Josh Hazlewood’s fifer stirs Australia to victory against West Indies in Tri-Nation Series 2016 Final
Hazlewood's fifer stirs AUS to victory against WI
Josh Hazlewood’s heroics powered Australia to Tri-Nation Series 2016 victory against West Indies by 58-runs at Barbados on Sunday. He completed his innings with figures of 5 for 50 in 9.3 overs and was duly rewarded Man of the Series. Joining him along was Mitchell Marsh who was equally at his best with figures of 3 for 31 at the end of his spells and bagged the Man of the Match award for the same. Johnson Charles top-scored with 45 and featured in an encouraging opening partnership of 49 with Andre Fletcher. Sunil Narine also played cameo in the lower ordrr with his knock of 23 off 18 that included 4 fours. Mitchell Starc was equally restrictive but wenter wicketless, unable to achieve 100 ODI wickets. Constant fall of wickets in the death overs was the key to success for Australia and that lead the way to victory. Hazlewood sclaped three wickets to finish off the game in style within the 46th over. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: West Indies vs Australia, Tri-Nation Series 2016 Final at Barbados
West Indies started off their chase for 271 on a rather shaky note as wickets kept falling first with Andre Fletcher being dismissed for just 9 in 10th over by Josh Hazlewood. Fletcher did not look confident enough while playing along with his partner Johnson Charles who was in good touch with the bat. Charles and Fletcher could have achieved the fifty runs partnership if the latter could have stayed for little longer on crease. A lot was expected from hard-hitter Darren Bravo after his century in the previous outing against South Africa. It rather turned out to be disappointment after he was gone for single digit. Mitchell Marsh got his first wicket through Bravo. Marsh continued to hammer West Indies batsmen one after the other and got two more wickets on his kitty.
Marlon Samuels and Charles were gone in quick successions, thanks to Marsh’s short ball. West Indies crisis man Kieron Pollard also remained helpless against spin attack this time Adam Zampa grabbing his wicket and dismissing him off for 20. Jason Holder and Denesh Ramdin could not continue their battle for long with Nathan Coulter-Nile getting his first wicket and dismissing off the skipper for 34 off 37. They secured the highest partnership between them for this game of 40. West Indies finisher Brathwaite entered with a hope to take his team to the finishing line and that did not go as planned. Barthwaite did show glimpses of those big sixes, but had to make his way back for mere 20 runs with Hazlewood getting his second wicket. LIVE CRICKET SCORE: West Indies vs Australia, Tri-Nation Series 2016 Final at Barbados
Earlier, Matthew Wade led a lower-order revival with a pugnacious half-century as Australia rallied to 270 for nine batting first against the West Indies in the final of the Tri-Nation One-Day International Series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday. His unbeaten 57 off 52 deliveries was the top score of an innings that looked in danger of subsiding meekly when Mitchell Marsh fell to spinner Sulieman Benn at 173 for six in the 37th over. However the wicketkeeper-batsman survived the wiles of the other slow bowling threat, Sunil Narine, and prospered against the seamers, crashing three sixes including one off the last ball of the innings to complete a recovery that saw 97 runs added over the last 13 overs.
Australian captain Steven Smith won the toss and chose to bat first against the West Indies in the final of the Tri-Nation Series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday. Question marks over the fitness of fast bowler Gabriel and skipper Holder were erased in pre-match workouts, allowing the West Indies to name the same team that thrashed South Africa by 100 runs two days earlier to qualify for the final.
Brief Scores:
Australia 270 for 9 in 50 overs (Aaron Finch 47, Steven Smith 46, Matthew Wade 57*; Jason Holder 2 for 51, Shannon Gabriel 2 for 58) beat West Indies 212 in 45.4 overs (Johnson Charles 45, Denesh Ramdin 40; Josh Hazlewood 5 for 50, Mitchell Marsh 3 for 32) by 58 runs
Mitchell Marsh- Man of the Match
Josh Hazlewood- Man of the Series
FULL SCORECARD: West Indies vs Australia, Tri-Nation Series 2016 Final at Barbados