West Indies power to 37-run T20 win over Australia despite Warner’s final blitz at home
David Warner has confirmed he will retire from international cricket after the T20 World Cup, but he ensured his final knock for Australia on home soil was a memorable one.
Warner was the standout Australian performer on Tuesday night as the West Indies secured a 37-run victory in the third and final T20 clash at Perth’s
Optus Stadium.
The West Indies posted a monster 220-6 following blistering knocks from Andre Russell (71 off 29 balls) and Sherfane Rutherford (67no off 40 balls).
In reply, Warner overcame a scary knock to the chin to post 81 off 49 balls to give Australia a chance of victory in front of 17,018 fans.
But the loss of three wickets for three runs, in which Aaron Hardie, Warner and Josh Inglis all departed in the space of 10 balls, signalled the end of Australia’s hopes, with the home side finishing on 183-5.
The result denied Australia a clean sweep of the three-match series, with the hosts instead winning 2-1 ahead of the tour of New Zealand.
Before the match, Warner told his teammates it was his final international match in Australia.
Warner will take part in the upcoming T20 series in New Zealand and this year’s T20 World Cup before bringing his glorious international career to a close.
“I’m well and truly done,” he said. “It’s time for the youngsters to come through and showcase their talent.
“We’ve got extreme talent here. We’re in good stead for the future.”
Australia’s T20 captain Mitch Marsh paid tribute to Warner.
“It’s obviously been an amazing career for him,” Marsh said. “I guess it’s kind of fitting for him to finish the way it has [with that knock]. What a servant to Australian cricket. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a win for him.”
The West Indies crashed to 3-17 after an early onslaught from debutant paceman Xavier Bartlett (2-37).
Russell came to the crease with his team in big trouble at 5-79 in the ninth over but combined brilliantly
with Rutherford for a 139-run stand – the largest for the sixth wicket in a T20 international – that changed the complexion of the match.
But it wasn’t until the penultimate over bowled by Adam Zampa that Russell took the damage to the next level, cracking 28 runs – including four sixes – during that devastating over.
His three consecutive sixes to finish the over came after Tim David dropped a diving catch on the boundary.
If that catch had been taken, Zampa would have had figures of 2-43 with three more balls left in his spell.
Instead, he finished with 1-65 – the most expensive figures of his 77-match T20I career.
Russell, who copped a painful hit to his glove early in his innings, finished with seven sixes and four fours to his name.
Mitch Marsh’s promotion to opener didn’t last long, with the skipper holing out for 17.
Warner was on 21 when a rising Russell delivery crashed into the underside of his helmet grille.
The 37-year-old received on-field treatment to check for concussion or any signs of damage to his jaw, but he was given the green light to continue.
Warner cut the next ball for four, and reached his half-century in 25 balls with a big six down the ground.
But when Hardie (16 off 16) chopped Romario Shepherd on to his stumps, it triggered a collapse that Australia failed to recover from.
Warner holed out in the deep, and Inglis was sent packing when Roston Chase (2-19) pulled off a sharp catch off his own bowling.
Glenn Maxwell (12 off 14 balls) couldn’t get going, but Tim David (41no off 19 balls) was at least able to provide the crowd with some late fireworks.