turner (1-23 off eight) all proving decisive in their victory.
Agar, playing in his first game of the series then made the most of a surprise elevation up the order to be unbeaten on 19 (off 33) when Wade hit the winning runs with nearly 20 full overs to spare. Wade, Australia’s likely captain for their upcoming T20 series in Bangladesh with Aaron Finch returning home for knee surgery, soaked up pressure from the Windies tweakers (among them Kieron Pollard, the medium pacer who turned his hand to off-spin) to play a valiant hand from No.5.
It was the kind of grit the Aussies will need when they are inevitably targeted by spin on turning surfaces again in the upcoming five-game series in Dhaka. Lewis had top-edged a delivery from Hazlewood into his helmet and went off for 19 overs but, after passing a concussion test, returned following the fall of the fifth wicket help to put on 77 for the final four wickets.
No other Windies batter passed 20. Mitchell Starc (3-43 off 9.1) capped a terrific campaign by adding three more wickets to his ODI series tally, finishing with 11 victims at 10.63 and was named player of the series.
The Windies’ search for ODI bragging rights over Australia goes on, having last won a bilateral 50-over series against them in 1995.
With Ben McDermott missing with an ankle injury, Moises Henriques was promoted to open (for just the fourth time in his 113-game List A career) but his rough series continued when he was struck on the pad by consecutive arm balls from Akeal Hosein (1-29 off 10), the second one trapping him plumb in front.
It was a clever ploy to bring the left-arm spinner on to bowl with the new ball against Australia’s makeshift opener, with Hosein dismissing Henriques for the third time for single digits in as many matches.
His opening partner Josh Philippe fared little better, while Mitch Marsh blazed three sixes in a quick-fire 29 off 21 balls before gloving one down the leg-side off the wayward Sheldon Cottrell. When Alex Carey (35 off 50) was lbw to a savvy review off Hayden Walsh Jr, Australia were on the ropes at 4-99 and the sight of Agar sent out at No.6 – seemingly due to his left-handedness giving him an advantage against the threat of Hosein and Walsh – may have raised eyebrows.
But both Agar and Wade played the spinning ball with confidence, with the latter twice carting Walsh for six including one that landed on the roof of the Greenidge and Haynes stand, to ease the Aussies home.
Back in the team after being managed for the second ODI, Hazlewood earlier delivered a metronomic opening spell (five overs, one maiden, 1-10) that left Lewis dazed and forced a frustrated Shimron Hetmyer to chop on. But after playing just the sole specialist spinner in the opening two games, the Aussies took a markedly different approach on the worn Kensington Oval surface, with just seven of the opening 20 overs being sent down by the pacemen.
It proved an effective strategy as both Shai Hope and Darren Bravo were caught in the inner circle (the former thanks to a sharp diving catch by Marsh) off Agar. Turner continued his encouraging return to the bowling crease by clean bowling Nicholas Pooran shouldering arms to a straight one, the off-spinner’s second crucial wicket in as many games after removing Hope two days ago.
The Aussies could be heard joking that Turner had got Pooran with a doosra, when it appeared he simply bowled a regulation off-break that didn’t turn. Kieron Pollard survived the spin onslaught but was distraught after bunting the first ball he faced off Starc to cover, while Jason Holder was bowled by Zampa.
Lewis brought up his half-century with a six off the leg-spinner but the Aussies did not allow their tail the same leeway they were given in the second ODI as the Windies stumbled to be bowled out in the 46th over. (cric.com.au)