(ESPN Cricinfo) – Blistering half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell helped the West Indies make a statement ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 as they hammered an undermanned Australia in their final warm-up game in Trinidad.
Australia fielded a team with just nine players and coaches for sub-fielders again, as they did two days ago against Namibia. Pooran and Powell smashed 12 sixes between them, with the left-hander cracking 75 from just 25 balls while the skipper thumped 52 from 25 as the West Indies made 257 for 4 from their 20 overs. Sherfane Rutherford also pounded 47 not out from just 18 balls to finish the innings.
All-rounder Marcus Stoinis did arrive in Trinidad on Wednesday, meaning Australia had 10 players in camp, but his kit had been delayed in Miami, so he did not feature. Chair of selectors George Bailey, alongside assistant coaches Brad Hodge and Andre Borovec, sub-fielded at various stages again, with Borovec dropping Pooran.
After being sent into bat, Pooran had walked to the crease at 38 for 1 in just the third over, following a quick start from Shai Hope and
Johnson Charles. The left-hander hit the first three legal deliveries he faced for six and never took his foot off the gas. He took a particular liking to Australia’s main spinners, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, smashing them for five sixes in six balls in the first two overs outside the powerplay after the West Indies had posted 78 for 1 in the first six.
Pooran reached his half-century in just 16 balls. Borovec dropped a towering skier, but it did not cost much as Bailey held onto one shortly after off Zampa.
Powell picked up where Pooran left off. Zampa and Agar conceded 120 runs from their eight combined overs. Extraordinarily, Tim David was Australia’s least expensive bowler, claiming 1 for 40 from his four overs of part-time off-spin, having been their most expensive against Namibia.
Nathan Ellis also continued to press his claims to be part of Australia’s first-choice XI in the World Cup, conceding 42 from his four overs while Josh Hazlewood was hammered for 55. Rutherford took on Zampa late in the innings clubbing 22 off the leg-spinner’s final over. Ellis kept the damage to just 14 in the last over, as Rutherford found the fence three times but was unable to clear it.
Josh Inglis struck a 30-ball 55 in Australia’s reply, but they were never in the hunt with just nine batters available. Australia pulled a surprise by opening the batting with Agar, something he has done twice before in T20I cricket, and he smashed 28 off 13 in the powerplay, including four fours and two sixes off the left-arm orthodox spin of Akeal Hosein. But Agar eventually miscued one to mid-on off Obed McCoy.
Shamar Joseph gave David Warner a glimpse of what he missed out on during the recent Australia-West Indies Test series, rattling his off stump for 15 despite conceding two fours and a six off the previous three deliveries.
Captain Mitch Marsh fell cheaply, while Tim David and Matthew Wade managed 25 apiece as the required run rate spiralled out of control. Gudakesh Motie put the squeeze on Australia in the middle overs, picking up Inglis and David to finish with 2 for 31.
Ellis added some respectability to Australia’s total, scoring 39 off 22 balls in a 51-run seventh-wicket stand with Zampa, who finished 21 not out as Australia managed to bat out their 20 overs.