Charles Leads West Indies To Easy Win

Charles Leads West Indies To Easy Win

Johnson Charles followed up his maiden international century with an innings of 57 in the one-off T20 International.

©REUTERS/Aman Sharma. Picture Supplied by Action Images

West Indies 191-6 (Charles 57) beat
Australia 164-8 (Voges 51) by 27 runs
Only Twenty20 International, Brisbane
Scorecard
Report by Daniel Grummitt

West Indies finally recorded a win on their limited-overs tour of Australia at the seventh attempt by beating a virtually second-string home side in the one-off T20 International at the Gabba. Johnson Charles, fresh from his maiden international century in the fifth ODI, laid the platform for their impressive total of 191 for six with a 35-ball 57.

Australia’s inexperienced middle-order then crumbled when faced with the daunting required run rate and they finished short on 164 for eight.

With most of Australia’s first choice squad now in India preparing for the Test series, the hosts fielded three debutants and it showed in their performance. Their fresh-faced attack of Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Cutting, Clint McKay, James Faulkner and Josh Hazlewood struggled to contain the world champions despite Hazlewood accounting for Chris Gayle in his first over.

Charles did the bulk of the scoring in the first half of the tourists’ innings and hit eight boundaries before being bowled by Coulter-Nile. His partner Darren Bravo then followed for 32 off 27 balls, but the explosive West Indian middle-order ensured that there was no let up.

Kieron Pollard (26 off 17 ball), Andre Russell (23 not out off 11) and Darren Sammy (20 off seven) all contributed cameos as Australia’s all-pace attack was punished for its frequent waywardness. All of them conceded at least nine an over apart from James Faulkner, who was by far the pick and ended with three for 28 from his four overs.

Australia then also lost an early wicket - that of Aaron Finch for four to Sammy - and for a while it looked as though Adam Voges, also fresh from a maiden international century in the fifth ODI, might play the role that Charles had done earlier. He had made 51 off 33 balls by the time he was run-out attempting to sneak a bye to wicket-keeper Devon Thomas. 

From that point on the wheels fell off for Australia. George Bailey’s dismissal to Sunil Narine (two for 19) an over later effectively ended any realistic hopes of victory as the required run rate began to spiral. Brad Haddin did club 22 off 11 balls but by that time the crowd were just cheering the strokeplay rather than any contribution that it might make to a home win.

Kieron Pollard ended Haddin’s fun and then dispatched Faulkner and Ben Rohrer (16 off 14 balls) with successive deliveries in his next over to end with figures of three for 30. Coulter-Nile hit two sixes and finished on 16 not out but Australia wound up comfortably short to lose by 27 runs.

© Cricket World 2013