By CricketCountry Staff
West Indies held their nerves to pull-off a 14 run won over Australia in the second and the final T20 match against Australia at Barbados on Friday.
Published: Mar 31, 2012, 03:18 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 31, 2012, 03:18 AM (IST)
West Indies players celebrate their win over Australia © AFP
By CricketCountry Staff
Barbados: Mar 30, 2012
West Indies held their nerves to pull-off a 14 run won over Australia in the second and the final T20 match against Australia at Barbados on Friday.
Chasing a total of 16, the visitors managed 146 in their allotted 20 overs. With the win, West Indies leveled the tow match series after losing the first encounter.
Australia got off to a shaky start losing Shane Watson in the very first over.
Skipper George Bailey and David Warner put up a 64-run stand to rescue the visitors.
Bowlers got West Indies back into the match with three quick wickets to have Australia reeling at 98 for four.
David Hussey and Matthew Wade came together to conjure 35-run partnership in 31 deliveries.
But just when Australia looked set for a win, Marlon Samuels had the latter caught of his own bowling to provide the hosts with an important breakthrough.
Fidel Edwards help West Indies closer to win with two quick strikes to dismiss Dan Christian and Brett Lee in consecutive deliveries.
In the end the Australian tail collapsed under pressure as West Indies registered a fighting win.
Edwards was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets.
Earlier, West Indies squandered a blistering start to be bowled out for just 160.
West Indies had lost the first match of the two-game series by eight wickets in Saint Lucia on Tuesday, but they looked good for a huge score here when they raced to 65-0 from six overs and 110-2 by the 10th.
Openers Devon Smith and Johnson Charles got West Indies off to a flying start.
Charles made 37 off 21 balls with six fours and a six before he was first man out in the seventh over.
Big-hitting Kieron Pollard, who had scored a maiden T20 fifty on Tuesday, was caught behind off Brett Lee after making just one in the eighth over with the total on 76.
Smith top-scored thanks to a 34-ball innings of 63, which featured six fours and four huge sixes, but once he was caught in the deep off slow bowler Xavier Doherty, the runs dried up.
Dwayne Bravo, with 23 off 24 balls, was the only other batsman to reach double figures as West Indies lost their last eight wickets for just 40 runs before they were bowled out with two balls to spare.
Lee was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 3 for 23.
West Indies, who dropped Krishmar Santokie, Nkrumah Bonner and Darren Bravo in favour of Marlon Samuels, Fidel Edwards and Danza Hyatt, won the toss.
Brief Scores: West Indies 160 all-out in 19.4 overs (Dwayne Smith 63, Johnson Charles 37, Dwayne Bravo 23; Brett Lee 3 for 23, Clint McKay 2 for 24) bt Australia 146 for 9 in 20 overs (David Warner 58, George Bailey 24; Fidel Edwards 3 for 23, Marlon Samuels 3 for 23) by 14 runs
