Australia vs West Indies, 3rd T20I: Marsh heroics keeps the series alive

Jul 15, 2021

Australia vs West Indies, 3rd T20I: Marsh heroics keeps the series alive Image

Australia rode on a stellar show from Mitchell Marsh with both bat and ball to register their first victory on the tour. West Indies fell five runs short of the target as Mitchell Starc successfully defended 11 runs in the last over.

Marsh (75) scored his third half-century of the tour to lift the visitors to an imposing 189. West Indies got off a rollicking start but Adam Zampa plugged in the run-flow by removing Andre Fletcher and Evin Lewis.

Lendl Simmons and Lewis smashed the Australians all over the park, bringing up 62 runs in just over four overs. Simmons welcomed Riley Meredith with a six on his second ball, and hit two fours in the over. Lewis took on Dan Christian, hooking him for back-to-back sixes.

Zampa provided the visitors with a major breakthrough by removing Lewis. Gayle could not add much impact this time, getting undone by Marsh.

Simmons, meanwhile, carried on with his assault, and reached his fifty in the eighth over. Nicholas Pooran joined him for a brief period, making 16 off 15 before holing out to Christian.

Simmons’ dismissal put West Indies in a spot of bother. Fabian Allen chipped in with 29 from 14 balls to bring them closer to the target. With 11 needed of the last over, Starc bowled five consecutive dot balls, as Andre Russell kept turning singles down.

Earlier, Australia again lost Matthew Wade early in the innings. He was beaten by the pace of Oshane Thomas, and edged it to Pooran behind the stumps.

Marsh joined Aaron Finch in the middle, and the duo added a record 114-run partnership for the second wicket. Marsh got off the flier straightaway, smashing Thomas for two sixes and as many fours in his second over. He reached his third successive fifty with a six over long-on.

Finch too brought up his half-century but got out the very next over. He failed to connect a slog sweep, and saw his stumps uprooted by Hayden Walsh.

Australia were well on the way to the 200-plus total but the middle-order failure hurt his cause. In the end, Dan Christian (22 off 14) hit two fours and a six to drag them to 189.

Brief scores: Australia 189/6 in 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 75; Hayden Walsh Jr 3-27) beat West Indies 185/6 in 20 overs (Lendl Simmons 72; Mitchell Marsh 3-24) by 4 runs. Player of the Match: Mitchell Marsh.