Half-centuries to Cameron Green and Josh Inglis led Australia to a three-wicket win over West Indies and extended its lead to 4-0 in a five-match men’s T20 international series.
Australia chased down West Indies’ score of 9-205 in the final over, with Green top scoring with an unbeaten 55 — his third half-century of the series — while Inglis set the tone early with a spritely 51.
It is the seventh time West Indies has failed to defend a score in excess of 200 in T20 internationals, the most of any ICC member nation.
Sherfane Rutherford made 31 off 15 balls to top score for the hosts, who also had handy contributions from the middle order.
Rovman Powell (28), Romario Shepherd (28) and Jason Holder (26) made starts after West Indies was asked again to bat first at Warner Park.
Shai Hope, who made a brilliant unbeaten 102 on Saturday AEST — to become the second male West Indian player after Chris Gayle to score a century in each format — could only manage 10 this time around, before chipping a catch to a diving Glenn Maxwell off Xavier Bartlett.
Aaron Hardie, playing the match for the rested Tim David, impressed among Australia’s bowling attack with an economical 2-24 off four overs.
Adam Zampa (3-54) took three wickets, while Bartlett (2-39) and Sean Abbott (2-61) picked up two dismissals each.
Australia’s reply stated shakily with captain Mitch Marsh (duck) out in the first over for Jediah Blades’ first T20 international wicket.
A 66-run stand between Inglis and Maxwell helped Australia recover.
Inglis scored his second half-century of the series off 28 balls, with 10 boundaries and a six, but gifted a catch to deep square two balls later off Shepherd (1-59).
Maxwell, opening the batting for the third consecutive match, got his highest score of the series with 47 from 18 balls before he was caught off Akeal Hosein (1-36) immediately after the mid-innings break to have Australia at 3-129 but still looking comfortable.
That changed in the space of three balls from Blades (3-29), who removed newcomer Mitchell Owen (2) and Cooper Connolly for a duck to have the Australian chase stumbling at 5-134.
Green stayed composed and combined with Hardie for a 51-run stand to close in on the victory target before the latter holed-out from Holder (1-38).
Bartlett was run-out in the second-to-last-over and Abbott scored the winning run as rain began sheeting down.
Australia’s winning streak in the Caribbean now stands at seven matches following the 3-0 Test series sweep.
AP
